BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 261 



I am sorry tliat you do not feel justified in making the appropriation 

 of about $250 to complete the pond I ^Yrote about a year ago for the 

 jiropagation of the striped bass in Delaware Bay. 



I think my experiment last spring fally showed the feasibility of doing 

 it. Having had a large female in captivity for 14 days, in M'hich time it 

 had nearly finished spawning, and that under very unfavorable circum- 

 stances, as it had no fresh water in the pond in all that time, and for the 

 last three days the water was very warm. 



I think if it is not attended to this spring the opportunity will be lost 

 here. My fishermen have not made any money fishing for these fish the 

 last three years, and this season will not fish as large a seine as usual 

 expecting to fish pound-nets, in part, which will not be likely to take these 

 large fish. After the bass fishing they expect to go into the sturgeon 

 fishing, which has become very important here. 



This pond is embanked on three sides, and next the bay is open, but 

 it requires an extra tide to put water in the pond. It covers an area of 

 over one-half acre; portions of it are from 4 to G feet deep, and other 

 portions shoal. We now use it for getting ice. It should be deepened 

 in the shoal places and have a trunk leading to the baj' to admit fresh 

 water every high tide and keep a uniform depth. It would also, on por- 

 tions of the bay front, require a dry stone wall to keep the fish from escap- 

 ing at extra high tides. I don't think the whole expenditure would be 

 over $250, and if we were to put in from 30 to 40 fish, male and female, 

 they would be sufficient to hatch many millions of young fry. And I 

 think the hatching could all be done between the 25th of April and 20th of 

 May. There would be plenty of time to get it ready in March, after we 

 are done with it for ice, as we are able to drain the water from it when 

 we wish to do so. 



Odessa, Del., January 9, 1882. 



SHAD FISHEBIE!!) OF THE SIlJiiQ VEHANIVA RIVFR FIFTV-SIX 



VEARS AOO. 



By H. WILI.IS. 



[From a letter to Prof. S. F. Baird.] 



A brief account of the shad fisheries of the Susquehanna Eiyer fifty- 

 six years ago may be somewhat interesting, as you have charge of so 

 large a government enteri)rise in fish-culture. 



In the spring of 1827 Thomas Stump owned and operated the largest 

 shad fishery in the United States, immediately below the railroad bridge 

 on the opposite side from Havre de Grace. At the mouth of the river 

 his seine was laid across the river and down for miles along the shore 

 below the tillage of Havre de Grace. A violent wind commenced, which 

 put a stop for four days and nights to any further action with the seine, 



