The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1857-07-30

SH,D-Ax EXPERIMENT IN BREEDING THE,I-The
following interesting paper was contributed to the
Journal Of Commerce by K l.. PELL, Esq, of Ulster
Co:
Shad spawn gravelly bottoms. They will never
deposit their n muddy moveable surface, as
they know well that they could not adhere Young
shad on their way to the ocean rarely
soft ground but only in the vicinity of gravel bottoms
and a rocky shore L have seen hundreds of thou
sands passing down the Hudson in the months of July
and August. Old shad commence ascending South
rivers in February and March, and the Hudson
and Connecticut rivers in April, May and June,
coming directly from the deep in large shoals,
searching for spawning ground, and immediately
after the operation. swim with great rapidity
the bottom towards the ocean, and if taken, are
found thin and unfit for the table. Full shad, when
they leave the sea. migrate to spawn beyond bracksh
water and usually continue up the stream if the
bottom is suitable, until they prevented by dam,
similar obstruction, which they never attempt to
overcome as salmon do. The young shad from spawn
deposited by the April run of spawners, when return
ing down the Hudson their way to the ocean in
August, about the size of large herrings If
fishermen experienced, they might meet the
shoals at Sandy Hook Immediately then arrival
from deep water, and shorten the distance daily
towards the spawning ground, by which means a
vast number that fortunately escape to spawn,
would be destroyed There is satisfaction, however,
in enlightening this class of citizens, who
selfish as look only to present gain, and
willing spend half hour at the end OF each fish
ing season, to plant the spawn of dozen shad, each
of which would produce fifty thousand fish towards
the next years supply. have endeavored to induce
State Legislature to pass law, making 1t incum
bent upon all fishermen to do; but have not been
successful. If this plan pursued for five years,
rivers would again TEEN with this delicious fish,
as they always return, directed by instinct, to spawn
where they born. Some years since, IN my
vicinity on the Hudson, two thousand shad were
taken at n single haul of the seine where it is
rare occurrence to entrap three hundred This fact
plainly shows that if the present destructive system
is pursued, the supply will soon fail to meet the
demand Two since 1 artIflcally lmDreUuatpl
the ova of shad. Thus having partially filled pail
with water took female Immediately from the
river in my left hand. and stripped her gently with
my right, when the ova some fifty thousand III num-
Der were forced into the pail The spermatic fluid Of
the male was then in the way caused to drop in
the same pail and thoroughly mixed together, the
color Of tn ova changing Glowing gre red aa to
fine grKel at tbs.i1>s5f one of my breeding ponds,
and permitted TO pass over them
kss time my microscope only indicated single
~ the egg, containing straw coored mud.
Forty days afterwards plainly saw eyes. Within a
week thereafter, thousands of young shad made their
appearance, with small appendages attached to their
bodies, but could not discern with my glass either
mouth gll, but the blood vessels and heart were
plainly The eyes were large, and the pectora
fms well developed. At the of thirteen days, the
anal dorsal and caudal fins, devoid of rays could be
without the microscope, as well as the gls and
mouth. At this period the sack disappeared, and
they attempted eat; very lively and concealed
themselves when any person approached.
have also caused old shad to spawn in a breeding
pond, and kept them healthy by an occasional app-
fish
Formulated of famous English sole, white
bait, tench, carp, roach dace porch and jack, wrap
ped in flannel cloths packet IN in e boxes of, of damp
intended to plant the the salt wateS fish in the
little bays formed by the Hs>spn RiveSeRail Road,
and have made arrangements 49, esieur Coste of
Paris, and Monsieur Met of tnss~4a aench Societe
/oolOoioup 1'AcclimatiOu- for --e-sk}pment
during the present season.
offered the Legislature of the State of New-York
at its present sitting through the medium OF Senators
Kelley and Ferdon, to stock all the waters of the
State with salmon at my own EXPENSE if they would
pass law for the preservation of the fish until they
should become well established in the different waters;
but want of time will probably prevent its passage
The growth of salmon has been thoroughly proved
in the Scotch fisheries, by marking the fish. The
young fry in four months time, between the period
of leaving their birthplace for the sea and their
return to spawn, have increased seven and a half
pounds in weight
NEW MAMMOTH SrEaMsmP.-The trial trip of
the steamship Vanderbilt entirely successful. /
She runs nine miles in 81 minutes and seventeen
miles in SO minutes, drawing IL feet inches with
600 tons of coal on board. On the 9Th of May, she
will sail for Havre Her cost nearly million
dollars, and she is designed to rival the British /
steamer Persia, the last, largest and fstest of the
Cunarders The following are her dimensions s. /
26S tons, carpenters measurement and built with /
seven solid permanent watertight compartments;
length $40 feet; breadth of beam 40 feet; depth OF
hold SO feet: capacity of coal bunkers 400 tons;
capacity of cargo space 200 tons; number Of state
room bertlIs 400.-She is propelled by two walking
beam low pressure Engines, built mt the Affair orks
in New York city; cylinders each ninety inches
and twelve feet stroke of piston. Four
tubular boilers, each thirty feet long and fourteen
feet wide and fired each by eight furnaces. Estimated
consumption of coal 100 tons per "a hours. Paddle
wheels Az feet diameter and 10 feet broad, having
feet immersion at twenty feet draft of water of the
Democrat. r~0V