Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1910-05-01
,con,inuea From Nineth PaseD

were large shipments in fiat-hsh, poi
lock. tautog and Holsters.
To supply this enormous dehanu
tho bureas of fisheries maintains hsh
cultural stations in over 20 states !"
tho union and in Alaska, with sono
so.odd main stations and again as
many substations. These latter are
often but collecting points ana arc
hanged yearly. The whole is uhuer
tha direction OF George NJ. Bowers
commissioner of fisheries, at WASH.
mgton. ID. C. Directly in charge Oh
tho ash-cultural end of the WORK Is
Robert s. johnson. an empio!e VI
the bureau for many years ana out re-
Gently advanced TO his present posi-
ton. -.
The propagation of these hsh as
,r,h,,.d so broadcast over the couh-
try is a story in itself, fasciha'ihs
and wonderful in the extreme 10 inc
,,ninitiated. II is a science 10 "hio"
government experts are deVotihg the"
lives. Naturally its salient features
only can be presented here. A Driel
description of the propagation Vi
perch and shad. and trout ana sai'
mon will convey a general impression
nj least, OF the manner In which
Uncle Sam obtains his Good-ralrs
gifts.
Two of the principal stations ior
the propagation of white and yeiio"
uerch and shad are BrSans Point, on
The Potomac river. and Battery isiahu
tnear Hayre de Grace, at the mouth
of the Susquehanna river, poth III
MARYLAND The perch season cioseu
several weeks ago and the shad seas
on is In full swing. The fish come up
the Potomac river to the spawning
grounds and are caught in gill nets
their eggs, or spawn, are then taken
from them by spawntakers, impreS'
rated with the "milt" of the male
fish and Matched out in large glass
lars through which a supply OF fresn
water. at the proper temperature, Is
kept running continuously. After the
SHAWN has been taken from perch
the fish can be returned TO the river
none the worse, usually. FOR the eN-
perience. But the shad, really dell
cate fish. is unable to survive the or
deal. However. each shad Will Yield
an average of 10000 eggs, most oil
which will hatch out into young shad.
The perch are caught and placed
L. In
station. At regular intervals the
boxes are opened and the spawntakers
dip out the spawn from the surface
of the water with small wire dipper-
nets made for that purpose. In these
toxes the female perch deposits her
spawn or row. at suitable time, and
the male does likewise with his milt.
The coming in contact of the two FER
tilizes" the eggs. This known as. the
wet" process. They float to the sur
face. are dipped out and carried to-
the station where they are placed IN
the glass jars-each holding 100000
eegs--until Matched out.
A variation of this process is toI
seize tHt 1tiths -
spawn. cxpel the spawn from her gent
~ into tin pan made for the pGr-
pose; then seize buck, or male
perch, and expel the milt into the
same pan. The pan is then shaken,
with a rotary motion. for momentI
and water is added. This process IS
called "dry." The eggs are tfen ready
s5r the glass jars. As soon as the
eggs have been ha;ched out into,
Young my" they are distributed as
described above.
1he taking and f,-tiiizing Of the
shad eggs is quite similar. though il
Is all done by hand. that is-the dry
process only is used. After female
shsd is caught. the, spavntaker lifts
her with his right hand at her back.
hear the head. and his left Just above
The tail. The head is then carried &c
lef side under the arm and retained
by the arm. the tail being bent slight
~ upward with the left hand. This
leaves the right hand free to remove
all slime and loose scales by passing
over the hsh two or three times In
quick succession.
The FISH is held irmly over a moist
pan and. with a moderate downward
pressure Of the right hand. the eggs
are forced to flow freely out into the
pan Two FISH arc thus stripped into
each pan. The tish is then discard
ed. or It can be marketed. for II has
no, been injured as food. A male shsd
" then seized by the back with the
left hand. the right holding the under
side. Without relaxing pressure al any
Poin; the mili Is forced out with the
thumb and forehnges in a steady
stream into the pan Water Is added
and the pan given a slow. rotary mo-
ton until the mil; is thoroughly mix