322 



THE FARMER'S REGISTER. 



abounds with English grasses. When this supply 

 fails, let the deficiency be made up by green corn- 

 stalks. Farmers will do well to plant some corn 

 exira, for ihis purpose. 



The present winter, I have boiled roots for my 

 cows, such as turnips and sugar beeis, to which 1 

 aiid a little Indian lueal. This Ibod, when properly 

 prepared and seasoned with salt, is well received 

 by the cows, and improves the flavor, and increas- 

 es the quantity of their milk. J. H. 



FISHERY LAWS OP PENNSYLVANIA AND 

 THEIR EFFECTS. 



[The law of fishing rights is the same in V^ir- 

 ginia as in Pennsylvania, and the Ibllowmg state- 

 ment is nearly as applicable to the former as to the 

 latter Slate. —Ed. F. R.] 



From tlie Public Ledger. 



Messrs. Editors— My attention was attracted 

 by an abstract ol' the laws regulating fisheries in 

 the Delaware, published in your paper of the lOih 

 instant, and 1 have been much astonished that 

 public attention has not been called to this sub- 

 ject long belbre now. 1 well recollect when the 

 average price ol shad was not more than eight 

 dollars per hundred ; whereas, lor several years , 



last past, it has not been less than twenty; auJH"^''^o"^ ''""""^"'' Houe^dale, m il 

 on inquiry into the cause of this rise,! find* a | were floaiing a rait down the .Dela 

 to be a general opinion that the vast extent to '" ' ' ~ ' 



which the giUing system is carried on, has pro- 

 duced it. There are said to be a thousand or 

 fifteen hundred drill nets or gillmg semes in 

 operation within the concurrent jurisdiction of this 

 state and the state of New Jersey. These beino- 

 spread in all directions in the river, ii is almost 

 impossible lor a shad to pass up without cominc 

 in contact with some of them, and the same fish 

 may probably be entangled a score of times or 

 more in its progress ; and being thus impeded, 

 mutilated, and injured, would insiinctively seek 

 some other stream at the next spawninir season, 

 or perhaps deposiie its ova in the salt water, where 

 it must perish. Hence the scarcity of shad in 

 our river, and the consequent high prices. Such 

 was the case in Connecticut river, until laws were 

 enacted by that state ibr the suppression ol oijl 

 nets, and duly enlbrced, since which the shad 

 have gradually returned, and are now as plenty 

 as betbre. It is quite evident that a large portion 

 of the shad that strike the gill nets strufTcTJe 

 through and extricate themselves; and, indeed, 

 ihis must be the case, or iiiw if any would reach 

 the upper Delaware ; whereas the shore nets or 

 sweeping seines take all they enclose, and re- 

 maining so short a time as ihey do in a fishins 

 poaitlon, they give time and space Ibr the passage 

 of the shad ; but the gilling nets, remaining many 

 hours together in the water, form a complete bar- 

 rier, except by a passage through them. The 

 law, however, permits gill-net fishing under certain 

 regulations, which, if observed, would necessarily 

 60 lap restrict their number as to render them 

 comparatively harmless; and as shore nets are 

 restricted and regulated by law, and, I believe, 

 universally kept within legal requirements, it is 

 truly astonishing that gill-net fishing should be 

 uaresirictedly tolerated, subversive, as it appears 



to be, of the interests of the community, in driv- 

 ing the shad from our waters, as well as ruinous 

 to the holders ol shore fisheries, many of whom 

 have invested their hard earnings in this species 

 of properly, on liiith of the protection afibrded by 

 the laws ; and as large a tax is laid on this as on 

 property ol any other kind, while the gill nets pay 

 none whatever. ' 



It has been suggested that the laws regulating 

 fisheries are uiicuiisiilulional. ll so, let them be 

 repealed ; but while in lorce the owners of fish- 

 eries arc eniitlea to all their benefits, and trans- 

 gressors subject to all their penaliies, precisely as 

 in any other case whatever. High legal autho- 

 rity,* however, has declared them constitutional, 

 and ilsound policy had noi dictated them, it is not 

 likely they would have been enacted oy the unit- 

 ed wisduin of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. 

 I have been credibly iiilormed, liowever, that 

 the reason why ttie owners of those fisherres 

 have noi, erilorced the laws agauirft the drill- nei 

 men is, ihal they are in lear ol some private-, in- 

 jury liom them, should tiiey do it. The owners 

 ol fisheries gener-ally reside on or near 'he banks 

 ol tlie river, and the gill nets being Irequently in 

 operation all night, and the men generally ol the 

 vilest character, they lear lo enlorce the laws 

 against them, lest their buildings should be set on 

 fire during their slumbers, and themselves and 

 lamilies p.rish in the flames, It is said that two 



ihis slate, who 

 ware, in April 

 last, came beioie a justice of the f>eace and made 

 oaili that they heard a number of drilt-net men 

 prolanely swear they v.ould lake vengeance on 

 ihe man who would execute the laws against 

 them, and il ihey could not accomplish itoiher- 

 wise, they would burn his buildings ; which 

 affidavit is now on file in the oliice of the magis- 

 trate. And 1 also learn Irom undoubted authority, 

 that a constable, while in the performance of his 

 duty and the execution of his office, a lew days 

 ago, was knocked down by some of these gill-net 

 men, while attempting to arrest them, and shame- 

 fully beaii^n and abused, as were also several 

 oihers who were wiih him, and but for the timely 

 aid of a number of shore fishermen, who rushed 

 to his assistance, would probably have received 

 still greater injuries, the drilt-net men being armed 

 with guns, clubs and stones. This, indeed, ex- 

 hibits a sadly depraved state of things — an awiul 

 delinquency of morals, and a rapid snide towards 

 jacobinism ; and certainly calls lor the vigilant in- 

 terference of (he civil power. When peaceable, 

 quiet and respectable citizens are absolutely 

 afraid to protect their property, assert their rights, 

 or support the majesty of the law, lest the ven- 

 geance of bandits and outlaws should be wreaked 

 upon them, the state of society is truly deplorable. 

 Better live among savages than in a land proless- 

 edly civilized, where law, order and government 

 are trampled in the dust. A Citizen. 



TO MAKE NAMES GROW IN FRUIT. . 



From the Cliarleston Transcript. 



When peaches and nectarines are about half 

 ripe, cover the side exposed to the sun with strips 



Judge Baldwin. 



