EEPORT OF THE COMMISSIONEK OF FISHERIES. 131 



The quantity of products derived from the fisheries was 528,913,797 

 pounds, valued at $12,280,101 as they leave the hands of the fisher- 

 men; this does not include the enhancement in value as the result of 

 canning or other methods of preparation beyond tl^ose employed by 

 the fishermen, nor the higher price received for products handled in 

 the wholesale fishery trade. The leading species in the New England 

 fisheries are alewives, cod, cusk, eels, flounders, haddock, hake, pol- 

 lock, halibut, herring, mackerel, menhaden, scup, shad, smelt, squc- 

 teague, swordfish, whiting or silver hake, squid, lobsters, quahogs or 

 hard clams, soft clams, and oysters. The products of the whale fish- 

 eries are also of considerable importance. 



Since 1898, the year for which the last previous canvass of these 

 states was made, there has been an increase in the products of the 

 fisheries of 31.13 per cent in quantity and of 2G.83 per cent in value. 

 There has also been a small increase in the number of persons employed 

 and in the amount of capital invested. 



An interesting occurrence in connection with the New England 

 fisheries during the past year, 1903, was the shipment from Province- 

 town, Mass., of a cargo of 286,000 pounds of frozen squid, out of cold 

 storage, to St. Pierre and Miquelon, for use as bait by the French 

 fishermen in the Grand Bank cod fisheries. The vessel carrying this 

 cargo was the steamer Alice 2L Jacobs of Gloucester, Mass., com- 

 manded by Capt. Solomon Jacobs, of that port. The voyage was suc- 

 cessfulh^ made, and the fish met with a readjr sale on reaching St. 

 Pierre. The Gloucester Daily Times, of March 25, 1903, refers to the 

 incident as follows: 



After loading the squid at Provincetown, the steamer sailed from there two weeks 

 ago Wednesday and reached St. Pierre the following Saturdaj'. To avoid the ice, 

 Captain Jacobs went to the southward of Sable Island, and St. Pierre bore 130 miles 

 north-northeast before he shaped his course for it. 



On reaching that port he had no trouble in disposing of his cargo, the French 

 bankers coming alongside and taking their baiting, although they had not yet fitted 

 out. All were disposed of in this way except 20,000 pounds, which were put in cold 

 storage, as Captain Jacobs Avas anxious to get away and home to fit for seining. 



Captain Jacobs says the fishermen, were pleased with the squid and wanted him 

 to return in aliout three weeks with a cargo of herring, for which they were willing 

 to pay a big price. 



FISHERIES OF THE SOUTH ATLANTIC STATES. 



In the South Atlantic States, namely, North Carolina, South Caro- 

 lina, Georgia, and the east coast of Florida, the number of persons 

 engaged in the coast fisheries in 1902 was 23,152. There were 17,711 

 fishermen on vessels and boats, ai;^d 5,711 shoresmen employed in the 

 various branches of industry dependent on the fisheries. 



The total amount of capital invested was $2,991,119; the number of 

 vessels employed was 526, valued at $392,661; the value of their outfit 



