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  channel 
  between 
  Roanoke 
  island 
  and 
  the 
  main 
  land, 
  whicli 
  

   is 
  about 
  2|- 
  miles 
  across, 
  with 
  an 
  average 
  depth 
  of 
  about 
  

   nine 
  feet. 
  During 
  the 
  spring 
  months, 
  the 
  period 
  of 
  the 
  run 
  

   of 
  Shad, 
  Herring 
  and 
  Rock 
  in 
  seeking 
  their 
  spawning 
  beds, 
  

   the 
  Albemarle 
  sound 
  is 
  entirely 
  fresh, 
  and 
  offers 
  to 
  them 
  

   the 
  most 
  suitable 
  localities 
  for 
  spawning. 
  

  

  It 
  will 
  be 
  seen 
  by 
  reference 
  to 
  the 
  accompanying 
  map, 
  

   that 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  large 
  seines 
  which 
  yield 
  even 
  in 
  the 
  depleted 
  

   condition 
  of 
  the 
  fisheries 
  500,000 
  Shad 
  and 
  45,000,000 
  Her- 
  

   ring, 
  and 
  300,000 
  lbs. 
  of 
  Rock 
  (Boccus 
  Uneatus), 
  are 
  located 
  

   within 
  16 
  miles 
  of 
  the 
  mouth 
  of 
  the 
  Chowan 
  river. 
  

  

  I 
  have 
  pointed 
  out 
  to 
  Prof. 
  Spencer 
  F. 
  Baird, 
  U. 
  S. 
  Com- 
  

   missioner 
  of 
  Fisheries, 
  the 
  great 
  advantages 
  oflfered 
  by 
  this 
  

   locality 
  for 
  procuring 
  young 
  Shad 
  for 
  distribution 
  through- 
  

   out 
  the 
  United 
  States 
  ; 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  now 
  proposed 
  that 
  a 
  joint 
  

   work 
  should 
  be 
  conducted 
  by 
  the 
  U. 
  S. 
  Commissioner, 
  and 
  

   the 
  Commissioners 
  of 
  North 
  Carolina, 
  Virginia 
  and 
  Mary- 
  

   land, 
  at 
  this 
  point. 
  

  

  Should 
  our 
  arrangements 
  be 
  perfected, 
  I 
  am 
  confident 
  

   that 
  immense 
  numbers 
  of 
  Shad 
  can 
  be 
  procured 
  for 
  deposit 
  

   in 
  the 
  streams 
  of 
  Maryland, 
  before 
  the 
  hatching 
  operations 
  

   can 
  commence 
  within 
  our 
  own 
  limits. 
  They 
  can 
  be 
  trans- 
  

   ported 
  with 
  little 
  cost 
  by 
  means 
  of 
  the 
  steamer 
  " 
  Lookout," 
  

   through 
  the 
  Albemnrle 
  and 
  Chesapeake 
  canal 
  and 
  the 
  lower 
  

   bay 
  to 
  Grisfield 
  ; 
  tlience 
  by 
  rail 
  to 
  the 
  rivers 
  of 
  the 
  Eastern 
  

   Shore. 
  By 
  thoroughly 
  stocking 
  these 
  rivers 
  with 
  this 
  earlier 
  

   supply 
  of 
  young 
  fish, 
  it 
  would 
  leave 
  the 
  results 
  of 
  our 
  oper- 
  

   ations 
  later 
  in 
  the 
  season, 
  for 
  deposit 
  in 
  the 
  Potomac, 
  in 
  the 
  

   Susquehanna, 
  in 
  the 
  Gunpowder, 
  in 
  the 
  Patuxent, 
  and 
  in 
  

   the 
  other 
  rivers 
  of 
  the 
  north-western 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  State. 
  

  

  As 
  the 
  Albemarle 
  sound 
  has 
  long 
  been 
  celebrated 
  for 
  the 
  

   immense 
  number 
  and 
  size 
  of 
  its 
  Rock 
  fish, 
  I 
  hope 
  and 
  be- 
  

   lieve 
  that 
  we 
  will 
  there 
  be 
  able 
  to 
  find 
  ripe 
  Rock. 
  I 
  have 
  

   anxiously 
  searched 
  for 
  spawning 
  Rock 
  during 
  the 
  four 
  years 
  

   that 
  T 
  have 
  conducted 
  the 
  Shad 
  culture 
  in 
  Maryland. 
  

  

  