Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1870-03-19
PISCATORIAL.


PISCATORIAL.
MIR. Robert B. Roosevelt, delivered most
Interesting Lecture on Fish Culture, few
days since, before the Maryland Legislature
and large number of citizens.
Nj. Roosevelt said that the establishment of
MIR. Seth Greene, Of Rochester, New York,
produced ten thousand trout per day, and the
clear profits were ten thousand dollars year
more than twice the sum paid by the State of
Maryland to her Governor.
The yellow perch weighing three and half
ounces, spawns 9,o43 eggs the river smelt,
weighing two ounces, spawns 25, l4O eggs; the
fresh water smelt spawns 80, 600 eggs the shad
spawns not less than $4,000
The lecturer had much to say in praise of
the black bass. He is a hardy, vigorous fish,
that can hold his own with any Of the fnny
tribe he can defend himself even against the
pickerel, which, on account of it's blood-thirsty
terocity, is called the tiger" OF the waters.
In addition to his capacity to take care Of him
among all other fish, of watching his nest.
When the eggs have been deposited by the
female, the male stays about the spot, drives
of and sometimes eats up intruders, bravely
guards the eggs until they are hatched, and
possibly takes care OF the young until they are
able to take care Of themselves. This excellent
habit of coujugal and parental fidelity is great
ly to his own credit, and our profit.
Mr.. Roosevelt expressed some doubts as TO
the practicability Of the artificial production
of trout for the purpose OF stocking the streams
Their profitable production must be the work
OF individual enterprise.
About the practicabiIity OF stocking the
Maryland rivers with shad the speaker was
quite enthusiastic He related the experience
of MIR. Greene in discovering the method OF
propagating shad That gentleman naturally
supposed that the same conditions favorable to
the trout would be favorable to the shad. The
manner of manipulating the male and female
sbad is the same. MIR. Greene took the I'M
pregnated eggs and put them in troughs slml.
lar to those used in the production OF trout, but
the eggs being light, were all washed away.
He then tried many experiments with boxes 10
cess. The fishermen, who supposed him to be
an eccentric gentleman, possibly partially de
mented. took much delight iu emptylpg his
hoxes, by night thus destroying the labors and
exnectations of many hours OF study and ton.
M Greene was obliged to arm himself and lie
in the bushes on shore during the night to
auard his precious boxes. There ware still no
Satisfactory results. He, however, had learned
enough to know that the current had something
TO do with Matching the eggs tie made boxes
with sieve bottoms, which brought nm many
he took one of these boxes containing tue I'M
nreonated eggs of the shad and waded out into
the current with it. He turned the box 90
;ls edge. and when the water began 10 run
into it through the sieve bottom, ne notlceo
that the eggs were put into violent comno,
t;on and were whirled about in the water tn
thew assumed the appearance OF Whte mist
He fastened the box to buoy and went
back to the shore. night or TWO at
ter this, as he lay watching his hox' a
mschievous fisherman appeared dangerously
near 70 the box and walked directly toward It,
Mr. Green hailed him, but be paid no atsen-
ton. The courageous eXpermenter then ran
along the shore parallel with the course OF the
fisherman, and explained to him that be had
nistol, and that it might accidentally 60 on II
he molested his box The fisherman ran
awav. and the box and its precious contents
were saved. Next morning q friend visited
MIR, Greene and found him very despondent
He did not even care to 60 and look at the
hoy. The friend saw that one thing must be
lone. and that he did-prescrbe glass OF
MANDY and water This sufficiently revived MIR.
Grapnc's spirits to induce him to examine the
hov A hottie Of water from 1t was brought
IN shore. and when the patient and courage
one nbilosouher and his friend held the bottle
vu' - The light. to their infinite joy they found
,hat ;nnmerable little fish were floating IN the
water-the discovery was made. Mr. greene
tben made some other experiments. by when
he learned that as soon as the little hsh breaks
trom the egg it instinctlVeIy heads tor deep
wafer The enemies that destroy it are the
;osects and s'small fry that live near the shore
Nature has Taught it to steer tor the deep
swift it, current, where its small enemies cannot
S,rone # and where the large ones cannot see
!, Viewed in the light OF these experiments
II. o,';nn onr rivers with shad becomes very
s;mnle. The causes which have th'nned ou t,
sheir numbers are those which interfere p "ltl ";
ths development ofthe eggs into hsh. Az una
:. nec.ssary il to put the implegnateo egg
;nto ~ hoxes with one side full otholes, fastene' {.
'b ~ bnovs in the current Of the river. let tneo
.oo;n 10 oaU far fftv or sixty hours, and then tur
the infant brood into the water to earn 'ne't Irs om
iyipg. They 90 out to the sea ca ana 10 .nre oona
rears return full grown shad. The maies Sc eoll ~
bsct in two years, and are called oy inc ~
m;liar name Of bastard shad ri Ihe ieina.
latnrns an~r in three wears to spawn. The shad al
.o;ns its hest development at tour years
Mr. Roosevelt was of the opinion tnat sha m
u,maro mt returned to the river in which the
were propagated. In river IN ran;ao JesGaaS III II
exneriment had been made ~ rHppiins -; !"
dorsal fius of number Of shad ana 'nao"le
then, hack into the water. Next year sonit
them were caught and ident'hed oy tnls lna. =
FWIY PURE WHITE LEAD; also, Gel