138 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



YOUNG SHAD. 



In the Middle States the youug fish remain in the rivers, feeding 

 and growing, until the cool weather of fall comes on. They then 

 begin to drop downstream, and by the las't of ISTovember have passed 

 out into the ocean or bays, and are lost sight of until they come back 

 three or four years after, full-grown and ready to spawn. They leave 

 the Potomac Eiver when the water falls to about 40°. By that time 

 they are about 3 inches long. For the last two or three years they 

 have been observed in great abundance about Bryan Point, feeding and 

 jumping out of the water about sunset. They keep within the open 

 streak of water between the shores and the water- grass which covers 

 the flats, in water 2 to 5 feet deep. After mild winters young shad have 

 been found in the Potomac Eiver in April, 30 miles above brackish 

 water and 160 miles from the ocean, associated with young alewives and 

 sturgeon. Some immature shad, apparently 2 years old, are caught 

 each year in seines operated in the fresh water of the Potomac Eiver, 

 and undersized shad are frequently cauglit in the New England rivers, 

 where the tidal waters are of little length. 



COMMERCIAL VALUE. 



The shad is one of the most i)alatable and popular of fishes. Its 

 flesh is rich, but not oily, and the roe is considered a delicacy. It is 

 the most valuable river fish of the Atlantic coast, and, next to the 

 Pacific salmon, the most important species inhabiting the fresh waters 

 of North America. In every Atlantic State from New Jersey to Florida, 

 inclusive, it is the most valuable fish, and in New York it is second only 

 to the bluefish. Among all the economic fishes of the United States 

 only the salmon and cod exceed it in value, and, considering all branches 

 of the fishing industry, only the whale fishery and the oyster fishery, 

 besides the foregoing, are financially more important than the shad. 



In 1896 the shad catch of the Atlantic seaboard numbered 13,145,395 

 fish, weighing 50,847,967 pounds, and worth to the fishermen $1,656,580. 

 The value of the shad catch of the Pacific States in 1895 was $5,000, a 

 sum representing 306,000 pounds. 



EARLY ATTEMPTS AT SHAD-CULTURE. 



The systematic development and extension of shad-culture were 

 undertaken with the definite purpose of testing the Aalue of artificial 

 propagation in maintaining an important fishery which was being 

 rapidly depleted. As early as 1848 shad eggs were artificially taken 

 and fertilized, and in 1867 more extensive c:iperiments were made on 

 the Connecticut Eiver, and later on the Potomac, with encouraging 

 results. The attention of many States was thus attracted to the work, 

 and in 1872 it was taken up by the general government. Prior to the 

 experiments on the Connecticut, certain species of the salmon family 

 had been principally dealt with in fish-culture, and different methods 

 from those in use were necessary for shad-hatching, owing to the less 

 si^ecific gravity of shad ova and the much shorter period of time 

 required for the development of the fish from the egg. 



