AMERICAN AGRICULT 
FOR THE 
Farm, G-arden, and. Hcraseliold. 
"AKKICCLTDEE 18 THE MOST HEALTHFUL, MOST USEFUL, AND MOST NOBLE EMPLOYMENT OF MAN.'MV«„„„«. 
°^££S ™?Z«L ™-< I ESTABLISHED IN 1842. ' J "fiSiS™ 1 IN ADVANCE " 
Entered accordmg to Act of Congress m February, 1369, by OnAsas J CPD & Co., in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the U nited States for the Southern District of New-Tort ' 
VOLUME XXVIII.— No. 3. 
NEW YORK, MARCH, 1869. 
NEW SERIES— No. 266. 
I 
SHAD FISH 
rcOPYEIGIIT SECCT.ED.] 
I N G.— Drawn by Edwin Forbes, - 
•Engraved for the American Agriculturist 
Every farmer lias, or should have, an interest 
in a body of water adjoining or upon his farm, 
whether it be a pond, lake, or river. Fish cul- 
ture and protection are subjects which are just 
now attracting the attention not only of indi- 
viduals but of legislatures. We have long 
enough given to the sea, and now it is well to 
look for a return. Among the fishes of prime 
importance, wherever there is a stream connect- 
ing with the sea, is the shad. The shad is an 
ocean fish, which spawns in fresh water, and is 
caught in the rivers from March until July, in 
New England, or earlier in the southern waters. 
On account of dams and other obstructions 
which have been placed in our rivers, the abund- 
ance of this admirable fish yearly diminishes, 
and it is well that legal measures have been 
taken for its protection. Shad are caught in 
various ways. The fishermen along the coast 
capture large numbers in pound-nets and fykes. 
When they enter the rivers they are taken in 
different kinds of nets. One of the most com- 
mon of these is the gill-net, which has a length 
proportioned to the width of the river, and is usu- 
ally about sixteen feet deep, with meshes five and 
a half inches wide. The fish on their passage up 
stream are arrested by the net, and upon attempt- 
ing to back out are caught by the gills and held 
until the net is lifted. The net is held in place 
by long poles, as shown in the illustration; 
these are driven into the bed of the river, 
often, as is the [case on the Hudson, to the an- 
noyance of navigators. To fish in this way re- 
quires a large capital for boats, nets, pdles, and 
labor. It is estimated that at least $5,000,000 
are invested in this branch of industry. The artist 
has chosen low tide at night for his sketch. 
One disposed to be facetious might say that this 
most effectively showed shadows and shadders. 
