The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1868-05-06
Professor Agassiz ON Fish raising.

A meeting was held at the State House in
Boston few days ago under the auspices of
the Massachusetts Board of Commissioners
to consider the best me ans of restoring large
fish to the rivers from which they have been
excluded by dams. Col Theordore Lyman
of the New England Commission on River
Fisheries, exhibited a model of the Foster
flshway, which has been used successfully on
the Machias river, and has recently been in
troduced on the Merrimac. Winnepisogee,
Pemigewasset and Connecticut. He also ex-
hibited and explained model of an establish
ment for Matching fish invented by Seth
Green of Mumford, New York, and used
with great profit by the inventor and by Liv-
ingstone Stone of Charlsstown, New Hamp-
shire. Professor Agassiz then addressed the
audience for three-quarters of an hour. We
take the following abstract of his remarks
from "a Boston paper:
He claimed that the subject they were con-
sidering was one whose importance could not
be overrated. Raising artificial fish is no play
thing. 1t is matter of importance to the
coming generations and one which should oc-
cupy the attention of our statesmen. His
words, he said, might seem extravagant but
what is now advocated by the Fish Commits
sioners stands in the same relation as the first
attempts stood to domesticate bulls and raise
cattle. How could the population of this con-
tinent go on if we had had no artificial pro-
duction of food? Was it ever considered, he
asked, that the whole population Of this coun-
try, without exception, are daily fed by sub
stances, all of which are raised artifcially?
We live upon beef or fowl, and upon vegeta-
bles and fruit, no one kind Of which is indige-
nous to this continent. All were brought
here from the Old World, to be raised artii-
cially here, and more than that, all have died
out in their wild state. What is now proposed
by the Commissioners is to add one kind of
this supply of food for our benefit that man
may feed ON a greater variety. Here he said
he touched upon point which was equally
important. 1t is variety OF food taken in daily
to build up the human frame, to cultivate the
brain, to develop the faculties, which is ad-
vancing civilization. The more the variety of
food and the better adapted to these purposes,
the higher our civilization. Agriculture, as it
has grown up, is a profitable occupation, and
it should be considered to what extent fish
raising is also profitable as any branch of agri-
culture as profitable as cattle raising, as fruit
raising, as wheat raising. OF course, cultiva-
tors of fish must place themselves in the same
position as men who pursue agricultural occu-
pations. He was prepared to say that the
time will come when every man who has wa
ter ON his ground will raise fish for his own ta-
BILE as he now raises fruit. OF course, many
will be raised for the market, for as long as
men find it desirable to eat fish, so long will
fish raising be profitable. The business should
be encouraged now in every way, to the limit
to which legislative interference is desirable.
He desired too that the same efforts should
be made with reference to the sea fisheries.-
The ocean covers two-thirds of the globe, leav-
lug only third for purposes of cultivation.
Artificial cultivation of fish in the ocean
should be begun to the exclusion of the more
voracious and useful kinds. On land wolves
were once as numerous as deer, but they have
ceased to exist and the deer have become very
numerous, from the protection afforded to the
one and the chase given to the other. He had
spoken with a number of influential men in
this country upon this point. He had had
frequent conversations with the Superintend-
ent of the Coast Survey about it, and he had
told him that the necessary acts could be per-
formed by the Coast Survey, without any in
creased expense, if authority were only grant
ed him to employ his officers and men in the
matter. That matter should be taken in hand
by the General Government. He believes
that, if the Legislature of this State should
but apply officially to Congress, so that orders
would be given to the Coast Survey, the work
might be begun this summer HH
So much for the practical side of the ques-
ton, of the possibility of multiplying fish and
the extent to which it may be done, and now a
few words upon the sanitary side of the cues
ing fish food. If there is one thing of which
the American people have right to complain
it is of the uniformity of their diet. Men are
most healthy and more enduring in proportion
as they vary their diet and take proper time
to eat, to chew their food No creature in the
universe requires such variety of food as
man. The fish enters largely into the requi.
sites of the system, especially after intellectual
fati que. There is no other article of food thai
supplies the waste of the head SO thoroughly
as fish diet, and the evidence of it is in the fac
that all the inhabitants of the sea shores IN,
world over are the brighter population of tn,
country. Fish contain phosphorus to large
extent, chemical element which the brain re-
quires for growth and health. He would not say
that an exclusive use of fish would make a
blockhead wise man, but that the brain
should not be wanting in one of its essential
elements nv.
In conclusion Prof. Agassiz explained @ the
manner of the formation of the fish from 'he =
egg, and was greeted with loud applause as ne
took his seat.