OCTOBER.
Codfish; during the latter part of this month codfish are brought alive to the market. Haddock. Halibut. Striped bass. Eels. Lobsters. Blackfish. Columbia River salmon commence to come into market at this time. These salmon are what are known as the steel-head variety [Salmo gardneri]. They are not as fine flavored nor as much esteemed as those that are called chinooks, which come earlier in the season. Large flounders for fillet of sole. Fresh mackerel. Cero. Spanish-mackerel. Pompano. Weakfish. Kingfish. Sheep’s-head. Grouper. White Perch. Smelts. Red-snapper. Sea bass. Bluefish. Black bass. Salmon-trout. Whitefish. Yellow perch. Pickerel. Cisco. Wall-eyed pike. Green turtle. Carp. Terrapin are caught during every month in the year, but are not considered good for the table until the weather is cold, and with the month of October are first used on the table. Crayfish. Prawns. Frogs’ legs. Hard crabs. Soft crabs are to be found in market usually up to the 10th of October. White-bait. Scallops. Redfish, or spotted bass. This is a Southern fish, and is somewhat similar in flavor to the striped bass, but not quite so good.
NOVEMBER.
Live cod. Haddock. Halibut. Striped bass. Eels. Lobsters. Salmon. Cusk. Blackfish. Fresh mackerel. Redfish, or spotted bass. Grouper. White perch. Smelts. Red-snapper. Skate. Black bass. Salmon-trout. Whitefish. Yellow Perch. Pickerel. Cisco. Shad. For the past two or three years, during the month of November, shad have been taken off the coast of Massachusetts in the nets along with the mackerel. These shad are large, weighing five pounds each, and are very fat and of excellent flavor. Bluefish. This month usually closes the bluefish season, but during the months of December, January, and February they are found in market, but always are fish that have been preserved by freezing. Masquallonge [Esox nobilier]. This fish weighs from four to twenty pounds each, and is of the pickerel family, and considered the most superior in flavor to all the pickerels. Wall-eyed pike. Catfish. Green turtle. Terrapin. Crayfish. Prawns. Scallops. Frogs’ legs. Hard crabs. Whitebait.
DECEMBER.
Live cod. Haddock. Halibut. Striped bass. Eels. Lobsters. Columbia River salmon. Large flounders for fillet of sole. Turbot. These fish are caught in extreme Northern waters. They are somewhat similar in flavor to the chicken halibut, but are black upon both sides. They are of a very peculiar flavor. Tomcods, or frost-fish. A small fish weighing about one-fourth of a pound each; very sweet, and a desirable pan-fish. Cusk. Blackfish. Grouper. Smelts. Mullet [Mugil albula]. A Southern fish, sweet and oily, and a good pan-fish. Red-snapper. Skate. Shad are received during this month from St. John’s River, Florida. Black bass. Salmon-trout. Whitefish. Yellow perch. Pickerel. Masquallonge. Cisco. Wall-eyed pike. Green turtle. Terrapin. Crayfish. Frogs’ legs. Prawns. Scallops. Hard crabs. Soft crabs. This is a different variety of crab than is found in the summer; it is very much smaller, and of a brown color; not equal in flavor to the soft crab found during the summer.
VEGETABLES.
Vegetables are grown to such an extent in the South, and also in hot-houses in the North, that we may enjoy, even in the coldest winter weather, nearly every variety.
The growing of vegetables in the South for Northern markets received its impetus through an incident which happened in a then well-known resort in New York. A party of gentlemen, among them a steward on one of the Southern steamers, were seated one day in January conversing, when the steward, who was in the habit of bringing mint with him for this particular resort, ordered a mint-julep; this order, at that time of the year, created a little surprise, especially to one of the party, who was a dealer in vegetables. However, the matter was explained, and the dealer arranged with the steward to bring him some mint, together with whatever vegetables he could get, on each of his Northern trips. The demand for them increased so fast that a great many growers commenced to raise vegetables, so that the business has grown to vast proportions.