New-York tribune., 1868-03-23
THE SHAD SEASON.


THE SHAD SEASON
Notwithstanding its numerous bones the shad
"a GREAT fayorite with the dainty epcure' as well as
% the masses OF the people. Though the genus com
rises more than twenty species only one Is genciay
known or has much reputation in American markets..
Touching the habits OF the shnd In the fairy Kingdom OF
tbe fishes there is s considerable conflict OF opinion
Some authorities assert that during the Winter 1t bur
rows IN the mud az the depths OF the ocean. while others
believe that 1t at rest but that starting from te
icy of the higher latitndes i swings ehle a4n
the circle former President OF the American ihsulne
Mr. r. L. Pen who has propagatng ponds anu mas t1en
the subject careful study is convinced OF te re- S
clearly indicates that It wns designed by nature 10 sy
the surface and he always in motion LIaI 'io no
construction Of its air bladders prevents IT'S SINKING 10
any great depth and that 1t lives solely upon su9uoh
food having nc yer discovered in its opened BODY
Begunng then the remote regions OF the North roe
irnce ard Great Rritau these silver sides" sweep
southwark in shining palanXes Reaching the coast OF
Georgia. they separate into immense squhuIohs, uh a.
cepd our hays and csuares for the purpose Of deposng
their shawn In ability to increase and multiply this fish,
like the herring (0 which IL Is sometimes but erroneous
y, called the patriarch is really miracle OF nature;
Although myrads destroyed in the oVa STATE ana NJ
all subsequent periods Of their existence they appear
every spring IN undlmlnished aDnndahc, II II cY,o
belief shared by Vaenclennes, that helr Nes aIe ltc
to single year death or deStrqcon taking Pace m S1U @
after their young are hatched Inc iaer g gS m ot lie
months TO the length Of five or six inches ana seer @
ocean i'm August OF September. An idea preNals th t
subsequently return to the lnmSdlae sceics , oi ,
spawnhOod but assured by that observing ece,
Barber.
The rf shad that appear in our markets usually
caught al Savannah early " February. When sent TO
ths v they are packed in Zee and though Of inferior
quality they find here ready sale at liberal prices As
the season advances and the TIDAL waters IltAeT noI
ward GROW invitngy warm. these fnny migrants ven.
turc visit 90 Charleston llarbor lew uay iacr a
they are generally abundant in the James River ana
Iotsr stu i'm the Pamlico, Croatan, and Albemarle
sounds Aferward they rufe the placid Potomac ana
Seantif bafior and onward toward the headwaters Of
the Hudson. By the time the ar odorous MIN DrGE %
/ i,I,1 t1taz~a
waters that brighten the Housatonic Valley, and the
latest Jnneday suns ma M them en- N MAN, an tnSr T g.o'
In their onward course. few strOnghnned pioneers
rc5e The ,,obd column each anxious no doubt" says
Pecc1e snf o on,I"ritv last Gnocd "o achieve the
honor Of being the first shad The sered DatialOhs i1
ods sfhe and flash in their efforts to take precedence
Of each other in rushing literally into the jaws OF uettc
ZION" As they round COny Island point the watclful
lille poues and considering the number OF the,e Wi.
extend from that locality up through the Lower Bay and
the Narrows ii seems almost impossible that many should
escape the meshes and be above the city Never
hees immense numbers pass the outer guards and are
cnUgIt ~ intrrncdia ATE pOints all the way to Albany
some people believe that the shad Is IA its prmest con
Mr. Albert Rogers of Fulton Market whose thrtyiye
years of experience certainly worth regarding the
he like the oyster fatens in fresh water. AT COMFY
island often poor and thin but as II advances lis
reach standard OF excellence satisfactory 10 the most
exacting demand lie admits however that protTacted
tarry fresh water has bad effect on the haN9l inc
first shad from the Hudson or below tOr when DomOhco
has standing offer OF five dollars Is usually caught
about the middle Of the present month and occasionally
| a few days sooner. Mr. S. b. Miller OF the
market above mentioned whose memory goeIn @ ,yS esSa
nearly two score seasons sys tha apolI thc car 10 81
fearless silver side taken from the harbOr on he "a
of March this being the earliest catch ON record Inc
rum" are intermittent, three four dull. alternating
with as many busy days. Very few are caught In the
East River The fish do not seem partial 10 that Watf
and beside ther arc no good places there 10 set the nets
In the Hudson gill nets mostly used IheSe are gen
fishermen for half the proceeds Of 25 or 80 poles
| with accompanying boats and fixtures, costs III the
g..ll., of
staht services Of I'VE or six men Three hundred
fish per day If large nGugh % as many Ts as ee nse
to all but. by rule OF honor among the craft the one
mtted TO remain in undistuIGed possession until he
chooses TO vacate, no matter how distant tLls ante may
in the vicinity of New-York are proycTbialy patient,
industrious, and quiet people Sr Henry NotOn as als0
there was something in the business which tended to i'm
prove the moral the intellectual condition Of those
| who engaged In IL.
shad are most abundant the Hudson about the s OF
May and are then worth from $40 to $50 per hundred
Often about this time, 10000 $4,000 per day landed
at Fulton Market the great head center OF the Wholesale
trade and fair OF aectionate PARTNER there boast OF
having alone on one OCCASION handled nan lhat lner
within consecutive hours. In 1883 Immense draughs
made. and fish stories are told OF Dey-st block
barrcaded to second story windows with shad which
went begging for buyers at 0c each In me early part
three weeks thereafter the Connecticut is the chief
source Of supply. The shad from thls iNeT nd
they have long had the highest reputation
for size and quality KecGnt ny ~ M te nS
probably on account Of the numerous steamboats, when
disturb waters and the dams that blockade tG pas
couuteract this effect, legislative apprOpTa-
tons have made for Restocking the stream y aftl
eating facilities has undertaken to Introduce 10000
small shad each with what result remains 70 be
seen. Some persons however arc incredulous OF the
efficacy Of the arrangement These shad they VIII
seek the when partly grown, ard on return trips, VIII
possibly be disposed TO avoid the things that proved
repulsive 10 their precursors Absenance from hshng
does not appear help matters as was observed that
the Southern rivers shad were fewer just after, than
lust previous the war; although, comparatively, none
were caught during the five intervening years. BY the
way in this connection IL Is well 10 note the report that
the Delaware fisheries threatened with destruction by
petroleum other refuse matter which hnds It's
| Inc r1ver and gives the fish an offensive taste
the first OF July the markets are furnished by the
Keune MeIimac Rivers. III the latter these nsh
for unexplained reason have In certain summers
been exceedingly scarce, and In others remarkably aDu
dsnt il being recorded that 10000 taken from
its waters at single haul But a this point tins article
! may as well end for when the month begins 10 wane
and the "hy is tickcst the fences, the
shad loses the charms which made him dear TO uH all
Pale melancholy appears 10 have marked him for her
/ own. His bright eyes grow am, ms brOnZcd
/ armor lusterless, and he shows his gaunt sides
onward 10y the Tesstless toward the restless
where, 10 IL believed he falls easy victim 10 the pitt
less cannbals OF the briny deep But at tins opening
season" IL surely more agreeable 10 bhadOyefs To
think OF the delicious he approaches IN
all his Youthful strength and beauty At latest adyices
rival hourly expected and extensive preparations
already being made for his appropriate reception a. well
a. for the reception Of the multitude, OF which ne - the
welcome herald, and which, tins year, IL II expected
VIII be unusually large.
-----------