320 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
westward aucl, at first, using an oyster dredge, and later the more effective form of 1 
apparatus which has since been generally adopted by the fishermen of this and other | 
localities. The first trials were made in the deep water in the vicinity of Bartlett’s -^j 
Island, Pretty Marsh, and Mount Desert. It would appear that i)rior to the advent of j 
these vessels the fishermen of Mount Desert were unaware of the existence of scallop j 
beds in their vicinity, or at least of scallops in sufficient numbers to warrant their ship- i' 
mentto distant markets, although, according to Mr. W. W. A. Heath, the efficient and j 
accommodating customs officer at South West Harbor, the line fishermen in the vicinity ! 
of Mount Desert Island had for years frequently brought up scallops that had by chance b; 
become attached to their hooks. lu the winter of 1885-86 the native fishermen became T 
interested, and as many as twenty men from Bartlett’s Island and Pretty Marsh were .f 
regularly engaged in taking scallops for the Hew York market. Prom that date the ; 
fishery declined somewhat, owing, it is said, to the exhaustion of certain of the beds 
incident to overfishing. In 1887 but four men gave attention to it, and in 1888 
and 1889 only seven. « 
In Tremont the fishery sprung into existence about the same time as in Mount 
Desert, probably as a result of the same impetus. It is now followed from The Center, ' 
West Tremont, or Goose Cove, aud Bass Harbor, the fishermen frequenting grounds ; 
near Bartlett’s Island and other localities south of that place. The number of men j ' 
engaged in the fishery in the town has decreased during the past few years, there ; i 
being thirty-one in 1887, twenty-three in 1888, and eighteen in 1889. : 
The winter of 1886-’87 witnessed the beginning of a scallop fishery at Little Deer ! 
Isle which was destined to become the most important fishery of the kind in the .i 
State. In 1886 a vessel from Portland visited the grounds off the southern shore of ;| 
the island, and during that year took considerable quantities of scallops. The native 
fishermen quickly appreciated the commercial value of their beds, and in 1887 no less 
than twenty-six persons were regularly engaged in the fishery. More than 5,000 > 
bushels were the result of the first year’s operations. Since then the industry has more ; 
than doubled in importance, aud in 1889 the yield was more than one-fourth that of ' 
all other localities combined, although the output of the numerous towns on the Sheep- 
scot Eiver, considered collectively, was considerably larger than that of Little Deer 
Isle. 
The existence of giant scallops in the vicinity of Oastine has long been known. 
Men are still alive who remember to have taken scallops as many as forty or sixty 
years ago. The town has had a more or less regular local supply for about forty years. 
Twenty-six years ago, as the writer is informed by Mr. Vogell, a man attempted to 
make a business of peddling scallops among the people living in places remote from 
the fishery ; but the fine edible qualities of the mollusk were not appreciated by them, 
aud the venture was abandoned. About 1876, the Oastine Packing Company under- . 
took to put scallops on the market in a canned condition, as is now so commonly done 
with clams in many localities on the coast of Maine. It is said that the company was 
unable to i^roperly preserve the thick, solid meats, and the effort was abortive. Six 
years ago, however, the attempt was renewed and was in a measure successful. It 
was found that by previously frying the meats they could be canned without difficulty, 
but the method was considered too costly and was not put to much practical use : . 
and the fishery, which would otherwise have been maintained by home demand, was 
diverted to supply distant markets. 
