Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1866-10-31

resto ration of sea fish to the Connecticut river
varieties of fresh-water fish, and the protection
Of fish generally in the waters of this State,
and to make report to this session of the Gen
eral Assembly. The Governor, in pursuance
OF this re solution. appointed Hon. Albert d.
Hager, of CAvendish, and Hon. Charles Bar
rett, of Grafton. These gentlemen, every
way competent for the business thus confded
to them, have given the subject a very careful
examination; and have made to this session
OF the Legislature an elaborate report VIII ch
is nov before us.
This report is conclusive upon the point Of
the entire practcabity OF making the Con-
necticut River abound in both shad and sanl-
on. To accomplish this result, at least,
so far as shad are concerned, little would
be necessary but the building of fshways to
enable these fish to go above the va
rious falls upon the river. Shad are now
abundant far up the Connecticut the
am at Holyoke, and they are not found high
er up the river because there are no tishways
- help them over the dams or falls, If these
fshways we're erected, and young shad, the
spawn, were placed above them, thers is no
doubt these fan would soon abound above Hol-
yoke, as they now do below.
As to salmon, the commissioners express the
confident belief that a Il that is needed breed
them in any of our rivers, is these tshways,
which will give them the ch OF returning
from the sea whence they go every winter.
The spawn of the salmon be procured
without difficulty, and placed in sny OF our
streams under such circ unstances as VIII Sc
the production OF young salmon. But
this fish is migratory, going to the Sea every
autumn, and returning, as has been proved
by repeated experiments in Engand and Scot
land, the next summer to the very beds where
they were hatched the previous year. They
cannot do this, however, without hshsays 10
enable them to pass all the falls or dams upon
the streams, and therefore these fshways must
be preliminary 10 any successful experiment
IN breeding salmon in the waters OF III
State.
As regards the practicabiiity Of largely III
creasrg the supply OF trout, bass, handbook CD
salmon, and other varieties of the tinny tr be
in the ponds and streams OF the Stale, tie
eommissio ners express not the least doubt, and
they devote considerable space in their report
to a particular description of the methods and
conditions of the artificial propagation Of fish.
They clos their valuable report with these
.uggestlons:
In order TO have the enterprise OF hsn cul-
ture a successful one, whether in private ponds
or 10 pubic stream, legislative aid WI! b. re-
quired. Stringent Avs should be enacted and
enforced, embracing the following eondi-
| tons
Frst, An absolute prob ,Oiiion to t4Ae sAlm-
on, shad or trout in any of the rivers or psId4
of the Sta.e for the space Of tive years tsom
the time such fish are placed in the streams
| under the penalty OF fifty dollars for every
tsh caught, and hiriy days lmpr.sOnmt n ia
county jail, the fine 10 90 to the iatoImsr.
Second, The prohibltion, under tue saus
penalties forertr OF taxing any OF tie h-a
| named turing the months from October 10
March Inclusive; or within forty RODS Of any
tshway over winch any hsh may pass a. any
season OF the year.
Third, The prohibitions under the he PEN
altles, Of using any gliI-nets, stake wears or
other devices for taxing hsh that shall extend
| more than third the distance across ,ns
| stresm.
Fourth, That fshwsys be construc ed and
malntained over all dams more than three feet
hIgh in streams suitable tor sbaC, salmon or
trout. With these conditions complied witt =,
and the concurrent legislation and act
me part Of New Hampshire, Massachusetts
aud Connecticut, we are OF opinion sn,t sue
| cess will attend the enterprise au1 new source
| viii be opened from whence these luXures can
be obtained IL such abundance that they vii
form An important article OF subss encs for
the people OF the State.
We are glad TO that bill has already
cen presented to the Legislature, whose OBJ
ject is to incorporate into legislative scion
these sugges tions of the commissioners. In
view Of III well-knowa fact, that artificial fish
culture has filed many of the streams Of En-
| gland and Scotland with the best kinds of tist
we think it we'll worth the while OF this State
to make serious effort to multiply in our
brooks and rivers and ponds the better varie
| ties Of fish, which are already, soon Will be
| unknown to the waters of the Stale.