

PREFACE. 



In presenting the report of S . GL Worth I call attention to 

 section 7 of the Act creating the Department of Agriculture 

 which charges the Board especially "With the supervision of 

 all measures for the protection, propagation and culture of fish 

 in the rivers and other inland waters of this State, and to this 

 end they shall at once provide for stocking all available waters 

 of the State with the most approved breeds of fishes," Though 

 this Act was not ratified till as late as the 12th day of March, 

 1877, the services of an expert were secured and a corps of 

 young men of this State as assistants were stationed on Neuse 

 river and the hatching of shad began. Prevailing freshets and 

 diminutive run of shad interfered with full success of the 

 work. 



Since that very great success has been attained not only in 

 the propagation of shad but also in the propagation and intro- 

 duction of California salmon, land-locked salmon and brook 

 trout. For the propagation of the latter varieties a cheap hatch- 

 ery was built at Swannanoa Gap in Buncombe county, and two 

 seasons of winter work have been completed. The results are 

 embodied in the accompanying report. 



Commencing only two years ago without a shad box, distri- 

 buting can, or the least preparation of the necessary apparatus 

 used in fish culture, or without a man in the State who knew 

 the principles of the work, the people of the State may congrat- 

 ulate themselves on what has been attained. 



I would especially note here that every eif ort has been official- 

 ly made to prevail upon the authorities of the State of South 

 Carolina to enjoin upon their Legislature to enact co-operative 

 laws that our people might secure a partial benefit from the fish 

 of streams running from this State into that. I regret to say 

 that not the first response has ever been made. The salmon 



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