416 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



the sardine canneries are closed, it will seldom be found desirable to 

 fish them) the gates can be left open and the fish can escape as easily 

 as they enter. 



The principal point in favor of the proposed law is, I think, found in 

 the fact that the small herring are very poor during the winter months, 

 and those canned at that time, being of inferior quality, seriously injure 

 the reputation of American sardines. If the Maine canners would buy 

 only good fish aud pack them in better oil the prejudice against "her- 

 ring sardines" would soon wholly disappear, and the demand for them 

 would be greatly increased. 



Washington, D. C, January 30, 1883. 



103.-SIIAD WORK IN SOUTH CAROLINA. 



By C. J. IIUSKE. 



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



In March our attention was directed to the shad station on the Edisto 

 River. Last season we constructed a rough frame building at the base 

 of a small pond fed by springs from the neighboring hills. The tin 

 hatching cones were fed by surface water at an elevation of 10 feet. 

 This season we added two glass hatching jars, thus making the ca- 

 pacity 2,000,000 per week. 



Shad fishing begins on the Edisto River early in January and con 

 tinues until the first of April. Between 35 aud 40 gill-nets are employed 

 in a distance of 8 miles and just within tide water. They average to 

 catch 350 fish per net. Shad fishing is done between the night tides 

 and mostly after midnight. During the day the water is so very clear 

 as to render gill-nets unavailing. 



We rarely, if ever, find ripe eggs. A large number of shad were 

 handled in a half-ripe condition. The eggs when forced came in clots. 

 A large per cent, were apparently ripe and were impregnated on com- 

 ing in contact with the milt. The greater number, however, had no 

 appearance of being ripe, were small, hard, and perfectly white. Wo 

 succeeded in obtaining a small number of eggs and planted 410,000 fry 

 in the Edisto. I visited the Savannah River at Augusta and the North 

 Fork of the Edisto River during the month of April, and found the 

 catch very small. The 500,000 fry which I procured from you in May 

 were planted in Broad River at the Atlanta and Charlotte Air Line 

 Railroad crossing. These were in line condition when released, the 

 loss in transportation not exceeding 3,000. Active operations in this 

 State have been going on for so short a time that the results are as yet 

 comparatively small, but the enthusiasm of our citizens is widespread. 



Columbia, S. C, June 1, 1882. 



