Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-05-12

one assistant gets ready number OF Tin vessels
The ripe" roe shsSs S can't Harron, taxing up
shad In one hand, with the other manipulates, OF
squeezes IL and quickly relieves it OF It's ourden on
called stripping the shad. out OF $50 or more
shad, out Few are found from which matufeu eSks
can oe oosalned OF course only par =, , ,ne
centage are about TO deposit their eggs at the
time OF the haul out OF q total catch az tne
When the bottom OF pan is well covered with
eggs quantity OF the s'milt" obtained ron the
male shad Is put In the pan, then clipper OF
taies the pam unt sns an snd sne eSss are
well mixed together. Thus several pans were
The stripped fish are thrown back with the Others
ana LATER brought by run" boat 70 the market
IN this city The sale OF the nsh pays the expenses
Harron after each haul Is carried In the pans to
the hatchery. About the same time the spawn
obtained from other nsheries begins 20 arrive and
tne force al work In the hatchery Is kept busy.
THE MEN IN THE LAUNCH.
The spawn-takers, who set out IN the launch, so
to the seine fisheries at Ferry Landing ana stony
Point, on the Virginia shore. rshed by VIM. Knight
where hauls are made with huge seines every
six hours; to the Chapmans Point fishing shore,
operated by Mr.. Gale, and TO the White House,
where they board the boats OF the OILERS They
get spawn also from faunce Cumberlands
fishery at Monkeys Point, from the Brick House,
and Reel Han fisheries operated by the Rauras
and from the Bryant Point OILERS
The launch leaves the fort shortly after noon,
ent fishing shores
The spawn-taker has to work very rapidly, for
two reasons. one is that TO insure successful
Matching, the spawn must be taken from the nsh
almost as soon as II leaves the water. Then the
nsh on the evening haul are hurried al once into
The fishermen can lose no time. ktIhe night haul
at stony Point the spawD-taker gets into the
with the f1sh, and II there Is q big haul, keeps at
work while the scow Is being towed up the river
toward the city. and then when he has gone
over all the heap and secured all the spawn
possible, leaves and boards the launch agseh.
The OILERS generally rsh together dozen, or may
be two or three dozen, having their boats near one
another. One OF the spawn-takers leaves the launch
has %Se SSat ees me 81
OILERS boat puts mis- lantern down and begins 10
strip" the shad. The giler pays no attention %
taker Is through, he slips back into his own boat,
peers out into the darkness, and when his eyes,
blinded for the time by working over his lantern,
makes out the outline OF another OILERS boat In
the distance, he pulls for that and repeats the
same operation. thus he will 80 over the boats OF
AL the OILERS
IN THE HArcHISG-HoUsE
The hatchery itself Is q small, one-story frame
structure near the wharf In order TO increase the
capacity OF the hatchery this year q tent was
erected at one side and all the materials kept In
store are put In the tent Al end OF the build
Ing Is q compartment containing the pumping
with shelves or tables which the Matching jars
are ranged In rows and crowded as close
together as convenience OF handling will permit
When Mr.. Worth introduced TIE STAB reporter 10.
the mysteries or the Matching station everything
was In full operation. II seemed TO be plain,
shiri,sIeeves st a. tbey Meua IN any factory
II one approached the little building at night,
heard the throDbng OF the pump, and saw
the streaming lights that made the shadows
OF the night look blacker. II would not be un-
natural II his imagination pictured COM
pany OF gnomes or spirits at work In a
La Rsfr has ha
elements OF nature the elixir OF life. And the
work upon which these perspiring men were en-
shed its light In dark places would have been
prescribed as being within the realm OF black art.
They were working at one OF the most advanced
posts OF practical science.
