Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1865-03-24
River FISHERIES in New England.

/ tcntlon tnan n has hitherto received. Man
rivers, which but a generation or two ag
furnished annually large quantities Of pala
table and wholesome food Tor the people
now fail to give any quantity worthy Of no
tice. The question, whether this failure i
unavoidable. OF whether it has been occa
stoned by causes which need not exist -
which can be removed and whether If re
moved the rivers graduallycan be replenishec
with fish, i a very important one. We Sc,
that Just now 1t is under consideration rs
the Massachusetts Legislature and from a
/ report Of hearing before joint special
committee upon the resolves OF the Legisla-
ture Of New Hampshire last week, which
W, ind n the Boston Journal, We take the
f following interesting cxrac's
Iui,g h. A Bellows Of New Hampshire, wto
4rFr1rrl rs the agent OF that State. state! that
immense quantities of shlI and s..mon were
formerly taken by citizens of New Hampshire
from -ae Connect -u', and til, fishing va, then
30 very v-.ufHle aui important interest there
Tire salmon went 20 The upper waters o.. the & ou-
ue-ficut. and were found in MI IT, trbu'ariy-
hu; had ceased 90 pass up since about the year
800. on account of the construction of dams -
Shai and salmon also Went up the Merrimac in
very great abundance until the construction ot
the dam At Lawrence in 1916.
There was no reason why Massachusetts, should
deprive the citizens of New Hampshire OF yalu-
able Interests because she chancel Co have the
outlets Of her rivers. The general proposition
was the sane a, between nations-thaf one state
must exercise rs right Of domsn s. mot ro
interp0se any unnecessary obstacle 90 the enjoy
meut Of the rights and privileges of any other
people. The same rule applied a between inii-
yidual.
Ia re-arl 90 the Merrimac river, the N1ssl-
chusetts Legislature required of the Essex Com
pauy A. Lawrence that they should provide sri
marurain suitable hshways IN their dam. which
should be acceptable To che County Commission
crs They constructed "a rsbway Of n9 value
wlstever for the purpose intended, but ou ar-
count Of she little knowledge upon this subject.
Il vas accepted IN lsfs. the Company applied
far leave 90 increase rs capital stock, ami t1-
Legislature -eizel the opportunity 90 require 90
them that they should settle with al the owners
of fshways above the dam, but they vent Ua
further tian Lowell The introduction Of 6-1
would bring p greater variety of fo0i within
reach 0fthe people and "a larger population could
be- supported The speaker argued thai '56 pole
icy o. Massachusetts-neyer intended to bc
sbaudoned-vas 10 keen ouen these rivers for
tie passage Of Ssh, sni the import,uae of keep
ing them oper had been repeatedly declared II
II hsd been abandoned IL had been iore inai-
vertently, and she might interfere with this
dam in the exercise of the right Of eminent Do
msiu.
Prof agas-iz. who hsi been requested 10
inform the Committee upon this subject, stated
that he hai paid great attention 10 the subject
Of fish which had heen a prominen. study of
his lite, and he WAS familiar with their habits
a. far g. they we're known. To begin With the
nature Of the fsh-the great desiderat1m fcr
their multiplication sud growth wss that they
should be- placed IN conditions genial 10 their
nature We had seen fishes diminish in nun
Der and finally vanish from places where they
were al one time very common. The Obstacles
have been chiefly manufacturing establishments
which have thrown into the river deleter0us
substances, acids, dye-stufs and 81 -0rts Of mix
tures, but still more by the building of saw
mills There i nothing SO injuricu, 20 the life
Of trout especially. and salmon g. the dust re-
suiting from saw mills which, when soaked
with water, no longer toats At the surface, but
AZ every depth. and destroys the ish by Its ef-
iscts. They die very fast from this cause. and
can no longer multiply with success.
Observation shows II 20 be a fact that hshes,
instead OF laying their eggs in places they gen
ersillv haunt. at the time Of propagation seek
other places where 10 perform that act. and
then leave their eggs to take care Of themselves
wme they return 20 their natural haunts In con-
sequence Of this natural instinct, which no hu-
man power can control. these hshe- will seek
those places even # they are not fivorsble 10
their condition ~ they may have been before.
Much les precau;ion Is required to restore lsh-
j. 10 those places which they hsve abandoned, 8.
the mechanical obstacles 10 their ascent arr re-
moved. or it a way l. provided by which they
may overcome those obstacles.
Prof Agassiz supported hi, opinion by his oh-
servations in France The eastern part Of France
is traversei by brooks emprying into the Rhine,
which were IN former times ilei with tout.
which we're greatly celebrated even IN ancient
umes by Latin puets and others. These brooks
became dep0pulated until hardly trout could
be found, and on a visit Of the Professor 20
family in that Beighborhood an apology wss
made ior the absence Of the traditional t-0ut
from the dinner table The fsh are H. plenty
today A. IN ancient times, having been restored
to those waters. and manufactures there are ~
prosperous AS ever. The Professor remarked that
he believed We could do as much Freuchmen
have done bv following their example. This
result has been obtained by two humble indryid-
uals. Of whom one was fisherman. There has
never been any complaint on the part OF the
manufacturers. and science mas been benefited
by the experiment.
Prof Agsssiz continued that in in 1910 he be
gan experiments IL the artificial propagation II
fsb. and he believed he was the hrst person in
this country who mad done 1t. He did it for the
sake Of study He raised them In his wash basin
in his be,l-Ioom, where he raised trout, white
fish snds number Of les valuable fish without
taking much care.
The manner Of constructing a trough was IL
lustrstei: and the ststement made that the hsh
ia passing over dams did not 90 N the main
current, but at some distance from the shore.
They found places where the current wss least
and the fewest Instructions were 20 be overcome.
The cost Of a suitable trough sufficient for a
fall Of not more than 10 or 10 feet, would be,
rerbsps. $50. II the fsh-Wsy is 80 steep thst
t5e current viii be very iifhcult 20 overcome,
cross-bars should b. arranged on the sides 70
check the speed Of the water and to allow op-
por7unitv for the 6sh running W the stream n
rest themselves. BY this means fish might pass
mn IN. steeres, falls There Is no difficulty in
restoring 6sh by these ways at a nominal cost.
In 1859 he visited a friend on the northwest
coast Of Ireland VINO hsd such hsh-ways as he
bsd iescrlbed The fall Was about 20 feet hish,
and he stood there half an bour aud saws salmon
rush up in such rapid succession that two men
with hand nett threw them out Of the trough ia
great quantities. sbme them weighing % anu
so rounds. He had seen salmon repeatedly
resting on these ways and starting the moment
,hsv were disturbed. Tie Professor said that
hsbsa,s were formidable ouly to toOse who knew
nothin. about them. The difficulties in ascend
ing rivers can be easily overcome Only lew
hundred dollars for building wooden steps were
needed They mast be made 50 that they would,
If carried sway. be like the !Oss Of met TO fish