The Van Buren press. [volume] (Van Buren, Ark.) 1859-1914, 1896-07-18
GREAT CROPS OF FISH.
Tho Eggs Are Hatched in Glass Jars for
Stocking Purposes.

Uncle Sam is the greatest gatberer
and hatcher of eggs in the world. The
eggs in which he deals are mostly shad
eggs, and his busy season is about to
begin. During the annual run of shad
the work of selecting the eggs of these
fish is conducted with great activity at
the important stations of the United
States fish commission on the Delaware,
Potomac and Susquehanna rivers. AS
fast as they are secured they are put in
to the glass Matching jars from which
the young and vigorous Standings pres
emily emerge.
The government experts go out with
the fishermen in their boats. They
watch the drawing of the nets selecting
from the catch as many robust and
well-grown mother fishes as can be
handled to advantage. BY passing the
hand in deft manner over the body of
each female shad the roe is squeezed out
into glass jar, wherein it is Immediate
~ fortified by "milt" that is got from
the male in the same fashion This is
accomplished very rapidly, an average
female yielding about $4,000 eggs.
Many of the shad fishermen have
learned how to take the eggs and fertil-
ize them in this way. They sell the
eggs ready fortified to the agents of
the fish commission, receiving for them
$40 a million. The eggs are reckoned
by measurement More than onehalf
Of all the shad eggs utilized for hatch
ing are purchased in this manner. On
being delivered they are placed in a
glass receptacle, through which a
stream of water runs, so that the eggs
and refuse are floated off. The residue
is paid for in cash.
The process of Matching the eggs is
extremely simple. They are put into
glass jars through which a stream of
water continually runs and thus are
kept agitated all the time, so that they
enjoy an OVERLOOKING bath of fresh wa
ter and escape contact with all foul
ness that might iniure them. They are
somewhat bigger than buckshot. white,
and quite translucent. They are
AS fast as they emerge they find their
way out of the jar with the running wa
ter and into large tank, from which
they may be scooped with gauze nets
whenever they are wanted.
The work was first begun on large
scale in 1881. At that time the annual
catch of shad in the rivers of the United
States was only 100000 pounds, and
fears were entertained lest the fishery
was destined TO be destroyed by over
fishing No results could be expected
until 1855. when the artifcially Matched
fishes attained maturity and returned
to the streams to spawn. BY the sim
pie method described wonders have al
ready been achieved, and this season the
catch will be over 100000 pounds
Indeed, the shad fishery in future need
have no limit, save such as is set inten-
tionally by man.
In order literally to crowd the
streams with shad every year, it is
merely necessary to hatch a sufficient
number of eggs and put the young fry
into the water. The shad live in the
sea, only ascending the rivers annually
for breeding purposes. The sea will
support any number of them. They
feed on the ocean bottoms, where they
find Unlimited provender. At spawn
ing time they fetch the crops of these
bottoms, otherwise inaccessible to man
inc the streams and deliver them up in
the shape of toothsome meat and roe
Philadelphia Inquirer.