Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1870-04-15

The artificial propagation O.: fish is subject
that bas occupied public attention TO consider
able extent for several years. The restocking
Of our exhausted waters with 10 ,rltary dsL,-
such as simon. .hsI. >.-. is deserving and hs-
received some attention from the legislatures Of
this and severrl other states. II we reooilect
Alright our own legislature. at the last session.
appropriated $1,000 TO be expended by our COM
mi--ioners in aid Of that purpose and Prof. A.
D. Hagar. member Of that commission. has
at his fish establishment at Chester, a consider
bic stock Of Young -aimau which be proposes,
at the proper time 10 sat free iu the tribut4ries
OF the Connecticut river That Is practicable
by this process so 90 very much toward securing
a very largely increased supply Of this kind Of
fish. and that TO, in a comparatively inexpeus-
siye manner, his been fully demonstrated in
many instances But II Is not Of this branch
of the subject Of fish culture that We propose 70
write, at this time, bat Of the more artificial
system Of breeding in private ponds or reseT-
yoirs
The ancient Romans, according to ColumeIa
and others, did something ia this line, but their
labors we're principally confined to the construc-
ton Of artificial ponds in which certain species
were enclosed aud fed 70 increase theirsize and
fatuess. siplply sort of stall feeding operation,
and in which they bred in the natural way
without any special interference from their
keepers.
The Chinese, too, set up their usual claim to
having known and prseticel this arr from time
immemorial, bus we do not learn that their
claim Is vel authenticated
jacob. a German naturalist, and a very
close observer of the ietincts and natural
habits Of animals. ab-ut a century ago G763)
rr5mu gated the doctrine that the propagation
Of f,hes could he carried on hy artificial means;
tia, the egg Of fishes were impreguatei and
ferul7,l b7 the absorption of the male sperm
through their outer cost.ngs; aud that, by
pressing the female VIXEN her oya were at a ma
tcre stage, they could be received into vessels Of
water, and by miug,iug with this water the
=. nilt " Of the male, obtained in the same man
ner. the eggs became impregnsted; ana if then
placed in situations similar TO those in which
the parent FISH would place them, they would
hatch; and thus, by following out the require
meuts Of the species when in a state Of freedom
they could be raised in any numbers with ease.
The transportation Of the impreEnated oya to
any desired distance w8s also found to be en-
,irely rracricable This was very interesting
ard important discovery. few establish
tscats Tor Gsb-breedinz IN this manner were at
that time gotten up, but it would seen more for
the demonstration Of tie fac, that such thing
could be done, or for the gratdcation Of curl
o.ity. than for any practical beued, or profit; as
the system did not come into very general use
and was. before many years, liscondnued-the
flets only remaining on record As among the
known laws Of natural history.
About the year 1850 two fishermen, NH
Cehim and Remy Of Bresse, in the department
Of Vosres IN France. reiiscorerei the same facts
They are believed to have been ignorant of the
previous discoveries, but being practical fisher
men, they obtained by long and careful obserya-
ton. knowledge of the same facts and laws
which hal already been discovered, and they
forthwith put them in practice. for the purpose
Of MASKING them profitable in their business.
They succeeded 50 well that the art began to at
tract the attention Of others who had more leis-
ure and capital to carry out subsequent diseov-
cries, and fish breeding has become a regular
and systematic business in many sections Of
Europe, and as firmly established on regular
has Of philosophical facts and pecuniary CAPT.
tai as any other. For tins latter condition Of
the art the world is much indebted to Prof
Coste, who, learning what NM. Gehim and
Rarny had done and were doing, visited them
and for a time became their pupil in the art,
NJ. Coste was Professor Of Embryoeenie in tn,
College of France, and having become satisfied
Of the probability Of the business az demon