92 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
important factors, generally speaking, are fish and weather. Herring may he exceed- 
ingly abundant and cheap at the fishing stations, but if the weather is mild it is impos- 
sible to freeze a cargo if the natural temperature at the station is depended upon. 
On the other hand, the conditions of freezing may be all that could be desired, but 
the fish do not appear, and days, weeks, and months are passed in waiting. It has 
not been uncommon for vessels to be compelled to return without cargoes. There are 
uncertainties, too, even when fish have been obtained in good condition. An over- 
stocked market brings the price down to a point where loss can not be avoided, and 
disadvantage to the fisherman may often result from a continuance of warm weather 
immediately after the sale of a cargo has begun, since the sale generally continues for 
several days or weeks, and mild weather causes the frozen herring to u slack up” and 
become unfit for market. 
It is a matter for congratulation that recently success has been met with in freezing 
herring on board of vessels by artificial methods. As long ago as 1878, when Prof. Baird 
established his headquarters at Gloucester, Massachusetts, he suggested the impor- 
tance of applying artificial methods to the freezing of herring for bait. Recently the 
system has been adopted with marked success. This eliminates many uncertainties 
attending the business and the method will doubtless be largely applied in the near 
future. 
The supply is obtained, as will be seen in the tables, from Newfoundland and 
New Brunswick. During some seasons a few cargoes are received from Nova Scotia, 
but it is now very exceptional for vessels to visit the latter province for frozen herring. 
Formerly vessels from Massachusetts engaged in the trade with Newfoundland and 
New Brunswick, nearly an equal number visiting each province. Recently, however, 
there has been a marked change in this respect. The New Brunswick herring trade in 
winter is, with few exceptions, carried on by vessels belonging in Maine, while vessels 
from Massachusetts engage almost exclusively in voyages to Newfoundland. This is 
due in some measure to the fact that the Maine vessels employed in this trade are of 
comparatively small tonnage, and not so well fitted as those from Massachusetts to 
make long ocean voyages in midwinter. The proximity of the Maine ports to the 
fishing- grounds in New Brunswick also has its influence. 
Both for market and bait purposes the Newfoundland herring are preferred by 
Americans and bring the highest price. This accounts chiefly for the fact that the 
largest and finest fishing schooners sailing from Massachusetts engage in the New- 
foundland herring trade. 
In 1889, 26 vessels, with a tonnage of 1,140.70, were engaged in the New Bruns- 
wick frozen-herring trade, and brought to the markets of the United States 6,289,000 
herring, valued at $39,622. Forty-six vessels, of 4,267.98 aggregate tonnage, found 
employment in the frozen-herring trade with Newfoundland and brought to our mar- 
kets 16,235,000 herring, valued at $239,675. 
In addition to the herring brought to the United States on American vessels, a 
considerable quantity was imported on vessels sailing under the British flag. Table 
18 shows that 2,593,000 pounds, valued at $33,939, were thus sold in our markets 
during 1889. This is, however, in addition to large quantities of frozen herring im- 
ported from the provinces on steamers. Many herring are shipped in this way from 
New Brunswick on the regular line of steamers plying between St. John and New 
England ports. 
