The New York herald., 1876-10-14
THE FISH TRADE.
Enormous Quantities Brought to
the New York Market.
WHERE THEY COME FROM.
Their Great Variety and Relative
Value as Food.
M E N U OF FI.s H

The nsh trade Of New YORK, which 10 concentrated
in and around Fulton Market, has within the last ten
years become one Of tho prosperous interests OF
she great metropolis The yearly salcs all varc,es
from the salmon and Spanish maokersl 10 tho porre
and herring, are estimated at
rwo DOLLARS
This Of course, 10 the cost or wholesale price,
70 which the retailers add their profits OF those en-
gagged in the first branch OF the business In Fulton
Washington anu Catharins markets, there arc thirty.
six nrms, twonty tour OF whom commission deal
ers, who their supply consignment from all
parts OF the country while tho balance arc jobbers
who handle large quantities OF fish for the of
tells, restaurants and various public institutions
Among their best customersta the Astor House. the
ST. Nicholas the Metropolitan, the Giissy, tho Wind
other first class hotels which consume
400 to 6oO pounds oil nah every Friday. Indeed,
that day double tho quantity required that is pur
chased on other week days, the demand being mostly
for the cheaper varieties Cod aud haddock founders,
eels, porsies and behring's arc tho fish OF the poor
map, and vast quantities Of those disposed OF dur
ing the Lenten season and all so-caicd fish days
When understood shat about 10 600 OF fish OF
every description sold in Now York every year. tho
importance Of this branch OF the food supply Of
sale Of these 10 900 tons, or
TWENTY POUNDS,
besides the thirty-six wholesale and commission deal
ers there 400 others who engaged exclusively
partially the business and whose stands meat,
vegetables oysters obsters crabs, &C., also sold.
The pedlcrs or licensed vendors, whom one week
find thor profit In the sale OF fruit In another OF vcge
tables when prices reduced conno their busi
ness for the tme being to fish, and when tho market
Is giutted come to the rclsf OF tho Dealers who,
anxious to get rid Of tho great surplus a the earliest
possible moment, sell II ~ low two cents
pound. On ouch occasions the scenes In and around
Fulton Market particularly animated On Friday
mornings, when the dealers overstocksd and tho
has been circulated among the pedlers sh Is
down" tho streets in the vicinity rendered almost
impossible by their wagona From Peck slip to Buring
slip, and extending up Fulton and Beekman streets for
three four bocks tho hsh wonders have established
regular blockade, and appear have taken complete
possession of tnat portion Of she city The "rush"
begins four o'clock In the morning and contin
for many hours, while the confusion and camor
that reign supreme converts It into regular Babel
Whatever is cheapest is in greatest demand and tho
supply disposed Of almost exclusively in the tsne-
ment house district&
At one time these localities are literally deugcd with
mackerel, at another with Goldfish, at another with
porgies, and so on
The nsh trade, while extending over the whole
year, may be properly said 10 commence with the
opening Of Lent and reaches its eliminating point
during that Tho favorite among all tho varic
ties is OF course, tho shad which is generally most
abundant during tho months OF March and April
Long before this however, this popular member OF the
prolific herring family Is exhibited the streets for
a. early Christmas tho nrst Southern shad makes
fta anp n NeW Thev CON fror,
and frequently arrive . week or a fortnight before
Christmas In sixo they smaller than the later
shad averaging about onethrd less in weight Florida
keeps up the supply during the following months OF
January and February, q considerable quantity beng
sent at the time from Savannah. 1t Is In March,
however, that the trade In tins delicious though bony
fsh begins flourish and IN that month at least half
the OF shad received in this city comes from
North Carolina. Thus the season advances the
more norsnerly coasts contribute their SHARE the
Potomac shad following those from North Carolina the
North River Connecticut closing tho list Some or
the wholesale dealers into 70 take the
entire catch OF nets from the Connecticut River ut
from fifteen twenty 1--we per fish, tho contract
al this rate extending throughout tho whole season
Upon this important question OF
THE SUPPLY OF sHAD,
which has led to much and fierce controversy
between the fishermen and the nsh cuiturists, tho
dealers themselves have good deal say aud while
they not prepared 10 deny that the Efforts OF the
latter are attended with bcnsdcai results yet they are
not Wiling TO accedc to all the claims put forth Is
has been asserted in one OF the oicai reports that
both in price and quantity there has bcen marked
Improvement shad having dur. .ng season sold MS
low as S3 per hundred on the Connecticut, while on
the North River noy could be bought the low rate OF
three iish for twenty-five cents. The dealers. who
should certainly be familiar with those particulars say
that they have never been sold at such prccs and add
that for sailing alone they would bo worth SIS
hundred, whilo as already stated, IL Is fact that
their contracts for the seasons supply Of Connecticut
shad runs IRON fifteen TO twenty-five conts This N q
matter deserving OF tho special attention and consd-
GRAFTON Of Mr.. Seth Green, the New York Fisheries
Commissioner, And pscicnturisis generally and with
The wholesale nsh trade OF this city has been
stated ut 81 0O0 900, but 1t should DO borne mind
thai large quantities sold during somo seasons as
low as aud three per pound the price being
Determined by tho amount and quality the FISH, and
particularly by the pershable nature OF OF the
varieties, noticeapIy the mackerel and wcaknsh.
On tho 10th Of March the close season Tor salmon
and trout opens, and AS early four o'clock In the
morniHg there is a large supply in the market or
course the continues Till twelve o'clock OF
tho preceding night and there but tnreo or tour
hours within which 10 transport tho ish from the
ponds and streams OF Long Island, New Jersey ana
other points, yet mt that carly hour many twenty
different places contribute their portion OF great
display which appears en- particular stand whose
owner makes this feature prominent branch OF his
business. Among the knights OF tho rod anu ay
l5rm MARCH,
Is marked a day on The calendar and as eagerly
looked forward 10 as opening day by the naodtss
and volarlcs Of fashion. The crowds which, oven al
ths carry nouT "a tug morHihe, attend ~ Futon Mar
kct TO witness the 81 and exhibition OF various spoc
0f the saimo fonfnas striking proof OF the
earnest and active interest taken tho cultivation and
production OF this eamcs Of game fish, Nor IL the dis-
play confined TO dead trout Tor stand tho living
specimens Of various sizes arc exhibited IN tanks Of
the varieties exposed for sale there Is marked differ
Ia The quality, according tohc food upon which
they raised, those fed liver being ed much
interior in flavor Salmon or lake trout begin 10 como
into market about the lst oil september, Tho Cannda
side ot the lakes being the principal point from which
they are obtained They vary In price iron sixteen 70
twenty-five cents per pound ana regarded as n much
Inferior article TO brook trout which at tunes a.
high as 81 pound Whatever claims may be pus
forth in regard 10 the merits OF lake trout Il Is very
certain that despite the reputation they acquired
they ARE lar inferior 10 less priced sh and IN quality
are below the common mackereL Tho whole amount
sent TO market during the months OF September and
October does not exceed 4 600 pounds.
The salmon the king OF game fish, is included In tho
proyisOns OF the same law which was cuacicd Tor tho