The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1895-07-17
DIIIINuSd ATE,
\ VIEW OF LONDON'S GREAT
FISH 3IARlIET.
An Enormous Annual Output O;
Marine EooG-7nr Costermon@ers'
Work OF Distribution-Ear ari-
cites Of Fish Sold.


of fish does not fall fer short of
that of meat, being nearly l60,-
900 tons. Even this amount,
large as it is, would be much IN
creased had London the wharfage and
storage conveniences of this city, but
that great metropolis is sixty miles
from the sea, with her sole DIS
tributive market situated upon mar
row and crowded river, with street
approaches equally cramDed and
choked.
Thousands of to-s Of fish are an
nually wasted at this narket-the
famous Billingsgate that has existed
upon its present site since the time OF
the Normans. 1t is the largest iish
market in the world, and, like our
Fulton Market, supplies wide extent
of exterior territory, shipping fresh
as well as salted fish to Germany,
France, and other foreign countries.
This pre-emirence is largely due to
Great Britain's immensely productive
fisheries, that il amount greatly ex-
ceed those Of any other country. Her
eastern boundary is the North Sea, by
far the richest portion Of the globe in
edible fish, its annual product being
valued ats125, ,00O,0 900.
Under careful and thorough culti-
vation an acre Of land may be induced
once year to yield ton of wheat,
but there are hundreds OF thousands OF
acres in the North Sea capable Of yield
ing more than that weight Of edible
fish every week. It's average depth is
only ninety feet, one-ffth Of its area
being occupied by banks which are the
resort of the fish.
It is from this wonderfully produc-
tive quarter that three-fourths of Lon
don's annual supply is derived, the
waters of the Channel and of the At
lantic furnishing the remainder. The
shipments of fish to the metropolis are
maintained throughout the year in
tole-ably even volume. Different hsh
are present at different seasons, and
the presence Of sonei is almost constant
upon some point or another Of the
coast.
The larger portion of the supply OF
Biilinssgate arrives by rail and Is
brought to the market in vans, which
choke the narrow streets and greatly
embarrass as well as limit the traffic.
The increase of the metropolitan sup
ply BY the railroads would not have
attained its present proportions but
for the efforts OF the humble coster.
monsers, to whose industry and enter
prise the general distribution OF the
fish is largely due.
The market opens at a. n., and
the various auction sales at once be-
gin. The larger costers often divide
their purchases with their humber
brethren, some of whose stock is so
limited that it is carried in large baskets
upon their backs others rise to the
dignity OF barrows, and still others to
the afRuencs of donkey cart.
The skate, dogfsh, and other So
called offal in this country find at Bill
ingsgate ready market.
Some of the choice but to US IN.
familiar fsa at Billingssate are turbot,
brill, soles, dories, and mul.et-the
last is a summer fish from the Chan
mel, the others from the North Sea.
The sprat, a winter fish, is most abun-
dant in December and January, when
Billingsgate is besieged by an army OF
frantic costers, who handle nine-tenths
of the supply, and who in the disposi.
tion of this as well as all other fish me.
terially undersen the shops.
The sole, another winter fish, is very
popular, from $1,000 to $4,000 tons
being sold annually. Of fresh salmon,
London takes every year about 1000
tons, all of which, save about $50 tons
from Norway, is the yield of British
waters. In addition, nearly one-hai
of our product Of canned salmon is
exported to England, where this royal
fish meets with its fullest measure OF
appreciation. Eels, ranking equally
high in food value as salmon, and fo-
the same reason, are also largely coz
sumed, she supply coming mainly
from Holland, although the best are
from Ireland.
Mackerel, another oily fish, is
brought from Devon and Cornwall, Of
whose shores enormous shoals en-
nually appear. Lobsters are furnished
chiefly by Norway and Scotland. As
with ourselves, the supply has much
abated of late years, and the English
public are large consumers OF our
canned lobster. Tie English edible
crab is much larger than ou- far more
common and abundant blue cab, and
is most frequent off Cornwall and
Scotland. Oysters arc much dearer
than here. and are mainly the product
of the Channel waters. Shrimp are
caught in immense quantities IN the
estuary Of the Thames, and GRE pcddled
by the costers the year through, oitea
as low as four cents pint. The tooth
some and succulent clam IS a stranger
to British waters, and BillingsSatc
knows him not.
Herring is the fish os largest con-
sumption, plaice, cod, soies. AID
meckerel following in their respective
order. At Fulton Market New lorh),
cod stands at the head Of the list,
bluefsh, mackerel, weakfsh, and hall
but following successiyely.-Nc~ 1osS
Times.
An Interesting Advertisement.