The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1891-07-19
sHAD. HERRING, AND OYSTERS.
Work of the Fish Commission in Neigh
boring Waters.

Work of the Fish Commission in Neigh-
boring Waters.
SUNDAY HERALD reporter called at the
Bureau of the Fish Commission few days
since and inquired of Chief Clerk O'Connor as
to the work of the Commission in the propaga-
tion of fish in the Chesapeake during the an
nual run of shad and herring.
'Oh, WE'LL" said he, tive took about 3d.
100000 spawn this year from our Fort Wash
ngton station. We took from the station at
Havre De Grace over 100000 and we took
on the Delaware at Gloucester, N. j., about
12,000,O00 That covers, l believe, the pro-
duction of shad by the commission during
this season. There is one thing wish you
would notice particularly, and that is the ex-
pertinent OF holding the young shad until
year old will be continued the present year,
1000, 900 Of shsd fry having been deposited in
the large pond near the Monument. These fish
will be liberated into the Potomac next spring,
when they will be about three inches in length.
Hitherto when we dumped the fish fry into
the great tributaries they were usually only
an eighth of an inch long. When they are,
year old we hope they will be able to take
care of themselves. There was similar plant
of shad fry made in pond of the Delaware
and Chesapeake Canal, and we hope the best
results from the experiment. 1t is too early
gate return of the seasons fishing on the
Potomac"
The reporter asked Mr.. Radford, the dis
bursting clerk about oysters and oyster
culture. Mr.. Radford has been especially as
signed to this particular work. He said In
effect: SIN this country the systems of
artificial oyster culture which have been in
use in Europe and notably in France have
never been put into practice; that is to say
the actual artificial cultivation. The oyster
r,ar har for fr,p aocinn In hQr NJ
in any given locality have resorted to planting
seed for the formation OF beds. These beds
may be more or less self-sustaining, but the
system is entirely different from the European.
This system has been put to practice mainly
in Connecticut, New York, and Rhode Island,
where the production during the past ten
years has increased about fourfold. In
Chesapeake, Bay on the contrary, where the
bottom is probably superior to that of any
other part of the country for oysters, even
this system of planting has not been intro
duced except to a very limited extent and
chiefly for the purpose of feeding them for
the market.
'sThe facilities of Chesapeake Bay have not,
therefore, been utilized as they should, and at
present the production is only about one. quar-
ter what 1t was ten years ago. South OF Vir-
ginia the oysters are abundant, but they are
chiefly wild, excepting in very few spots.
In order to give the different States informa-
tion as to how their oyster industries might be
developed the Government began, several years
ago, careful survey of the oyster grounds
along the coast. The coasts of North Carolina
and Georgia were thus surveyed by the Coast
Survey, and 1t has already led to extensive de-
velopments in those regions. During last win
ter the Fish Commission completed similar
survey of South Carolina, going much more
into detail. including careful inquiry as to
the food of the oysters contained in all of the
waters.
cat present the Fish Commission is at work
in Chesapeake Bay, beginning at Tangier and
Pokomoke grounds. The Fish Hawk and one
steam launch have been detailed to this work.
The survey consists of very careful examina-
tions of the entire bottom. The outlines OF
all the oyster beds are marked with great
care, and the number Of oysters to the square
yard is to be determined for all of them. In
this way the position, extent and value of all
the grounds will be determined, showing the
present resources of that region. 1t will also
afford the means, by comparison with former
surveys, to determine the amount OF decrease
in different parts of the Bay. The results OF
this survey will give Virginia and Maryland
the proper information on which to improve
their oyster interests.
81 believe that system such as has prevailed
in New York, Connecticut, and Rhode Island,
where the ground of the sounds is rented out
for a term OF years or sold by special allot-
ments is the best. In North and South Caro-
lima and Georgia similar policy is being car
ried out Artificial methods of culture SINH
lar to the European the Fish Commission be-
gan to experiment with about ten years ago.
1t was demonstrated that the cultivation of
the oyster is practically possibility, but owing
to the difference between the American and
the European oyster the same methods could
not be used But the subject is to be taken
up again as soon as arrangements can be made
for a station. Where States like Maryland
and Virginia have extensive waters the two
systems can both be employed, and in this
way both the shallow and deep waters utilized.
These two systems are the artificial culture
and the method of Dlantinp Dractfced in Long
Island Sound.n