450 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
fishing in small open boats along the shores adjacent to their homes, 
and were merely purchased by the vessels and transported by them to 
the city markets. 
In Table XIY a comparative statement is furnished of the extent of 
the menhaden fishery in 1880 and 1886, the former figures obtained by 
agents of the U. S. Fish Commission for the Tenth Census, the latter 
by special field investigations of the Commission. Reference to the 
table discloses certain features of the fishery the mention of which will 
be of interest. 
Number of factories. — The State having the largest number of facto- 
ries, both in 1880 and 1886, is Virginia, 38 and 37 being the respective 
figures. A large proportion of the factories in 1880, however, were not 
in existence in 1886; many of those operating in the latter year repre- 
senting new capital invested or a change in the location of plants. 
Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, and New 
Jersey show a decrease in the number of factories, while whatever in- 
crease took place was south of New Jersey, and the increase was really 
more than can be judged from a bare statement of the number of fac- 
tories, as is shown by the greatly augmented amount of capital invested 
in the Southern States. A noticeable impetus to the industry in the 
South, partially compensatory with its decline in the North, is seen in 
the number of works in 1886 in North Carolina, where in 1880 there 
were none. 
Number of vessels.— Fewer steam and sail vessels were employed in 
1886 than in 1880. Vessels of finer build, larger size, and with more 
men, however, made up for fewer numbers in 1886. While in 1880 the 
average value of steamers was $8,160, in 1886 it was $10,095. The 
value of sailing vessels shows a corresponding increase, the average in 
1880 being $835 and in 1886 $1,425. 
Number of men . — More men in the capacity of factory hands and fish- 
ermen were employed in 1886, notwithstanding the smaller number of 
factories and vessels. 
Capital invested. — The total investment in 1880 was $2,061,654 ; in 
1886 it was $2,921,632, or an increase of $859,978, made up chiefly of 
improved machinery and other shore property. 
The yield of the fishery . — In 1886 the quantity of menhaden taken was 
less by 1,105,825 barrels, or about 368,608,000 fish, than in 1880. The 
yield of oil in the latter year was at the rate of 3 gallons to a thousand 
fish, and in 1886 averaged 5J gallons; the actual increase in oil amount- 
ing to 914,878 gallons. The production of fertilizer was less in 1886 
than in 1880 by 27,281 tons. The total value of the output of the fish- 
ery was $2,116,787 in 1880 and $1,517,330 in 1886; the decrease in the 
latter year being $599,457 
Table XV shows the average quantity of fish taken per vessel and 
per man, for the years 1879, 1880, 1885, 1886, 1887, and 1888, of 20 ves- 
sels belonging at ports in the State of Maine, and employed in the cod 
fisheries of Quereau, Western, and Grand banks. 
