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SUMMARY. 



Of all the large economical interests protected by the State, that of 

 the fisheries industry is least appreciated, because less is known of it 

 and its extent. Illinois is one of the best watered states in the 

 Union, and its waters the most productive of them all. T.iat the 

 water is or can be made more productive than the land has been 

 demonstrated. The shad industry in the east, running down to 

 almost nothing in output, through the efforts of the U. S. Fish Com- 

 mission in propagating and planting, was brought up to a point 

 where it now represents a commercial value of millions of dollars. 



The Illinois River at one time was a great producer of buffalo, a 

 fish that was easily taken during the early months of spring, particu- 

 larly during the rolling or spawning season. Farmers with gigs or 

 pitch-forks caught them, and they were shipped by tons to St. Louis 

 and other markets. Soft an-l unfit for food but they could be taken 

 easily and in quantities. 



They were sold by the commission merchants and the net proceeds 

 remitted, frequently the shipper was asked to send money to pay 

 charges, and one-half to three-fourths cents a iDOund was a fair aver- 

 age return on a good market. The result of this drain at this season 

 of the year, was almost the total extinction of the buffalo. 



The German Carp were introduced into the waters of this State 

 by the Commission to overcome, if possible, the deficiency, and the 

 result has been an increased supply yearly of a fish better than the 

 buffalo, for shipping purposes, and much hardier and more prolific. 



Aided by the efforts of the Legislature in giving us protective 

 laws, the buffalo are again in good supply, and the output from the 

 Illinois River alone, will aggregate nearly a half million dollars, 

 yearly, and 90 per cent of these are the coarser fish, about 58 per 

 cent being carp and 2(5 per cent buffalo. These fish brought an 

 average price of nearly three cents a pound at shipping point. 

 Each succeeding year shows an increase not only in the output but 

 in the investment in the business as well. 



The rescued fish from the overflows that are used for distribution 

 into inland waters reijresent in a few years an enormous amount of 

 food. We can not say just how much, but we do know that under 

 favorable conditions every bass or croppie so planted means two or 

 three pounds of food for somebody at the third year at latest. 



The rescued fish that are taken from these overflows, and placed in 

 nearest deep water, are numbered by the hundreds of thousands and 

 comprise both coarse and fine fish and go a great way in swelling the 

 volume of food produce each year when protected by the size limit 

 of our law, keeping up the supply now yearly increasing. 



This work requires the expenditure of money, and such fippliances 

 provided as are needed, of the best, to enable your Commissioners to 

 get the full benefit of their work. 



