20 



and perhaps increase them notwithstanding the in- 

 creased prochiction. 



In this paper I have chosen to take the shad as 

 an ilhistration of the effect that the raih'oads have 

 had on fisli cukiire in America, but the same hne of 

 argument is apphcable to the white fish of the Great 

 Lakes, whicli now^ readies a hunch'ed taljles where it 

 only fed one a quarter of a century ago. The oyster 

 is more subject to an increased consumption by the ex- 

 tension of raih'oads than either tlie sliad or the wdiite 

 fish, for it not onl)- has a hinger "season" but is not as 

 perishable as the tish, and by the use of ice is now 

 found on tlu^, ''half shell"' in most small towns, while in 

 tins, ])oth r:uv and cooked, it is a visitor to many niining 

 camps. 



]>ut to return to the shad. The increase of popula- 

 tion, and of fishermen with imj^roved appliances along 

 the Hudson River, would ha\e exhausted the supply 

 of shad without the help of railroads twent)- years ago 

 but for the aid of the fish culturist. The annual catch 

 had been falling oft for some )'ears before the work of 

 shad hatching was begun and continued to fall oft for 

 several years after, for the first work was done on a 

 small scale. We know this in a general way Ijy reports 

 of the fishermen, for there had been no attempt to 

 gather the fishing statistics until 1880; but both fisher- 

 men and marketmen from Tro)- to New York Cit)', 

 agreed that the supply had gradually fallen oft, until 

 manv fishermen declared that it did not ijav to wet 

 their nets. 



The work of shad hatching on the Hudson River 

 was begun in a small way by the State Fish Commis- 

 sioner in 1868, near Coeymans. 



The next year work was not begun until the first 

 day of June (second report, page 4), about a month 

 late, and continued until July 13th. The report says: 

 "Only 15,000,000 of shad w^ere hatched in place of 



