FISHERIES OF THE NEW ENGLAND STATES. 



259 



canneries, lar^e quantities are also sold for bait to fishing vessels from 

 Boston, Gloucester, and other ports along the coast. The species 

 taken in largest quantities in this count}" are cod, hake, herring, 

 mackerel, smelt, lobster, and clam. 



Cumberland County also has extensive fisheries, which center chiefly 

 at Portland, where the fishermen market the greater part of their 

 catch. The products consist principally of cod, haddock, hake, mack- 

 erel, sword-fish, lobsters, and clams. Compared with 1S98 there has 

 been considerable decrease in the catch of some of these species. The 

 decline in the clam catch has been so great that in some localities a 

 close season has been esta])lished with a view to improving the condi- 

 tion of the fisher}'. The catch of mackerel has increased in both 

 quantity and value; the catch of sword-fish, while it has decreased in 

 quantity, has increased in value. 



Knox County is third among the counties of Maine in the quantity 

 and value of its fishery products, and fifth in the number of persons 

 employed and capital invested in the fisheries. There has been con- 

 siderable increase since 1898 in the catch of cod, haddock, herring-, 

 and lobsters, but a decrease in a number of other species, especiall}'' 

 in clams. 



The most important of the 5 remaining counties were Sagadahoc, 

 in which the number of persons employed was 471, the investment 

 159,368, and the products 3,73:3,101 pounds, valued at §85,216; and 

 York, with 482 persons emplo3"ed, §97,193 invested, and products 

 amounting to 7,804,284 pounds, valued at §182,590. 



The following tables show the extent of the fisheries in each county 

 of Maine in 1902: 



Table s}io}ving (lie number of persons employed in iJie fisheries of 3raine in 1902. 



