The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-06-16
Tho Culture of Fish.


i, has become to be nearly equal in dignity
to the most exalted. The French Govern
ment in 1862 derived revenue OF Sa.o"''-
600 from IRE sh-water fisheries. THAT ia'S ("
revenue flowing into the public c'hrrs III
dicates that those fisheries must nave DC
come great source Of support IL w"
Of pleasure and profit 10 the people -"
France, This has been accomplished u!
tbc svs,en of n>h culture, which france
has cherished and maintained WIFI oo'"
wisdom and hbcrality. Her RIVERS WHICH
had been dcpnpulatcd OF fish, are no"
nlentifrlN supplied with them, ana Ier
peoplc everywhere profit 10y ms h''e''a'
and healthy source Of subsistence. "A
writer of great experience in tlsh culture
s,vS Of its benefits that "watcrs hitherto
worse than useless may be made nun
"drcd fold as profitable as any equai num-
Der of acres of land, and with not a tlthe
"ot the labor required upon the land.
The subject is one OF such magnitude
that it Is not easily comprehended fuliy
without a good deal OF reflection. rake
our Virginia waters. They are as perfectly
distributed through the State rs the veins
which feed it through the human body. II
we imagine those waters we'll stocked WIN
fish. we ut once see how they would leeG
and nouri,h the community just rs the
veins and other vessels do the body. They
all contain fish at present; but these are so
scarce that that sort Of food is not furnished
in sufficient quantity except IN udal
s1reamsl to entille it to be considered As
\ part of the subsistence of the people.
Even the supply in tidal streams in the
fishing season Of spring is greatly dlmln-
iShed by two causes: list. The many dams
in the rivers, which cut off the fish from
their spawning and Matching grounds high
up in the bright and clear running waters
of the mountains and ID, the destructive
seines Of modern invention, which allow
few fish to pass them. The very old inhab-
itant> remember when the Shad, rock, and
herring were freely caught i'll the mountain
streams, and when there was no ditlculty
in catching q fry Of fish at any time any
where almost in the state. But the DAM
ming of the rivers and the hunting of fish
with every apparatus ingenuity could in
vent, while nothing whatever has been done
for their culture and protection, have so
swept them from all the streams that
throughout the country that the taking OF
fish is comparatively abandoned, and the re-
wards of angling are so poor as seldom TO
tempt the farmer to steal day from his
cares to enjoy it.
Now, when we know that instead of this
no
delicious and healthy food, and that means
of diversion and enjoyment once extensive
NAV be restored TO Us, and when we know
that this may be done with economy OF
means and with very little labor, we should
not hesitate q moment. There is no sub
iect of taxation which would bring to the
taxpayers more quick and acceptable re-
turn than that incurred to establish COM
plete system of fish culture. 1t will make
the waters richer than the matchmaking
the streams that pass through the farm
er's possessions worth more than his land
yielding greatly more for subsistence than
the same surface of land, however well he
may till it.
Several Of the northern States, as our
readers know, have gone largely into the
business. The operations upon the Con-
necticut river in the culture Of Shad and
salmon have been more extensive than any
where else for those species of fish. The
results have been astonishing. rs we have
before stated. The abundance Of shad in
the Connecticut j. as great rs it ever was,
according to the recollection Of the old
people and the chronicles of days long past.
Still the Connecticut is damned. and the
process of Matching and breeding is I'M
paired thereby. The States Of Connecticut
and Massachusetts are combining to COM
pel the owners Of dams to establish fish
ladders or sluiceS, to enable shad to ascend
to the tributaries, and to descend again to
the tide.
New York is endeavoring to stock the
Hudson under the active management OF
Mr.. ETH GREEN, and measures have been
taken in that and several States to increase
in the lakes and rivers the stock of fresh
water fishes which do not run to the sea.
The black bass and the trout seem to be
the flvoritcS, and these will flourish in our
waters the black bass in the waters from
the head Of tide to their tributaries in the
mountains, and the trout in these tributa-
ries. With equal facility the different fam
lilies of perch and the club may be multi
piled in all our ponds and streams.
In the northern States not only are the
governments embarked in this great mat
ter of public concern, but individuals in
large numbers have entered upon the cult
walton Of fish as matter ofboth profit and
pleasure. Trout ponds are multiplying
everywhere, and the systems of culture are
steadily improving. 1t has been reduced
to so practical a process that the fish cult
yator counts upon his crop Of fish just Is
the stock raiser does upon his stock Of hogs,
cattle, and sheep. The fish are fed, and
become so docilc AS to obey signal and re-
pair to their feeding-9round and almost
take the food from the hand oftheir owner.
There can hardly be more beautiful and
agreeable occupation while it has been
found to pay better than other resource OF
the far mer and country gentleman.
We trust that the people and public men
of this State will give to this important
matter the consideration it deserves. Nlr-
giniu has been slow to take up the SUBJECT,
and has done only enough to show that she
has done nothing. We hope that by an
other year the people and their represen-
tatiyes will be ready to take decided step
both to stock the Virginia waters and com