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  taken 
  by 
  them, 
  overhauled. 
  The 
  experiences 
  of 
  the 
  spring 
  

   of 
  '76 
  convinced 
  me 
  that 
  a 
  much 
  larger 
  number 
  of 
  ripe 
  fish, 
  

   and 
  consequently 
  a 
  much 
  larger 
  number 
  of 
  eggs, 
  could 
  be 
  

   procured 
  in 
  this 
  manner. 
  I 
  therefore 
  communicated 
  with 
  

   the 
  Commissioners 
  of 
  Fisheries 
  for 
  Virginia, 
  and 
  proposed 
  

   that 
  they 
  should 
  join 
  with 
  me 
  in 
  the 
  work 
  on 
  the 
  Potomac 
  ; 
  

   t'.iis, 
  however, 
  they 
  declined 
  to 
  do, 
  from 
  want 
  of 
  funds. 
  

   The 
  appropriation 
  at 
  my 
  command 
  was 
  not 
  sufficient 
  ibr 
  me 
  

   to 
  equip 
  two 
  central 
  hatching 
  stations, 
  and 
  I 
  was, 
  therefore, 
  

   compelled 
  to 
  postpone 
  operations 
  on 
  the 
  Potomac. 
  I 
  deemed 
  

   it 
  more 
  advisable 
  to 
  concentrate 
  the 
  work 
  at 
  the 
  Head 
  of 
  the 
  

   Bay, 
  a 
  more 
  central 
  locality 
  ; 
  and 
  a 
  much 
  larger 
  number 
  of 
  

   citizens 
  of 
  the 
  State 
  would 
  be 
  benefited 
  by 
  the 
  return 
  

   of 
  the 
  fish 
  deposited 
  in 
  waters 
  over 
  which 
  the 
  State 
  

   had 
  entire 
  control, 
  and 
  on 
  which 
  bordered 
  all 
  the 
  tide-water 
  

   counties, 
  except 
  Prince 
  George, 
  Charles 
  and 
  Worcester. 
  

  

  The 
  interest 
  which 
  Prince 
  George. 
  Charles 
  and 
  St. 
  Mary's 
  

   counties 
  have 
  in 
  the 
  fish 
  of 
  the 
  Potomac 
  is 
  so 
  large, 
  and 
  

   the 
  yield 
  of 
  the 
  fisheries 
  of 
  this 
  river 
  is 
  so 
  important 
  to 
  the 
  

   State, 
  that 
  the 
  niost 
  strenuous 
  efibrts 
  should 
  be 
  made 
  to 
  re- 
  

   store 
  them. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  hoped 
  th;it 
  the 
  General 
  Assemblies 
  of 
  the 
  two 
  States 
  

   will 
  make 
  the 
  necessary 
  provisions 
  for 
  their 
  restoration 
  be- 
  

   fore 
  the 
  next 
  filling 
  season, 
  and 
  tliat 
  the 
  States 
  will 
  join 
  

   in 
  the 
  work 
  of 
  artificial 
  propagation 
  and 
  mutual 
  protection, 
  

   the 
  beneficial 
  results 
  of 
  which 
  will 
  be 
  shared 
  by 
  their 
  citi- 
  

   zens 
  in 
  common. 
  

  

  Several 
  hundred 
  thousand 
  of 
  young 
  Shad 
  were 
  transferred 
  

   by 
  rail 
  from 
  the 
  station 
  at 
  the 
  head 
  of 
  the 
  bay 
  and 
  deposited 
  

   in 
  the 
  Potomac, 
  an 
  will 
  be 
  seen 
  by 
  table 
  of 
  distribution. 
  

  

  Hereafter, 
  witli 
  the 
  success 
  which 
  must 
  follow 
  our 
  in- 
  

   creased 
  facilities 
  and 
  experiences, 
  very 
  much 
  larger 
  numbers 
  

   can 
  be 
  thus 
  transferred 
  from 
  the 
  bay 
  to 
  tliis 
  important 
  river, 
  

   e\^en 
  if 
  we 
  are 
  not 
  provided 
  with 
  means 
  to 
  bear 
  the 
  whole 
  

   expense 
  of 
  a 
  separate 
  station, 
  or 
  in 
  the 
  event 
  that 
  the 
  Vir- 
  

   ginia 
  Commissioners 
  do 
  not 
  co-operate 
  with 
  us. 
  

  

  