254= 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[JlILY r 
Kg. 1.— ADULT SHAD— X NATURAL SIZE.— DRAWN FROM LITE 
Shad and Ale-wives. 
These fish appear simultaneously in spring 
and early summer along our coast, and are the 
object of very extensive fisheries. The capital 
employed in the Delaware River and Bay, New 
York Bay and the adjoining Newark and Rari- 
tan Bays, in the Hudson and Connecticut Rivers, 
aside from that invested in Rhode Island, Mas- 
Fig. 3.— YOUNG SHAD IN AUGUST. 
saehusetts and New Hampshire, is estimated to 
amount to no,t less than $5,000,000. 
The Shad (Alausa prmstoibilis) is at present 
our most important river fish, for, though great 
numbers are taken in salt water, they are seek- 
ing the mouths of the rivers, which they enter 
and ascend as far as they can, or until they find, 
far above tide-water, in the smaller streams, 
suitable breeding places. When they enter the 
rivers they are very fat, and the females full of 
spawn. After laying then- eggs, which is chief- 
ly 'accomplished during the month of June, 
they return towards, tfte coast, emaciated and 
and more distinctly for several hours. In stale 
fish a striped appearance is noted. The size of the 
shad renders it unlikely for any one at all fa- 
miliar with it to mistake an adult one, its con- 
geners being all smaller. Shad vary considera- 
bly in size, weight, and appearance, so that 
those of different rivers are easily recognized by 
the fishermen and market men. The common 
size is 20 to 22 inches in length, and about 6 
inches in depth. The weight varies from 3 to 7 
pounds. Those of the Connecticut are broader 
backed than others, somewhat slimy, and, being 
heavier also, are regarded as superior to any 
others seeking the New York market. 
The two smaller cuts represent the young 
shad ; fig. 2, the fry during the month of Au- 
gust; fig. 3, one ready to seek the sea. Our 
knowledge of this interesting fish, after it leaves 
our rivers, and before it returns, heavy with 
roe, is very limited. It is even uncertain how 
long a time is required for it to attain maturity, 
and it is believed by some that the shad spawns 
but once, rarely, if ever, returning a second time 
to our rivers. It is doubtful also whether these 
fish eat anything after leaving salt water, as the 
stomachs are found empty, or containing only 
food which they obtained in salt water — though 
said to rise for gay flies in fresh. The rapid 
decrease of shad within the past few years has 
finally aroused the attention of the legislators 
Tie;. 3.— shad seeking 
weak, falling an easy prey to carniverous fish, 
and being entirely unfit for the table. " Thin 
as a June shad" has passed into a proverb, al- 
though the shad that are late in ascending, (and 
many enter the rivers as late as July,) are among 
the fattest and best of the season. 
The fine engraving at the head of this article 
was drawn from a large female shad taken in 
New York Bay, and is a very accurate repre- 
sentation of the fish. The color is dark-bluish 
or brownish-black on the head and neck, the 
sides fighter and growing silvery along the 
belly. The irregular row of spots along the 
side, back of the large dusky spot behind the 
opercule, are very indistinct when the fish is 
just taken, but plainly visible when the scales 
are removed, and show through theiseales more 
THE SEA, IN SEPTEMBEB. 
of New England, and though repeated previous 
enactments have been made to foster and regu- 
late the Shad and Ale-wife fishery, it would 
seem that they have been to a considerable ex- 
tent inoperative, and it is to be hoped that more 
stringent laws, well carried out, will make 
these fish as abundant as formerly. The great 
necessity seems to be proper fish-stairs over 
dams, and we present in this number an article 
on them, The subject is quite as important to 
farmers as to any other class of our people, (ex- 
cept, perhaps, fishermen,) and should be pressed 
upon the consideration of their representatives. 
The Ale-wife {Alausa tyranus) receives its 
curious name from the custom, prevalent in 
Europe, of old women peddling smoked herring 
from ale house to ale house, the herring taking 
the name, aud the customers taking " ale wives" 
with their mugs of beer or ale. They are 
caught wi|ji the shad, resemble them considera- 
bly, but are smaller, being only about 8 or 10 
inches long, and more brilliant and silvery. 
Raising Seedling Strawberries. 
BY SETH BOYDEST, NEWARK, N. J. 
[The writer of the following is a well known 
raiser of seedling strawberries ; the Agricultur- 
ist, Boyden's Mammoth, and others, are the 
results. He says that he is about " retiring from 
the field," and gives the manner in which he 
produced such remarkable seedlings. — Eds.] 
The strawberry plant is progressive, and with 
care and perseverance, will become a variety 
of fruit of much greater value than at present. 
The strawberry plant grows in almost every 
soil, but best in a moist, compact one. Much 
light stable or other manures put into the soil 
is an injury ; plants set in such soil will make 
but few roots, and those that come in con- 
tact with the manure will soon turn black, 
while a plant set in compact soil will be vigor- 
ous, and have ten times the amount of roots. If 
the soil is in a low state of cultivation, it may be 
brought up by bone dust, liquid manure from 
the barn yard, poudrette, or well rotted manure, 
free from straw, well mixed in, and the soil finely 
pulverized and again pressed with a light roller. 
The young plants should be set as soon as 
they have roots enough to sustain them. After 
the ground has become firm, they may be heavi- 
ly top-dressed with coarse manure (though 
some varieties will not bear as much as others,) 
lightly applied near the plant, and profusely 
watered, (do not put the water on the plant, 
but on the manure a foot from it.) 
There are two classes of strawberry plants, 
the perfect and imperfect flowered. The imper- 
fect flower has no stamens, and requires the 
presence of a staminate blossom to complete 
its operations. The perfect flower has all 
the parts necessary for perfecting seed. 
In selecting plants for producing improved 
varieties, take one or two varieties of the per- 
fect flowered class, and also two or three of the 
imperfect flowered ones ; these are to produce 
the seeds by crossing with the perfect flowers. 
Set them fifteen inches apart, top-dress and 
water freely. At the commencement of freezing 
weather, protect them with straw, leaves or tan. 
It is desirable to gain a week or two in ripen- 
ing the berries by putting a cold bed frame and 
sash over the plants in March. When the 
berries are ripe, select the best from the imper- 
fect flowered plants. These are more eccentric 
aud more liable to produce extra varieties. 
