The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-02-05

but their profits through the rest Of the year amply
remunerate them for any loss sustained.
The number OF stands engaged in thu Wholesale
fish trade is twelve, and these are owned generally
by companies Of two or three persons who have also
shares in the fishing boats. The average daily re-
ceips of each Of these, the whole year round, may
be safely estimated at three hundred dollars This
presents the immense total Of $l,l26s0s as the ag-
gregate yearly amount of sales. or course in this
calculation, we leave out Sunday there Is no bust
ness done on that day. Besides the wholesale
dealers there are ten who are engaged in the retail
trade but as these are supplied by the former,
their sales are included in the foregoing esti-
mate. The wholesale dealers are allowed commits
sion Of ten per cent their sales, independent Of
what they entitled to for their share in the vessel
Tie rules and regulations among these dealers are
very strict and indeed it that they should
be so, to avoid the disorder which would inevitably
happen. Each vessel as it arrives, is allowed the
privilege Of discharging her freight first no matter
how great may be the press Of business or the
twelve wholesale stands several engage exclusively
in the sale OF Goldfish halibut and blackiish, while
Others again deal chiefly in ees, porges, founders,
&c
During the shad season, there Is only one stand
in the wholesale market that sells that fish exclusive
~. The season begins about the middle OF March,
and lasts about seven weeks, during which time tie
sales average one thousand dollars day. The shad
sold outside Of the docks from the boats and i'm
mense numbers of them are hawked around the city
in wagons, and disposed Of at large profit by the
retailers. In the commencement OF the season they
sold high one dollar piece; but when there
is great abundance in market they can be purchas-
ed for a shilling each. The commission on shad is
enc cent on each fish, and this is never varied,
matter what the price at which they arc sold.
Shad fishing is altogether different from cod and
halibut fishing and is pursued by different class Of
men. The beats employed in it are open, and the
fish are, as is well known, caught with nets. The
principal supply of this fish is taken in the
North river, and in the bay, within space ex-
tending from the lower part Of Staten Island to
thonu A lorfro nj wis 10 ia
taken direct to Washington market and disposed OF
there. The business in shad is conducted in
somewhat different manner from the trade in other
fish, The commission, we have stated, is not regu
lated by the value of the fish, but by the number
sold: and the commission dealers, as general thing
have shares or direct interest in the boats engaged
in the fishery.
These fish are caught off Sandy Hook and are
brought to market alive. They will not live longer
than fifteen or twenty minutes out Of the water and
when dead they do not keep so long as other fish,
The manner in which mackere fishing is pursued is
singular and interesting When the boat arrives near
the fishing ground the hands commence throwing
large quantities Of bait overheard in her wake. After
disposing of sufficient amount in this way, they
come to anchor and commence fishing. As the
mackere is voracious fish, swarms OF them are at
tracted about the vessel by the scattered bait, and
the fishermen capture them with very little difficulty.
When taken they are Immediately thrown into the
fish wells.
The mackerel season begins in May, and continues
throughout the whole Of that month. They COM
mence their mgratons eastward after they leave the
waters Of New York, towards the Bay of Fundy; but
very few of Our fishermen pursue them up to that
point. They arrive in the Bay of Fundy about Sep
TENDER, and when caught there they are salted and
packedin barrels, according to their size and quality
The vessels fishing in those waters are larger than
those engaged in our coast fisheries
GOLDFISH.
The amount Of Goldfish sold yearly in Fulton mar
ket by the wholesale and retail Dealers exceeds that
Of any other fish and forms about one-fourth Of the
total sales All the commission dealers sell it, and
there is not retail stand in the market at which it
cannot be purchased except when there is unusual
scarcity, The great codfisheries are on the banks
Of Newfoundland, and along the coast Of British
North Americas but large quantities are taken during
the summer in the waters about Nantucket and in
the winter they are also caught in great abundance
off the coast of New York and New Jersey. Those
taken in our own waters are generally brought to
market alive while the fish caught on the Banks"
are sailed and packed in barrels.
BASS.
There are two varieties of this ish-the sea bass
and the striped bass. The principal supply is obtain
ed from Long Island, and a large quantity is also
brought from Rhode Island. The total sales of both
kinds OF bass during the year do not exceed eighty
thousand dollars.
SALMON.
In our article on Washington market, we gave the
leading particulars Of the business in this fish, and it
is therefore only necessary to state few facts in re-
ation to the trade in this market. Nearly all the
dealers sell salmon, and the aggregate sales during
the year amount to abont $50 900. great proper
ton of the salmon sold in Fulton market Is bought
from the people Of ST. john N. b. considerable num-
Der of whom are dependent upon the fisheries for
subsistence Our dealers are obliged by the colonial
government to pay an ad ralorem duty of twenty
per cent, but for which our markets might be more
plentfully supplied with this favorte fish, and at
much cheaper prices
During the summer large quantities Of this
fish are taken on the st. Georges banks, which
lie about one hundred miles to the eastward
Of Boston. Halibut are caught. in about forty
fathoms water, and the tackle with which they are
taken must be Of the best description. They grow
to an immense size, and some have been known to
weigh near 400 pounds. They are brought to mar
ket alive and are considered by fishermen generally
a. very profitable fish. In the months of Septem-
Der. October, and November, they are taken on the
coast of Nova Scotia, about Sable Island. The year.
ly sales of halbut in this market alone exceeds
500 O0O The season begins about the first OF April
and ends abont the last OF October hut consider
able supply is received during the two succeeding
months. When there is a great abundance in the
market the daily sales average 81 900 but there
are some weeks, when the weather IL unfavorabe,
that the sales are not sufficient to detray the ex-
penses of the dealers
LOBsTERs.
The extensive sales Of this fish enttle il to parti-
crar notice. Ii is sold by nearly all the dealers in
the market, and with the exception of the months
of December January and February, there is always
m abundant supply in the market during the whole
year. In those months, however, there Is very linn
tied quantity and that is obtained from Boston, in
boxes The for Holsters about the lst
Of March and ends in the beginning of December.
During this period the average daily sales esti
mated at ten thousand pounds which, at four cents
pound gives total Of 100000 as the receipts for
nine months. If to this we add $4,000, low esti-
mate of the amount of sales for the other
three months, we have the large sum of one hundred
thousand dollars. II must however, be borne in
mind in this calculation, that than etenths
of all the Holsters received in this market are sold by
the wholesale to dealers in other markets. and fish
stands throughout the city. In fact, nearly all the
Holsters consumed in New York have to pass through
the hands Of the dealers in Fulton market
HOLSTERS are caught off the coast Of Maine, by citi
zens Of that State who make business of it. They
are taken by means Of contriyance something SINH
lar to some rat traps we have seen. The trap or
"lobster pot it is called is constructed Of wire,
and s provided with an entrance barely large enough
10 admit good sized lobster. IL is easy for the crit
ter to get admittance but once in all the ingenui-