St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1884-11-01
Cod, Herring and Mackerel.

One of the most important OF the
fisheries, whether we regard the num-
Der taken, the size of the fish or the
commercial value of the product, is the
cod fishery. The cod is deep-sea
fish, never met with in fresh waters.
and leaving the deepest parts of the sea
for the shallow banks only in spawning
time, and returning after the season is
over. The cod is found on the English
and Irish coasts, in most northern
seas, and last but not least, on the banks
of Newfoundland. which seems to
be its great spawning or breed
ing grounds. The number of fish
actually caught on the banks of
calculation. 1t was estimated last year
at Isl, 200, 900, and the catch in the
rest Of the world was perhaps quite as
large, making the total almost beyond
belief. The cod is relished by all ma
tons living in the tropical parts of the
world, and is consequently in high de-
mand for food, and the supply has
never been equal to the demand. From
the cod come several products roe,
each of about 1000 eggs, the sound. as
it is called. or air. bladder, composed Of
almost pure gelatine, the oil and sew
eral others.
Perhaps next in importance to the
cod is the herring fishery, the common
herring being found on nearly every
coast of Europe and America. The
number of men employed in the herring
fishery is about leo. 900, and other ma
tions of Europe combined have perhaps
as many more. The abundance of
behring's in the sea is wonderful; in the
season, the shoals where they go show
the water for many feet deep actually
thick with them. The schools are
often ten miles long BY five miles broad
and of unknown depth, the track of
the school being indicated to the fishers
in the daytime by the presence of vast
swarms of birds and voracious fish
which prey upon them, and at night. by
the phosphorescence of the water. The
abundance of the herrings on the fishing
grounds is not always the same In
1872 they appeared in such profusion
that at a single cast of the nets as
many as $4,000 were often secured.
while last year the fishermen of Lowe
stoft caught in two DAYS $4,000, 900 fish,
SO great a catch being far beyond the
curing power of all the people of the
town, and hundreds of tons had to be
sold for manure. The behring's are
caught with nets, and it is not usually
practicable to use steam power to any
great extent in the fisheries, though it
may be applied to the purpose of haul
ingin the nets, drying the fish and in
some few other ways. At present
many of the fishing boats take out car
rier pigeons with them to bring back
intelligence of the catch, so that the
people who work on shore shall be able
to make arrangements for caring for
the fish as soon as the boats arrive.
The herring fisheries of North Caro-
lima are very important accessories to
the wealth of that State, the catch be-
ing generally very large. The seines
used are sometimes as much as mile
and half long, and are drawn in by
steam power. as many as 100000 fish
being often taken by one seine in 4
single day.
The mackerel fisheries are of steadily
growing Importance, the value of the
fish for food and its delicacy rendering
it every year in greater demand.
Mackerel are found in the localities
usually frequented by cod and herring.
and are caught by means of hook and
line. Like herring. they move in
schools, but not in the same numbers.
The method of detecting their presence
IS very curious. The mackerel is q
greedy fish, and when it finds its favorite
Food rushes upon it without delay; and
The style it has of Selling the small fish |
causes number of circular rip
pies in the water exactly resembling
he fall of hailstones. The lookouts !
ire on the watch for this appearance OF
he water, and as the small fry always
make for the shore when attacked by |
he mackerel, the boats are made ready |
md put off to meet the fish as they |
,ome in. In fishing for the mackerel |
he fishermen first throw overheard |
.reat quantities of chopped fish very
inely cut to attract the mackerel, and
hey soon find fish in abundance if there
ire any in the neighborhood, the mack
rel biting with great eagerness, and
coming quite close TO the surface. so
hat they are not hard to catch. Each
sherman can therefore easily manage
wo lines, and sometimes more.-St.
1Ouis Globe Democrat.