THE nATcHING JARS
The water from the tank outside fiows through
system OF pipes suspended overhead, just within
easy reach or the men. AT regular distances these
pipes have cock or faucets on their lower surfaces
From these are suspended by rubber tubing glass
pipes or tubes about half three-quarters OF an
Inch In diameter. These glass tubes descended
nearly to the bottom OF the jars. The water now
Ing from the pipes ILLS the jars from the bottom
the water flowing down the outer surface OF the
Jar runs on into little gutter and Is carried
away. The Jars are about Is inches high and 9
Inches In diameter, with neck ana mouth OF
smaller diameter. like fruit jar. The work-room
Is necessarily wet, and IL Is warm on account Of
the IRE that runs the pumping engine.
bhlNGiNG UP The EGGS
When pan OF spawn Is brought In MI. Morgan
and his assistants take it. First, all the superiu-
Gus matter is washed out OF the pam The wash
ing is done with the greatest care, water being
poured Ia the pans gently. This is called ''bring-
Ing up" the eggs After several rinsings the eggs
appeared In regular rows, shining like little glass
beads on the bottom OF the pan.
PUTTING THEN INTO THE JAR
Then jar, clean and freshly filled with
water, is procured. funnel with its
larger end spread out like a wide pan,
is placed In the mouth OF the jar. and the water
containing the eggsis dipped carefully into the
Iunnel the process being continued until the eggs
Ill more than half OF the jar. The Jar Is then de-
posted ia It's place on the she'll the glass tube
adjusted, the water turned on and the eggs are
kept IN motion by the circulation OF the water.
About 100000 eggs are placed In Jar. The men
In the ish hatchery talk OF big figures like hum
dred thousand or a million with much familiarity
The eggs, OF course, are not actually counted but
they are measured as they lie in the jar by means
OF a graduated stick like foot-rule.
MILLIONS OF EGGS.
One shad will yield 10000 eggs. This number
will hardly cover the bottom OF a pam when FIRST
taken. They BEGIN however, 10 increase I'm size as
soon as fertilized. Under a glass when an egg is
touched by the milt the nrst palpitations OF life
are visible. once hundred thousand eggs were
actually counted and standard OF measurement
obtained. AT the Fort Washington hatchery up
to last Wednesday, an average or more than
ne reverb away VI esey night or
5,50o,OO0. The record for the season, which
began April 9. was up TO "Wednesday,
$4,000. 900. The yield gradually Increases
each day from the opening OF the season.
On the 9th or April only nfty thousand eggs were
taken. Then the number Increased until the max
imum was reached last Saturday. When the eggs
have been placed In the jars they are kept In the
hatchery fortyetgnt hours before being shipped 10
this city. The eggs at first are soft and likely TO
be destroyed by handling. In forty-eight hours
they become quite hard and can be shipped, with
care, TO some distance. Inc capacity OF hatch
cry Is expressed by the number OF It's lars. The
one at Fort Washington has ninety-six Jars, and
as the eggs have TO remain In the Jars Two days
tits capable OF developing forty eight jars OF eggs
day.
SHIPPING THE EGGS.
shipments OF eggs are made from the hatchery
to Washington every day on the Corcoran. The
eggs are dipped from the jars and strewn In thin
layer on trays These trays are formed OF wooden
frames about rifteen inches square, upon which q
sheet OF muslin Is secured. The eggs are laid on
the cloth, about 10000 eggs being placed on each
tray. When the trays are filled they are placed
ten being bound together In this way. An attend
ant goes with them on the journey 70 this city,
and at intervals pours water upon the top tray,
which nlters through and keeps all the eggs
taken at once TO the Central station, In the
Armory and transferred 70 the lars there. IL
requires about eight days to hatch the young shad
but the time varies with the temperature OF the
water At the beginning OF the season, when the
water Is cold, longer time u required 70 develop
and hatch the eggs.
THE RESULTS ACCOMPLISHED.
MI. Worth, speaking Of shad-hatching, said the
success met with In propagattng shac Indicated
that they could accomplish equally good results
with the other food fishes In our rivera The prac-
had M he