The New York herald., 1870-09-10
FISH BREEDING IN CENTRAL PARK.

The following communication has been dressed
10 the commissioners OF tine central Park proposing
the establishment OF shbreeding operations In the
waters which add 30 much TO the picturesque beauty
OF that place. We anticipate favorable response TO
the proposition, the advantages both In pleasure
and benefit to the public In scheme are undeniab.e.
The work should however. be begun Immediately II
we are to have the results this fall There could be
roughs for breeding the fish, aquaria for keeping
them when small, and artificial ponds where the
more delicate species could be raised, while the
coarser varieties might be turned loose in the ord-
nary lakes. Thus new feature OF interest would be
added to the Central Park
Hon. PETER B. SwEENY, PRESIDENT OF THE De-
rARTnENr OF PUBLIC PARKS IN THE CITY OF NEW
DEAR sIR:-On behalf of the Fishery Commission
ers Of the State Of New York l desire TO communI-
cate with your Board on matter In which you
he OF very great assistance them I'm the perforH-
ance or their duties, while you viii the same time
crafty the public, add much to the beauties and at
charge. the Central Park aud help IN the develop
ment OF an important national source OF wealth.
The Central Park contains within It's limits two
large lakes several small poncS, number or springs
and streams, together with an almost unlimited
supply OF water nom the Croton aqueduci and other
Hitherto these ponds and lakes have been valueless
Tor the instruction or benefit OF the citizens except
by The beauty they lend TO the landscape and their
use as skating ponds during the few cold days Of
winter wnen they are frozen over. The purpose Of
tlle FISH Is TO utilize these waters,
them productive, II possible and through them In
terest the public In that new, practical and valuable
science nsh cnlturc; TO convert them at once into
scnoos OF instruction as wen as sources OF much ad
profit.
desire TO suggest to you the propriety OF estab.
nshing aquaria and nsh-breeding troughs and works
IN connection with the ponds and springs In the
Park Not having examined the waters critically
an operation which win come in more regular
order after Your approval OF the general scheme,
cannon state positively 10 what extent FISH culture
or1i
nary purposes nothing more Is required tran what
the Park offers. The breeding Of front, salmon,
salmon trout, whiieisn, and similar varieties.
would be mainly matter OF public amusement, aud
TO ainlliarlze the people with process which Is
cal, and which is appreciated ana comprehended by
but very few. Ihe operation, however, could not
lail 70 be exceedingly interesting more than
most features OF a geological garden; for by SIM
PIE arrangement the process could be made visible
az Us @ S eye sae ne n ae ying a Of the egg
here fecundated and the young thus produced
could II they should become superabundat, be dis
tributed throughout the State 70 those anxious TO
stock depopulated waters, as Is done in the large
French nationai establishment at lIuningue.
III the ponds where the water Is still and grows
warm IN summer. and which are consequently not
adapted to trout, perch. black bass and other
c0arser species OF fish could be raised in an abun-
dance that would doubtless fully stock them, so as
! to make them III several ways more attractive than
at present. Through their use some important ich
thy ooglcai questions could he settled and the at
tempt OF importing foreign fish made. Accimariza
ton as applied TO FISH culture is Yet almost ulicX
i lie -.
/ vegetables, trees and domestic animals from ali
parts OF the world, and nnd great profit in SO doing
| Some o. our most valuable cereals have come from
the EaSt sorghum Is one OF the latest additions to
our vegetable wealth, ana many OF our most beauti-
! 1ul MOWERS have been obtained from Japan and
China within q few years. The crossing OF our
horses and cattle with foreign breeds has been found
TO improve them greatly, and The leading European
strains are as wen known here as there; wnile the
Improvement Of plants under change or climate aud
dOmestication has been In certain cases remarkable
| by analogy OF reasoning there seems no impedl-
ment 10 our having In the rivers ana lakes OF
America the best varieties OF hsh that exist any
where throughout the world. Certain Kinds OF orea-
lures seem to attain fuller development In CERTAIN
districts, but having attalne II they keep teir dts
rnguishtn attributes under all circumstances after
ward. The trout oil Maine often grow TO weight OF
ten or twelve pounds, whereas those OF most or our
OF Europe is famous epicuIean luxury, whereas
our carp s scarcely worth eating, both from del-
cheney In Size ana favor no place Is admirably
adapted TO settling questions such as raised by
| these suggestions, AZ would be proper hsh-breed
| Ing establishment In the Central Park, while 1,
would, ut the same time crafty the public curiosity
at mere trifng expense.
the subject follow It up In detail but merely pre-
sent the most prominent point. that, as q matter
Increased attractfveness In connection with tn,
geological garden, which Is being slowly formed i
would be well worth trial. As one OF the Commits
eioners OF Fisheries, ana living IN the city or New
YORK, VIII be happy 10 give the establishment and
/ Us operations personal supervision, far as yOul
Board snail think desirable, and shall be most
happy to lend all the ance in my power Yours
! very respectfully, ROBERT Il. ROOSEVELT
Commissioner Of Fisheries OF the State Of New York