The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-05-15
FISH CULTURE IN
NORTH CAROLINA
Hatcheries at EdentOn
and Weldon
STATION AT BEAUFORT
Much Scientific Work Done There. The
Culture of Shad, Oysters, Diamond
Back Terrapin and Other
Members of the Fish
STATION AT BEAUFORT
Family.
Rv FRED MERRITT.l

By FRED l.. MIfRRITT)
Washington, d. c.. May 14.-The
report of the Fish Commissioner,
just issued, deals extensively with
fish cultural work in North Carolina.
Not only are two of the forty-six per-
manently established fish hatcheries
in the United States in that State
one at Edenton and the other near
Weldon but there is at Beaufort Ia
boratory built and admirably equipped
for scientific investigation into the
practical problems which arise in con-
nection with the commercial fisheries
and fish culture. In this respect the
Beaufort station ranks along with
that at Woods Hall, Mass, as the best
in this country. Both of them are
resorted to every year by students and
scientists and much important work
that will ultimately prove of value
and importance to the fishing industry
is carried on there.
Scientific Work at Beaufort.
The Beaufort station for whose
support Congress annually makes an
appropriation, was last year visited
and used for research by men from
stitutions of the country. including
Johns Hopkins, the University of
PENNSYLVANIA, Columbia University
and the University of North Carolina.
The Johns Hopkins men studied the
oyster and the diamond-back terrapin,
the University of North Carolina II -
investigated the food value and com
mercial importance of the crab. wptle
the University of Pennsylvania men
Il 4Iln
eggs of invertebrates. Two vessels.
the Petrol and the Fish Hawk, were
employed at the station. Touching
the work of these vessels at Beaufort,
the Commissioner says:
GAS in previous seasons, the launch
Petrol was employed in making col
lections for the laboratory and in de-
termining the aquatic resources Of
the sounds, harbOr, and the ocean in
the vicinity of the entrance; it was
not considered safe, however, to send
the launch more than five miles from
the mouth of the harbor The Fish
Hawk was attached to the laboratory
during July, August and September,
and was employed in exploring the
ocean floor as far as the Gulf Stream.
The dredgings of the vessel showed
barren condition of most of the bot
tom, owing probably to the shifting
character of the sand of which 1T is
mainly composed. A conspicuous eX-
ception, however, was a bank or reef
called locally the fishing ground 1t
lies 201 miles from the outer buoy on
Beaufort harbor, covered by 131A
fathoms of water and has been known
to the fishermen for some time, al
though their ideas of its size and char
acter are very indefinite. The eX-
ploration. measuring and charting
of this ground was the most import
ant work done by the Fish Hawk, for
this reasonably accessible locality Will
doubtless provide much material for
biological investigation and may also
eventually support an important COM
mercial fishery.
\ Big Fish Story.
1.-THE ground is of rough coralline
nature and contains q great abund-
ance and variety of animal life. n q
foot beam trawl and an oyster dredge
brought up many specimens.
The abundance of fish was surprising.
While the vessel was drifting twice
across the ground ) hand line were
used. and 1O-bushel basketfulS of fish.
representing about 700, were caught.
The time occupied in fishing was two
hours Most of the fish were sea-baSS,
but a few red-snappers, large red
mouthed grunts, and other species
were caught as fast as the lines could
be hauled in rebated and cast, but
the moment the vessel drifted over the
edge of the reef no more fish were
caught"
Fdeoton and Weldon Hatcherics.
The Faenton and Weldon hatcheries
are both under the superintendent
of =. G. Worth. the EdentOn station
being permanent and that at Weldon
a subsidiary station. The EdentOn
station is devoted almost exclusively
to the propagation of shad the out
put last year being %, 549,O0O Try shad,
The Weldon station was eStabllShed
for work with striped-basS In North
Carolina The output last year was
115 0O0 This is one of the most
valuable river fisheries known ana Tor
some wears the Commissioners has been
irving TO find a place where it can be
cultivated. Last years results on the
Roanoke nroyes it one of the best
places in the country, and this year all
cx0criments with striped-bass will be
carried on there. The report says it
is probably the best site on the coast
for collecting the eggs of this species"
The sDecics of fishes cultivated and
distributed by the Commission num-
bered about so. and includes the lead
ing food fishes of the rivers, lakes
inferior waters and Atlantic coast Of
thos North Carolina received the fol-
lowing: Shad. 22.941, 900; striped bass
3125 900: rainbow trout, 37,8O8;
broot trout, 4,300; black bass 1909:
crappie, 800; rock bass, LOO; and