414 FISHES OP NORTH CABOLINA. 



small-mouth black bass, and spotted cat-fish for the mountainous regions, and 

 large mouth black bass, strawberry bass, and various sun-fishes for the lowland 

 waters. 



EARLY FISH-CULTURAL WORK. 



Prior to the inception of fish culture under state auspices the federal govern- 

 ment has conducted some interesting initial and experimental work in local 

 waters, and had employed therein several prominent fish culturists. Thus in 

 1873, under the direction of U. S. Fish Commissioner Baird, about 45,000 shad 

 were hatched at New Bern, and 100,000 striped bass at Weldon, and these were 

 planted in local waters. In 1875 shad hatching was attempted at New Bern 

 by Mr. J. W. Milner on behalf of the general government, but no noteworthy 

 results were obtained. 



In 1877 the state began fish-cultural operations on its own account, in com- 

 pliance with an act of the legislature requiring the board of agriculture " at once 

 to provide for stocking all available waters of the state with the most approved 

 breeds of fishes." In May of that year, Mr. Frank N. Clark, of Northville, 

 Michigan, was engaged through Professor Baird to superintend shad hatching 

 on the Neuse, and the work was conducted at several points above New Bern, 

 but with little success owing to unfavorable seasonal conditions. The most 

 important feature of these operations was the employment of a number of local 

 volunteer assistants who were desirous of learning the methods and principles 

 of fish culture; among these was Mr. S. G. Worth, who a few years later became 

 the first superintendent of fisheries. In the fall of the same year a trout and 

 salmon hatchery was constructed at Swannanoa Gap by Mr. W. F. Page, assisted 

 by Mr. Worth, who later enlarged and improved the hatchery; and the incuba- 

 tion of brook trout eggs and California salmon eggs was begun shortly thereafter. 



The shad hatching in 1878 was noteworthy because conducted jointly by 

 Mr. Milner representing the U. S. Fish Commission, Colonel Marshall McDonald 

 representing Virginia, Major T. B. Ferguson representing. Maryland, and Colonel 

 L. L. Polk, commissioner of agriculture for North Carolina. The site of the 

 operations was Salmon Creek at the head of Albemarle Sound, and the season 

 was the most successful up to that time, a number of million fry being pro- 

 duced. In 1879 a second hatchery was built by the state at Morganton, and 

 during the next three years salmon, trout, and carp were hatched and distrib- 

 uted, the station being abandoned in 1882. 



^■' Shad hatching was continued by the United States government in 1879 

 at the mouth of Chowan River, the steamer Lookout being employed in the 

 work. In 1880 the state constructed a shad hatchery at Avoca and utilized 

 the eggs furnished by the Capehart seine fisheries at Sutton Beach and Scotch 

 Hall, the operations proving quite successful. It was in 1881 tha.t the steamer 

 Fish-Hawk was first detailed for the same work, with headquarters at Avoca, 

 and from that time down to a comparatively recent date that vessel was engaged 

 in shad hatching in Albemarle Sound nearly every season. The state con- 



