Fish, Fishing and Fisheries of Pennsylvania. 15 



were cang:lit nig-lit and day in the early spring." At the Webb and Boon 

 fisheries the hauls were immense. Indeed, so many shad were taken at 

 the last named place that it is said a market could not be found for 

 nearly all of them, and that they were actually hauled to Boon's farm 

 where they were used as manure to enrich the ground. 



The annual catch at Hunlock's fishery is stated to have been more 

 than ten thousand. At the Dutch fishery, in one nig-ht, thirty eight 

 hundred shad were taken, while at the Fish Island fishery it is related on 

 unimpeachable testimony, that nearly as many shad were taken once at 

 a single haul as were taken at Hunlock's in a whole year. 



Just before the dam was put in, a Mr. Jenkins recollects having seen 

 a haul at Monocacy Island of twenty-eight hundred; at Scovel's Island 

 the catch was from twenty to sixty a night; at Falling Spring, fifty to 

 three hundred a night ; at Taylor's Island, from two hundred to four 

 hundred a night ; at Wyalusing the annual catch was between two and 

 and three thousand, and at Standing Stone between three and four 

 thousand. Major Fassett says that at the Sterling Island fishery " over 

 two thousand were caught in one day in five hauls." 



From the foregoing, it is deduced that the fisheries down the river 

 were much more valuable than those above. Above Monocacy no 

 catches were heard of that were over two thousand, while below that point 

 they were larger, and while from three to four hundred dollars seemed 

 to be the general value above, the fishery at Hunlok's, twelve miles be- 

 low, was worth from a thousand to twelve hundred dollars per annum. 

 As the river was ascended the shad appear to have decreased in num- 

 bers but increased in size. 



The opinion seems to be general that the great size obtained by the 

 Susquehanna shad was due to the long run up the fresh-water stream 

 (carrying the idea of the survival of the fittest); that they were 

 of great size, is beyond doubt, nearly every one who recollects them in- 

 sists on putting their weight at almost double that of the average Dela- 

 ware shad of to-day. 



Mr Van Kirk gives as the weight of the shad caught at the fisheries 

 in Northumberland and Montour counties as from three to nine pounds. 



Mr. Fowler says he has assisted in catching thousands weighing eight 

 and nine pounds at the fisheries in Columbia county. Mr. Harvey 

 speaking of the Luzerne county shad, says: " Some used to weigh eight 

 or nine pounds, and I saw one weighed on a wager which turned the 

 scales at thirteen pounds." Major Fasset, speaking of those caught in 

 Wyoming county, says: "The average weight was eight pounds, the 

 largest twelve pounds." Dr. Horton says of the shad caught in Brad- 

 ford county, that he has seen them weighing nine pounds ; ordinarily 

 the weight was from four to seven pounds. 



The price of the shad varied, according to their size, from id. to 25 

 cents, depending, of course, upon their scarcity or abundance. At 



