﻿J. 
  H. 
  S. 
  Hubbard. 
  

  

  1. 
  Have 
  been 
  engaged 
  in 
  fishing 
  and 
  dealing 
  in 
  iisli 
  for 
  

   about 
  twenty-five 
  years 
  

  

  2. 
  In 
  the 
  Great 
  Choptank 
  Kiver. 
  

  

  3. 
  Have 
  closely 
  observed 
  the 
  habits 
  of 
  fish 
  for 
  many 
  years. 
  

  

  4. 
  Shad 
  begin 
  to 
  spawn 
  about 
  the 
  25th 
  of 
  April 
  and 
  con- 
  

   tinue 
  until 
  the 
  1st 
  of 
  June. 
  They 
  are 
  rapidly 
  diminishing. 
  

  

  5. 
  I 
  keep 
  an 
  account 
  of 
  the 
  catch, 
  the 
  temperature 
  of 
  the 
  

   water 
  and 
  the 
  range 
  of 
  the 
  winds. 
  The 
  temperature 
  of 
  the 
  

   water 
  is 
  from 
  30° 
  to 
  50°. 
  The 
  best 
  catch 
  is 
  made 
  when 
  the 
  

   water 
  is 
  from 
  35° 
  to 
  45° 
  and 
  the 
  wind 
  south, 
  southwest, 
  west 
  

   and 
  northwest. 
  Fishing 
  is 
  poor 
  in 
  these 
  waters 
  when 
  wind 
  is 
  

   from 
  east 
  or 
  northeast. 
  

  

  6. 
  Shad 
  are 
  diminishing 
  at 
  the 
  rate 
  of 
  one-tenth 
  per 
  year. 
  

   We 
  attribute 
  the 
  decrease 
  to 
  the 
  very 
  effectual 
  blockade 
  of 
  

   the 
  lower 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  Choptank 
  River 
  by 
  weir 
  or 
  stake 
  nets, 
  

   which 
  destroy 
  many 
  fish 
  and 
  turn 
  many 
  back 
  that 
  would 
  come 
  

   up 
  but 
  for 
  these 
  obstructions. 
  

  

  7. 
  We 
  catch 
  shad, 
  herring, 
  rock, 
  perch, 
  pike 
  and 
  cat-fish, 
  of 
  

   which 
  three 
  tenths 
  are 
  shad, 
  one-tenth 
  herring, 
  and 
  six-tenths 
  

   rock, 
  &c. 
  The 
  white 
  cat-fish 
  is 
  a 
  valuable 
  fish 
  and 
  ought 
  to 
  

   be 
  propagated, 
  as 
  like 
  all 
  other 
  fish 
  in 
  our 
  waters 
  it 
  is 
  rapidly 
  

   diminishing. 
  

  

  8. 
  Have 
  kept 
  an 
  account 
  of 
  the 
  fish 
  sold 
  since 
  1873. 
  The 
  

   catch 
  has 
  diminished 
  one-tenth 
  per 
  year 
  up 
  to 
  the 
  spring 
  of 
  

   1879. 
  The 
  herring 
  are 
  almost 
  exterminated. 
  Of 
  the 
  number 
  

   caught 
  three-tenths 
  were 
  shad, 
  one-tenth 
  herring 
  and 
  six- 
  

   tenth 
  were 
  rock, 
  perch, 
  pike, 
  cat-fish 
  and 
  other 
  fish. 
  I 
  would 
  

   call 
  your 
  attention 
  to 
  the 
  importance 
  of 
  the 
  earliest 
  possible 
  

   preparation 
  for 
  the 
  propagation 
  of 
  herring. 
  Twenty 
  years 
  

   ago 
  the 
  Eastern 
  Shore 
  rivers 
  furnished 
  enough 
  of 
  this 
  fish 
  to 
  

   supply 
  all 
  that 
  section 
  of 
  country, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  Delaware, 
  with 
  

   salt 
  food-fish, 
  whereas 
  in 
  the 
  spring 
  of 
  1870 
  many 
  people 
  

   living 
  along 
  the 
  Choptank 
  could 
  not 
  get 
  a 
  fresh 
  iness. 
  The 
  

   people 
  of 
  the 
  Eastern 
  Shore 
  depend 
  much 
  on 
  a 
  supply 
  of 
  

   small 
  bone 
  bacon. 
  

  

  9. 
  I 
  have 
  closely 
  observed 
  rock-fish. 
  Have 
  obtained 
  ripe 
  

   female 
  rock 
  on 
  but 
  five 
  occasions. 
  

  

  