Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1903-04-04
ABOUT FISH HATCN|NG.
Some of the Work Being Ac-
complished by the Eastern
Shore Fish Commissioner


Shore Fish Commissioner
Mr.. John w Titcomb, Chief of Fish
Culture of che United States Fish Com
mission, representing Hon. Geo. NJ.
Bowers. United States Fish Com
missioner. was the guest of Fish Com
missioner, G. l.. Vincent several days
last week at the Tuckahoe fish Matching
station of the Eastern Shore Fish Com
missioner Mr. Titcomb was investi-
eating the perch Matching operations on
the Eastern Shore, as the United States
Fish Commission will take up this
branch of work this season. He says
the Maryland Fish Commission is doing
good work. and was very much inter
ested in the methods employed. Great
demands are being made for perch fry
both yellow and white. The Matching
and delivery of yellow perch is now
nearly over, as the fish spawned earlier
than usual this spring owing to warm
weather. This work is carried on ex
tensively at the Tuckahoe and Nanti-
coke stations and millions of yellow
perch have been turned out. This fish
is becoming more popular all the time
as winter fish and brings a good price
in the city market. Dr. Barton Warren
Evermann. PHI. d.. Ichthyologist of the
EiCb Of
yellow perch: LAS pan fish we do not
know of any better among American
fresh water fishes. We have experiment
ed with the yellow perch and several
other species, including black bass,
rock bass, etc, eating each for several
days, and we have found the yellow
perch the sweetest and most delicious
of them all"
The white perch in the eyes of Mary
landers, is. however. the fish par ex-I
cellcnce. The eggs of this fish are<not
readily obtained at all times during the
spawning season and it keeps the linen
at the st. Martins, Tuckahoe and Nanti-
coke stations on the alert for several
weeks night and day to obtain ripe eggs
quantity. Some years the work is al
most failure, but the same work must
be done as when the ripe perch are
found in numbers. The white perch
Matching season is just commencing and
Commissioner Vincent is hoping to OBJ
tain large number of eggs.
Black bass are being caught in the
Pocomoke River weighing from pound
and half to two pounds. Fish Com
missioner Vincent within the past
three years has placed 1900 large mouth
black bass i'll the Pocomoke and last
fall learned that several were caught
near Pocomoke City with hook and line.
On Saturday of last week the Godfrey
boys, who operate haul seine at
Moore's Landing four miles below Snow
Hill, caught several large bass and sold
them III Snow Hill. As soon as the Fish
Commissioner learned of this he made
arrangements with the Godfreys 70
have them rrturn to the river ali live
bass caught by them this season, as this
is their spawning time. Mr.. Vincent
confidently expects the Pocomoke to
furnish excellent bass fishing in few
years, as it is evident from the number
caught i'll seines this Spring that suf-
ticient have lived to propagate naturally.
and as they multiply rapidly under
favorable conditions the time is not far
distant when angling for bass will be
one of the attractions for this section.
Young bass cannot be artificially pro.
pagated and must be produced in the re-
gular way in artificlally constructed
ponds. The United States Government
does this at Washington, and has bass
ponds in several Southern and Western
States Sometimes millions will be
Matched out and when the time for de-
livery arrives only few thousand of
the fingerllngs have survived the many
enemies of the young fish. Not all
waters are suitable for bass and as they
are not plentiful the Government is
particular as to where they are planted.
Fish Commissioner Vincent has made
application for bass to be placed in the
Wicomico River at Salisbury, St. Mar
tins River. and the Choptank River at
Greensborough. $50 fingerlings were
planted in Miles River last November.
Shad Matching operation will begin at
Salisbury. Tuckahoe and Sharptown as
soon as ripe shad are obtainable, which
condition is liable to prevail at any
time.