REPORTS OF STORAGE HOLDINGS. 41 
HALIBUT. 
This is “the largest and most valuable of the flat fishes and is found 
both in the North Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. It is one of the 
largest species used for food, sometimes weighing over 300 pounds. 
The average weight is from 50 to 75 pounds. It is caught with trawls 
and hand lines. There are three grades of halibut, the ‘white,’ which 
has its underside immaculate, is considered the best and brings the 
highest price; the ‘gray’ is blotched on the underside and sells for a 
third less; the ‘sour’ is tainted and brings only about a fourth as 
much as the ‘white.’ Small young fish weighing from 10 to 20 pounds 
are called ‘chickens’ and are greatly sought after by epicures.”’ 
On January 1, 1918, the stocks of frozen halibut amounted to 
5,293,936 pounds and the holdings decreased to a little less than 
2,000,000 pounds on April 15. The holdings then increased until 
September 15, when 11,946,117 pounds were reported. This amount 
was approximately 36.5 per cent more than the quantity stored the 
previous year. | 
TABLE 32.—Monthly cold storage holdings of frozen halibut during 1918, and increase 
‘ or decrease during each month. 
Holdings Relative 
Increase or decrease 
Month. on fifteenth | percent- : 
of month: age. _during month. 
: Pounds. Per cent. Pounds. Per cent. 
Januany=ee SEE SS lie a eg a ea 5,293,936 44.3 |. —2,444,298 — 46.2 
YEN) OF CUE Nes se te re ate Da ges 2,849,638 23.9 — 876,641 — 30.8 
MON ARG eg eee ne teenie oilbala Re adeno pute De AL soe 1,972,997 16.5 — 39,141 — 2.0 
PANT) Koi [ieee easipnges Rg en! ke Marae ee VOM oti, dn Ooh a 1,933,856 1GE2 + 895,455 + 46.3 
AV etey een aees at ree a eee ea LA FR LL a 2,829,311 PABA + 2,855,510 +100.9 
UA oS Soe Sc A pe 5,684,821 47.6 + 1,686,841 + 29.7 
FEU ES 2 eS IN I le ec tae UO me 7,371,662 61.7 + 3,165,205 + 42,9 
INUCTIS be mererees Cm emer om tea) CN iB oe a NL, 10,536,867 88.2 + 1,409,250 + 13.4 
September: seinen tes Uae ge 11,946,117 100.0 — 216,345 — 1.8 
O CEO er a ae Slee ic ge Lm 11,729,772 98.2 — 127,396 — 1. 
INOoemnlb ersetae atime uta de RES Lot Tels ta k LG 11,602,376 97.1 — 1,301,675 — 11.2 
Decemberne mee pum er oman oye a iy Md RG 10,300,701 86.2 — 2,409,360 — 23.4 
TaBLE 33.—Monthly cold storage holdings of frozen halibut during 1918 compared 
with those of 1917. 
Reported for 1918. Compatison with 1917. 
Month. Holdings | Storages Increase 
‘| Storages reported reporting 1917. 1918. or 
reporting.| on fifteenth | for both decnnase 
of month. dates. ‘ : 
Number. Pounds. Number. Pounds. Pounds. Per cent. 
VENTE Np Se rie 105 5,293,936 85 4,118,337 4,086,373 — 0.8 
Hebruaryoe 2 ee ee 110 2,849,638 87 1,144,144 1,872,553 + 63.7 
WIE TRG AS So Shed ee ee 113 1,972,997 89 1,003,764 1,000,077 — 0.4 
Attlee eee ee gene rat See 109 1,933,856 | 89 1,156,983 1,195,219 + 3.3 
IMB bee Ce eo Sal i 90 2,829,311 72 2,458,513 2,363,115 — 3.9 
Surreal wear 4 79 5,684,821 59 3,535,529 5,183,009 +46.6 
Ua i eee, a et tg 81 7,371,662 62 4,611,518 5,707,822 + 23.8 
JNO Sg US Bens lk Teg Mesa ae ae 87 10,536,867 68 5,971,371 7,958,357 +33.3 
September! 222-2 2) ee 78 11,946,117 60 6,749,648 9,213,890 +36.5 
Octeberse sis Seg 82 11,729,772 70 6,792,095 9,141,854 + 34.6 
INovemberses seo 88 11,602,376 80 8,544,995 10,973,624 +28.4 
Decembersa 22 2 se 97 10,300,701 93 6,409,143 9,919,130 +54.8 
