Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1889-04-26
ing Section in North Carolina.

IS shad fry. If the eggs deposited by
the female shad in natural way were
to hatch out a similar percentage the
streams would soon be blocked up with
the masses Of the fish. Now you can
see what we have done and what we
may expect in the future. Six or eight
Years ago. a. the Fort Washington
station. there were collected only
5000, 600 or 10, 900, 900 eggs annually.
We collected $4,000, 900 last year,
and we expect to collect in year or
two from 100, COO. 900 to $4,000 900
per annum. Recollect, too that this
increase has been accomplished with no
increase Of the working force"
"Where are most Of the fry depos-
tied %
"Well, we send some away, but the
great majority of the fry from this
hatchery are deposited annually in the
tributaries Of Che> apeak bay, and the
result has been seen in the gradual
and steady increase Of the run Of shad
for the past ten years"
AN old river fisherman the other
day told me that while the Increased
run of shad had in recent years mirht,
in some degree, be due to the efforts of
the fish commission, yet he thought the
run Of fish was in cycles The shad
run had increased, it VS. true, but 50
did the herring run, and the commits
sion had planted no herring fry in the
river. How is that said the reporter.
Il mi light answer that said Mr.
Worth, like the Yankee, by ask s.ng
another question, w by is it that the
streams of the Pacific coast are now
abundantly stocked with shaI, when
before the planting OF the streams with
shad fry by the comm ission. some light
or ten years ago, there was never a shad
to be found in any Of those rivers 2 "
But it is said that figures never
lie, and [ will give you some statistics
that were sent on in connection with the
United States exhibit of the fish COM
mission at the Cincinnati exposition.
We know that there has been a steady
increase of the catch Of shad in the
streams of the Atlantic coast from Con-
necticut to North Carolina inclusive,
almost in arithmetrical progression
during the past four OF five years. The
commission has annually for that period
detailed trustworthy men to visit the
fisheries in the rivers within the bounds
mentioned and the data received were
on a most reliable basis
I'm 1880 the catch off shad was
4,14o, 900. From that year up to 1855
no attempt at census was made. In
the latter year the catch was $4,000;
in 1886 5,5S4 900; in 1887, 6,-I5,oOo,
and in 1883, 100000.
''Now, you will see that from 1880
to 1888, inclusive, the catch OF shad
nearly doubled, and what is Of special
interest in this connection is the fact
that the rate of increase was IN exact
proportion to the increase of planting
the fry by the commission For exam
pie beginning with 1880 fry were
planted at the rate of eleven, twelve
and twenty-four millions. and so on in
progression per annum of eighty-one.
eighty-three, and one hundred and
twenty-five millions
"Another thing, although no men
have been especially detailed to take a
census, we know from reliable reports,
that the increase in the catch of shad
has been similarly proportionate along
the coasts of South Carolina, Georgia
and Florida.
Il think it would not be extravagant
to predict that before many years have
gone by every river leading into the
Atlentic and Pacific oceans and the
Gulf of Mexico will be fully stocked by
the efforts of the national fish commits