FISHERIES OF THE NEW ENGLAND STATES. 
151 
tively scarce on Georges Bank. It may be explained that the South Channel (so called) 
is a westward extension of Georges Bank. It divides the great shoals on the bank 
from Nantucket Shoals. 
The Georges Bank fishery is carried on throughout the year, although the fishery 
is prosecuted to a less extent in January, October, November, and December than 
during the rest of the season. The fleet begins operations in the latter part of Janu- 
ary or early in February. Some of the vessels haul up in November and December. 
Vessels employed in catching fresh haddock and cod are most active in midwinter 
and in the late spring and early summer. The greater part of their catch is landed at 
Boston. 
The fishery on Cashes Bank usually begins in April and is continued until July. 
It is a minor fishery and is carried on chiefly by small schooners that engage in the 
shore fishery in winter. 
Browns Bank is resorted to in the early winter and late spring and summer by 
the vessels that commonly fish on Georges Bank during February, March, and April, 
when the u winter school” of cod is on Georges. 
u Shore, general,” under the head of “inshore grounds,” applies to various areas 
along the New England coast from Block Island to the Bay of Fundy. It often hap- 
pens that a vessel cruising for mackerel, swordfish, or perhaps engaged in the shore 
cod fishery, may in one trip visit a large number of fishing- grounds, and in some cases 
may cover the entire region along the coast from Block Island to near Grand Manan. 
It has, therefore, been found necessary to make this classification. 
There is a limited fishing-ground off Cape Cod which is resorted to in the spring 
for pollock. Ipswich Bay is a famous cod fishing-ground in winter. Large quantities 
of fish taken there by the Gloucester vessels are landed elsewhere, especially at Boston. 
It is also beyond question that many of the fresh codfish included under the head of 
“ shore, general ” were taken in Ipswich Bay. 
Fippennies Bank is an unimportant fishing-ground lying westward of Cashes, and 
is sometimes resorted to in summer by small schooners, which seldom make more than 
one or two trips. 
Jeffries Ledge is visited chiefly in fall by small vessels fishing for pollock. 
The following explanations may be offered concerning the fishing-grounds lying 
east of the sixty-fifth meridian. 
In November and December certain vessels which at other seasons are engaged 
in fishing chiefly upon Georges Bank visit La Have for fares of fresh and salt cod. 
The halibut credited to this bank are in part taken east of the bank, on what is termed 
the La Have Bidges. 
The Western Bank cod fishery is usually prosecuted most extensively in March, 
April, and May, though it is engaged in to a less extent in the fall and early winter. 
The cod-fishing vessels ordinarily sail in March, and the last of them arrive home 
in June. Vessels visiting the bank in fall sail in September, October, and November. 
The quantity of fish taken on the Western Bank varies considerably with different 
seasons. The amount shown in the table is smaller than the recent average annual 
catch by Gloucester vessels. The Western Bank, as well as La Have, has been at times 
quite noted as a halibut fishing-ground. In recent years, however, its value for this 
species has decreased materially. 
