Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-04-15

miscellaneous.
THE PRINCIPAL VARIETIES OF FISH.

>iiAb
The shad is delicious edible 1t is
rival of salmon. The first in our market
in the season comes from the Savannah
river, and IT commands fabulous price.
In March this fish makes its appear
ance in the Hudson, and the fishermen
make unusal efforts to secure it. There
are qualities in shad. rs there are in every
thing else. The best are caught in the
Connecticut river. Hudson river shad
cone next after which the North Carolina
shad are the best Savannah shad are the
poorest, on the principle that the earliest
fruit Is the poorest Shad run from the
st. Lawrence to Charleston
COP.
! The Goldfish is sort of il national fish
1t is known throughout the civilized world
All the year round the catch is good about
Newfoundland and Nantucket shoals. I'M
mense quantities are also caught near TIE
l)afodcn islands, Norway. Goldfish are
caught with hook and line, baitcd with
CLANS or herring. at depth of Is to -
fathOms of water. Cod has no connection
with the commercial c. Q. d., although
cod is n commercial article. Large quanti-
ties are sent to the Mediterranean countries,
and to Brazil. 1t is relishcd bv Spaniar,s,
Italians. Portuguese. Sicilians and Greeks.
TO the natives of the West Indies the cod
is toothsome addition to their vegetable
diet The cod fishery has been carried on
for more than four centuries, without any
interruption; Yet the supply at the present
day is something stupendous. The iecun-
dity of this fish i wonderful. BY those
who have taken the trouble to satisfy
themselves, it has been calculated that
H.. Il. 4 1
Yours no less than 100000, 900 pounds OF
food, Supposing it were allowed to arrive
at maturity Ones brain reels at the bare
idea of reckoning what might be the con-
dition of coddom if these fishes were left
alone for n few years. There are more
than 1000 vessels, with tonnage of over
10, 900 men and bows. engaged in the bank
or cod-fsheries Of the United States
HAITBtT.
The halibut is ono of the largest fishes
of the founder family, attaining the length
of six or seven feet, and weighing from
500 to 800 pounds. The habits of the hall
but and cod are nearly alike. only the for
mcr live on the latter when men do live on
them, and they are always to be found
where cod most do congregatc. The cod is
good eating fish The meat is nice and
white and solid.
SALMON.
There is no fish more highly priced for
food than the salmon, and there is no finer
salmon than that found in the rivers of
Oregon. This luxurious fish visits the
rivers of both continents. 1t is caught by
running wire fences across the streams,
into which the foolish fish runs its head.
and remains caught-impaled. as it were,
looking pale around the gills." Large
numbers are also caught by hook, while
in some sections harpOonn@ is practiccd
The salmon is from - to 81 inches long,
and attains weight of 30 pounds or more.
During the fishing season in 1877. Is es-
Establishments on the Columbia river put up
42S.7S0 cases. each ease containing four
dozen one pound cans. The salmon fish
ing in the gulf of st. Lawrence is estim;t-
ed aS worth 5000, 600 year.
MACKEREI.
The waters of Massachusetts bay are
full of this fish. Its colors are beautiful
when alive, but no sooner than il is caught
its lustre begins to disappear 1t is vo-
racious feeder, and its growth is rapid.
Mackerel run in schools from the 10th
of May through the summer, and when u
vessel has the luck to meet one of these.
lines with bait are lowered. and the fish
may be drawn in rs fast rs the arm can
work. The first half hour of mackerel
fishing is fun, eve once Went mackerel
fishing, and forgot the world and its cares)
especially for those who fish for the fun
of the thing. There j. no chance for the
use of uuhallowed interiections in macker-
el fishing; no prOtane cNpletlycS for min
iStcrng spirits to report To heavens
chancery, aS in the ease of angling when
fish are scarce, for the recording angel to
put into the same category with Uncle
Tohv'S OATH to be wiped out with Svmpa-
thzing tear \ sailing trip takes some
two months; a fresh" trip about three
davs. From 5000 to 10000 barrels are
sold fresh every year in Boston. and 200,-
600 to 300 600, worth about : 300, 600 are
exported the poorest qualities to the East
Indies. and the better qualities to New
York. Philadelphia and other towns of the
Union. In some years the number of ves-
sells from Massachusetts alone has been
900, employing in the various processes
of catching. sailing and packing more than
1000 persOns.
Bluef>h belong to the mackerel family,
and are found in almost all seas They
congregatc in shoals. and are caught by
purse -seine> in the following manner. \
small boat sets ont from the vessel with
one end of the net and quickly rows around
the shoal weights are attached to the nets,
and also long strings which drop to the.
bottom, one end being retained. When
this is accomplished and the boat gets
back to the vessel. the net is slowly drawn
in from the bottom, aud thus the fish find
themselves unexpectedly caught-if they
think anything about it at the time, and
provided they can think at all. Blueiish
are priced as food, and often considered
quite a delicacy.
\ strong prejudice sometimes exists
against the eel, In Scotland, an Argyle
shire or a I.anark plowman would as soon