﻿MANUAL 
  OP 
  FISH-CULTURE. 
  143 
  

  

  EGG-COLLECTING. 
  

  

  Collecting 
  eggs 
  is 
  the 
  work 
  of 
  experienced 
  watermen, 
  who 
  must 
  be 
  

   prepared 
  to 
  endure 
  all 
  kinds 
  of 
  weather 
  in 
  open 
  boats. 
  The 
  boats 
  are 
  

   towed 
  out 
  to 
  the 
  fishing-grounds 
  by 
  steam-launches, 
  where 
  the 
  sj^awn- 
  

   takers 
  visit 
  the 
  nets 
  of 
  the 
  market 
  fishermen, 
  obtaining 
  from 
  tliem 
  the 
  

   spawning 
  fish. 
  After 
  eggs 
  have 
  been 
  obtained 
  a 
  ticket 
  is 
  dropped 
  into 
  

   each 
  panful, 
  with 
  the 
  date 
  and 
  the 
  name 
  of 
  the 
  fisherman, 
  for 
  entry 
  on 
  

   the 
  books 
  of 
  the 
  station. 
  The 
  price 
  for 
  eggs 
  is 
  always 
  above 
  the 
  

   market 
  price 
  of 
  the 
  shad, 
  and 
  payment 
  is 
  made 
  at 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  season 
  

   on 
  the 
  basis 
  of 
  28,000 
  to 
  the 
  liquid 
  quart, 
  the 
  price 
  being 
  $10 
  to 
  $20 
  per 
  

   1,000,000. 
  On 
  the 
  Potomac 
  40 
  to 
  50 
  spawn-takers 
  are 
  employed 
  at 
  the 
  

   station, 
  besides 
  12 
  or 
  15 
  men 
  who 
  are 
  engaged 
  as 
  hatching 
  attendants, 
  

   machinists, 
  firemen, 
  and 
  cooks. 
  

  

  The 
  spawn-taker 
  uses 
  a 
  IG-foot 
  flat 
  bottomed 
  bateau 
  and 
  is 
  provided 
  

   with 
  a 
  lantern, 
  six 
  small 
  and 
  four 
  large 
  spawn 
  pans, 
  and 
  a 
  dipper 
  of 
  

   1-quart 
  capacity. 
  The 
  pans 
  are 
  made 
  of 
  tin 
  and 
  are 
  of 
  two 
  sizes, 
  

   11-iuch 
  and 
  18-inch 
  diameters, 
  the 
  latter 
  Avith 
  handles. 
  The 
  smaller 
  are 
  

   for 
  receiving 
  eggs 
  on 
  delivery 
  from 
  the 
  fish, 
  and 
  the 
  larger 
  for 
  carrying 
  

   them. 
  The 
  pans 
  are 
  thoroughly 
  washed 
  each 
  night 
  after 
  use 
  and 
  not 
  

   allowed 
  to 
  become 
  rusty 
  or 
  indented. 
  The 
  dippers 
  are 
  round-bottomed, 
  

   hold 
  nearly 
  a 
  quart, 
  and 
  have 
  handles 
  with 
  open 
  ends, 
  with 
  5 
  inches 
  of 
  

   the 
  free 
  end 
  wrapped 
  with 
  seine 
  twine. 
  To 
  obtain 
  eggs 
  from 
  a 
  seine, 
  

   double 
  the 
  above 
  number 
  of 
  spawn 
  vessels 
  may 
  be 
  required. 
  

  

  Spawn-taking 
  tubs 
  of 
  indurated 
  wood 
  fiber 
  have 
  been 
  introduced 
  in 
  

   Potomac 
  Eiver 
  operations 
  and 
  found 
  superior 
  to 
  tin, 
  being 
  without 
  

   hoops 
  or 
  joints, 
  non-corrosive, 
  and 
  non-conductors 
  of 
  heat. 
  They 
  have 
  

   wood 
  covers 
  which 
  fit 
  inside 
  the 
  rims, 
  and 
  the 
  tops 
  fit 
  tightly 
  by 
  means 
  

   of 
  a 
  soft 
  rubber 
  joint: 
  4 
  inches 
  of 
  the 
  central 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  cover 
  is 
  cut 
  

   away 
  to 
  admit 
  air. 
  

  

  As 
  the 
  shad 
  manipulated 
  are 
  sold 
  and 
  consumed 
  in 
  a 
  fresh 
  state, 
  

   fishermen 
  waste 
  no 
  time 
  in 
  transferring 
  them 
  to 
  market 
  boats, 
  which 
  

   are 
  in 
  waiting, 
  and 
  rapidity 
  of 
  execution 
  is 
  therefore 
  required 
  on 
  the 
  

   jiart 
  of 
  the 
  spawn-taker, 
  who 
  must 
  be 
  alert 
  and 
  exact 
  in 
  his 
  methods. 
  

  

  In 
  gill-net 
  fishing 
  there 
  is 
  usually 
  ample 
  time 
  to 
  assort 
  the 
  fish, 
  

   which 
  are 
  taken 
  into 
  the 
  boat 
  one 
  at 
  a 
  time, 
  except 
  when 
  sudden 
  

   squalls 
  or 
  exceptional 
  captures 
  force 
  the 
  premature 
  hauling 
  in 
  of 
  the 
  

   net 
  with 
  the 
  fish 
  wound 
  up 
  in 
  the 
  meshes. 
  Unskilled 
  spawn-takers 
  

   are 
  liable 
  to 
  the 
  mistake 
  of 
  stripping 
  eggs 
  without 
  having 
  the 
  neces- 
  

   sary 
  milt 
  to 
  impregnate 
  them, 
  for 
  several 
  spawners 
  may 
  be 
  taken 
  over 
  

   a 
  period 
  of 
  ten 
  or 
  twenty 
  minutes 
  without 
  the 
  capture 
  of 
  a 
  male 
  fish. 
  

   In 
  such 
  cases 
  (of 
  great 
  frequency 
  late 
  in 
  the 
  season) 
  the 
  female 
  fish 
  

   must 
  be 
  placed 
  conveniently, 
  backs 
  down, 
  to 
  prevent 
  the 
  eggs 
  from 
  

   running 
  out, 
  and 
  the 
  males 
  may 
  have 
  to 
  be 
  obtained 
  from 
  other 
  boats. 
  

   When 
  ripe 
  shad 
  are 
  taken 
  in 
  seines, 
  two 
  or 
  three 
  large 
  baskets 
  should 
  

   be 
  in 
  readiness 
  to 
  receive 
  them. 
  

  

  Sometimes 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  ripe 
  fish 
  will 
  be 
  sufficient 
  to 
  occupy 
  all 
  the 
  

   attention 
  that 
  can 
  be 
  devoted 
  to 
  them; 
  at 
  other 
  times 
  the 
  run 
  of 
  fish 
  

  

  