The daily gazette., 1883-02-08
nHsh AND xERrsArzws.
Preparations in the Baltimore Market
for the Lsnton Season.

Tor the Lonf1n season.
baltimore SUM-
The fish dealers are preparing for an ac-
tive business for the lenten season, COM
mencing to-day, and the supplies are more
than usually large for the carly part of Feb
ruary. The fisheries Of the lower Chesa-
peake, where the rivers are not frozen, are
IN operation, and North Carolina and points
further South are sending in their hnny
quota. Savannah and Florida shad have
been in this market for couple of weeks.
North Carolina shad are coming In now,
and few have been received from the Rap
pahannock. They are selling at 81 to 81
apiece for roe, which is considered reason
able for the first run. The frozen Delaware
shad, caught last season, and which have
come to be regular article Of winter
trade, compete with the fresh
caught and keep down che prices. The
Delaware shad, put up In ice, sell at lower
figures, and are favorites with epicureans.
This business Of preserving fresh fish in ice
is an innovation Of the last few years, and
varieties which formerly were to be had only
in their season are now In market all the
year round. Shad from the Delaware !;
salmon from Halifax, at 40 to SO cents a
pound Goldfish, haddock and halibut from
Boston and Gloucester, smelts from Canada,
white fish from the lakes, Chesapeake bay
and Eastern mackerel, are to be had at all
times, and the refrlgerating business is a
growing one. Fresh caught North Carolina
and frozen Nova Scotia herring are selling
at 30 TO so cents dozen. A good catch Of
rock fish Is coming in from the Rappahan-
mock Potomac and other open rivers. Mrs.
Scoggins,a veteran Baltimore jobber, who is
an authority on fish, says the prospects for q
large catch of rock are the best for some
years. They are coming in bodies from the
sea, are OF fine size and In prime condition.
He thinks the work of the fish commission
ers Is showing excellent results in the in
creased numbers Of rock, one of the best
varieties ofthe Chesapeake The same re-
suits show themselves in the increased run
of shad. He believes that If the persistent
destruction Of fish had continued, without
these scientific efforts to replace the losses,
the Chesapeake varieties would have been
well run out by this time. He is certain
this will be a plentiful fish season, and
the staple varieties of the Baltimore
market, such as rock, white and
yellow perch, are now selling very
much below the rates of last February,
and are about the most reasonable food In
price to be had. 0ut-oftown lenten orders
are filed without trouble, and there enough
left for all home demands. One bay fisher
man sent In 35 barrelsful yesterday. By
April fish Of all the spring catch will be
abundant and cheap. He says pike, q
variety which has always been a winter
fayorite, and formerly were plenty, have be-
come scarce and sell high, and the fish com
missiouers should look to their propagation.
Carp, which are distributed by the commits
sion to persons who wish to stock ponds
with them, were so plenty in this vicinity Is
years ago that they sold at two cents pound.
They had about disappeared, however, and
the commission has taken right step IN re-
newing this good table variety. Winter or
brlm shad, catfish and one or two other
home varieties are to be had at moderate
figures, and there is no difficulty in filling
any orders for fish. As TO terrapins, the
protection of the law has done good service
by preserving the small sized diamond backs
and allowing the males to escape the mex
orable hunter. Not much faith had been
placed in the efficacy of the law until very
recently. Early this winter it was thought
the supply would be short, and dealers laid
in stocks and held them at high rates. The
retail price of dozen fine diamond-back
terrapins was about $50, but the sup
plies have been coming in lively
for two weeks, and prices broke to
$50 or less at retail. Some of the fresh
caught are eight inches long, and so fat that
they weigh like SO much metal. good
many people eat terrapin in and out of Lent,
and they will buy about all that come to
hand, but the trade is at its best in the
dinner and party season, when the large
orders come in. Then Baltimore glories in
it's terrapin. In no other city is 1t near so
popular; nowhere else can such good terra
pin cooks be found, and the supplies come
here as II in accordance with natural law
The caterer for a single private dinner party
has this winter laid out 5000 In terrapins,
and sale of one job lot aggregated $4,000