The Portland daily press., 1890-01-11

waters In this country with $50. 900 newly
Matched shad annually. In 1880 the shad
wa unknown on the west coast Of the Unit
ed States; 10000 fry" altogether were sent
out THEREFOR about as many as would be
used TO plant single tributary Of the Poto-
mac, aud already the shad has become q
common fish In the State bordering on the
Pacific. IL has made Its way steadily north
ward from Sacramento River, where II was
originally introduced, until at last accounts
it had reached Alaska, still on lt9 way Ia
shoals toward the north pole. In the East
the great shad propagating grounds used BY
the Fish Commission are the SusQuehanna,
Potomac and Delaware rivers The EGGS
needed for Matching are all taken from fish
caught for market.
Fishermen are paid at the rate Of $50 q
million Tor eggs, which are either taken By
the cOmmlSSiUn'S own men or by the fisher
men themselves. AS the fish are taken from
the nets the operators pick out the females,
and By passing their hand over them expel
the roes, the eggs being emptied into glass
Jars. The milt from the male fish Is poured
IN like manner upon the eggs to render them
fertile, and that Is all there Is to the business.
by expert hands IL can be done with surpris-
ing Tapidity. So as to save expense, the
commission has done its best to educate the
Fishermen II the Potomac TO do this work
themselves. and with SUCH success that now
more than half Of the eggs derived from the
Potomac are obtained and delivered, ready
"hP.ekhhtru, Ot I0b usntTmtns WHO uuu ~
small profit IN this new application OF their
industry. This you may we'll imagine
when you are informed that the average
>had Yields 5000 eggs. OF course roe
shad does not Sell for quite as much without
the roe. The Commission, upon receiving
batch of eggs, places them in jars through
which water constantly flows, and within
twenty-four hours all the bad eggs and
other refuse have been washed away; "
those remaining are fertile-that Is, In
condition to hatch out-their good condition
will be apparent under the micr0scnpe, and
recrptaclrs aud paid for. The eggs ia tho
Jars, continually agitated by current of
water intended TO simulate the flow Of a nat
ural STREAM. hatch out In from four To twelve
days, according to temperature. Either the
eggs are shipped ON the Commissions cars
TO various points for acknowledgements
ly being Matched while In transit-Or they
are fret Matched out and the born Ash
put into the rivers. Tie bulk Of the shad
distribution Is In the shape of fry. Some
shad are grown 10 hnger-lengths here before
being let loose, being brought up Ia q six
acre pond near the monument.
The next fish OF Importance, from the
Commissioners point OF view, Is the white
hsh of the Great Lakes, and, so far as II Is
concerned, the work Is directed mainly 70
tile keeping up OF the supply, which would
otherwise be quickly depleted by the Usher
les. Eggs are taken from the fish newly
caught, as with shad. many being brought IN
by fishermen. They are transferred TO the
hatcheries at Sandusky, Worthwhile, Athena
and Duluth, for turning Into fry, which arc
let loose la the waters. A new and superb
station Is being erected by the commission at
Putin Bay, at the head Of Lake Erie, where
IN future will he done all the collecting Of
she requisite eggs from that great spawning
ground, for distribution TO the Matching
stations.