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Since 1882 the greatest uumber of shad fry the 

 state has been able to plant in the river from eggs 

 obtained from the shad of the river was in 1889, when 

 6,000,000 were planted. The next best seasons were 

 1887, 1888, and 1895, when something over 3,000,000 

 were planted each year. In 1891 the United States 

 contributed 9,348,000 fry, and six other years from 

 4,200,000 up to 7,414,000 annually. 



As to the importance of the shad fisheries of the 

 Hudson and the value of the product, the commission 

 caused an investigation to be made last year covering 

 all the fishing stations from Sandy Hook to Castleton, 

 nine miles below Albany. It was found that 3,471 

 nets were operated and 1,155,610 shad were taken 

 during the season of 1895. New Jersey is credited 

 with 1,666 nets, operated at eleven stations, and taking 

 417,829 shad. New York is credited with 1,805 nets, 

 operated at sixt3^-seven stations, and taking 737,781 

 fish. The greatest number of nets at a single station 

 is 703, at Alpine, N. J., taking 94,100 shad. Fort Lee, 

 N. J., operates 337 nets, taking 114,300 shad. The 

 greatest number of nets operated from New York 

 stations was 306 at Sing Sing, taking 16,400 shad, and 

 313 at Nyack, taking 3,853. The nets gradually peter 

 out up stream, until Castleton, with one net, is credited 

 with 500 shad. At Catskill, where the work of this 

 commission is carried ou, six nets were operated, taking 

 5,000 shad. 



To get at the weight and value of the shad catch in 

 the Hudson, I asked Ex-Commissioner Blackford to 

 give the average figures of fish received at Fulton 

 Market. He wrote me : 



"Regarding the Hudson River shad, I would say 

 that 100 buck shad will weigh 308 pounds, and 100 roe 

 shad will w^eigli 412 pounds. This, you see, will make 

 their average a little over three and one half pounds. 

 The proportion of bucks to roe shad this season has 



