The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-06-16
Fish.Hatching Operations.
from the Baltimore Sun.

or MaTylduus Niolt0u Va W
the scene of his fish-hatching opera,
tions at Havre de Grace. The season
was at its height, and everything was
found in a hourishing condition.
About 5000, 900 young snad were on
hand, ranging in age from one to five
days, and about 600, 900 eggs were out
for Matching. Plenty of ripe roe shad
are now caught, but there is some
difficulty in getting sufficient melt
shad, from which milk is obtained to
impregnate them. The male or melt
shad is so much smaller than the roe
shad that it goes through the meshes
of the gill-nets. What males are
caught are large, though the small
males are preferred, as they are
thought to have greater formulating
powers.
The fish are all Matched in open
boxes in the river. The boxes are
oy by II feet, with wire bottoms
After the eggs are mixed with the
milk drawn from the male they are
placed in these boxes and hatch out
in about three days, the weather reg
ulating the time, These bozhcs-~sss
strung out in the river in rows pad
protected by a boom made Of logs.
Last year a great many fish were lost
by storms, waves running breast
high where the boxes we're placed,
but this season none hay been lost.
Each box contains about 70, 1000 young
shad. Rowing out to tie boxes, an
ordinary tin dipper wa used to ex-
anime into the condition of each box.
A ladleful of the COMMITS was esti-
mated to hold about &, 900 young shad.
They looked like pieces of white
thread, half an inch Dng, with two
black spots in one end These spots
were the eyes, which are always the
most prominent part of young fish.
Eggs II days old wee clear as crys-
tails. save the little black specks for
eyes.
The young shad are not fed at all.
Young trout are fed with the boiled
yelk of egg grated, or bonny-clabber;
but there is no known food for young
shad. No effort is made to feed them,
but they are turned out when week
old in favorable places where there
is grass to protect them and where
the insect life in the grass will aid
them to live. Under the neck ofeac1
little fish is pouch that contains
sustenance to last some days. Yes
terday 100000 young shad were put
in tin cans with ice and taken to the
Severn river. The ice floats on top
and the fish go down towards the
bottom. The ice keeps the fish cool
and also renews the oxygen in melt
ing, They were turned out four OF
five miles above Annapolis, where
insects and flies deposit eggs in tn,
water on the grass. After this tn.
PatuXent river, in the neighborhoot
of Laurel, will receive 100000. The
Patapsco, near the Relay House, will
be given 100000. Other waters will
he attended to later.
Mr.. DelaWder desires to have the
fish put in waters as far west and as
near Baltimore as possible. He is
extremely anxious to have the Sey
ern fully replenished. 1t was once
famous shad river, containing the
finest fish. The shad-hatching will
be continued as long as any shad are
caught, this being by far the best
time of the year to get the ripe shad
and the eggs hatch so promptly. The
first of the season it took 10 days fol
some of the eggs to hatch. Now the
young fish leave the eggs in about
days, ard are as lively as possible.
A gentleman a few days ago got
some of the eggs and put them in a
bottle and started for home. They
Matched on the way, and most OF
them managed to get out of the vial.
A shad is said to attain its growth in
3 years, but many think it natures
much earlier, and some say in a year.
All the young shad put in the rivers
will go out to sea this fall as soon as
cool weather comes on.
The United States fish.hatching
boat at Havre de Grace has a pump
which forces the water up on board,
and the fish are all Matched in the
boat. At the State Matching plsee
the eggs are simply placed in boxes
and put in the river. This last is
what is wanted to educate the farm.
er up to producing his supplies OF
young fish, If he kills off his hogs
and poultry he has to raise more. In
the same way he will have to raise
more young fish when inland lakes
and streams shall become seriously
depleted by the drains upon them,
To do this the farmer will not need
extensive annaratus Anuold tua..,