Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1872-03-15
From the Frederick Citizen.
Protection and Propagation Of Fish.

Time was when all the rivers on the North
American continent abounded in various kinds
and species of fish, peculiar to different lati-
tudes. An hundred years ago the migratory
6shes-those peculiar to fresh water, as well
as those that, for the greater part ofthe year,
inhabit the ocean, but seek the shoal waters
and gravelly bottoms of the rivers to deposit
their spawn-had free access to the upper
sources of the fresh water courses. and ascen-
ded hundred of miles into the interior of all
the States, thus, at all times, furnishing the
inhabitants living far inland from the sea with
an abundance Of cheap and delicious food.
The march Of civilization and enterprise,
especially in manufacturing, requiring the
erection Of dams along the principal water
courses, have so interfered with the ascent of
all descriptions OF fish to their natural spawn
ing beds, in the upper waters Of these streams,
that. only those persons living near Underwater
and below these dams have for many years
past been able to procure fish food, except at
exos bitant ,prices-so high.
-by way of illustration we may say, that
twenty years ago the poor man in this city
could buy for twenty-five cents pair of shad,
which would make three plentiful meals for
moderate-s sized family; now pair Of such
shad will cost from seventy-five cents to one
dollar and twenty-five. But scientific inves-
tigators, in Europe and America, have dis
covered the art of artificial propagation of fish,
so that the numbers of and species almost,
may be ide6uitely-we had nearly said in
6nitely-multiplied, at comparatively trifl-
ing expense; and by the erection of what are
called "6sh ways" or ladders, over natural or
artificial distractions, which enable the fish
to ascend to their natural spawning beds, at
the proper season, our water courses may
again abound in fish for the millions, as they
did an hundred years ago.
All the States north of us have their Fish
Commissioners, who have been, and are in
vestigating the habits of the more excellent
and valuable of the fnny tribes and appro-
priations have been made for fish ways over
the highest factory dams, and laws have been
passed by various State legislatures for the
protection of fish, with view to the re-habil-
itation of the rivers with fish for the use Of the
people living far away from tide water.
Old Virginia, as well as West Virginia, has
legislated, of late years, for the improvement
OF their inland fisheries; and within the last
year or two numbers of the fine black bass,
which now inhabit the Potomac, and are be-
ginning to make their appearance in the
Monocacy, extending in its windings some
fifty miles through our beautiful valley-have
been procured from that stream and placed 10
the James, the Pc and other rivers of the old
Common wealth.
1t is a question which claims the attention
of the poorer classes of the communicated
which to very limited extent concerns the
wealthiest or aristocratic classes, as certain
demagogues would say when this subject is
discussed, in reference to our local wants-be-
cause the weather. members of the commu-
nifty can afford to pay for their lururies.
We shall hereafter take occasion to quote
important facts from the reports of the Fish
Commissioners If other States-one of which
that of the Commission of Pennsylvania,
is now before us, and for copy of which we
are indebted to our friend, the Hon. VIM. Nc
Sherry, of Littlestown, Pa, who is member
of the State Senate, and who, we perceive
from the Gettysburg Compiler, has introduced
a bill in the Legislature of that State "for the
protection of fish, 10 the streams in Adams
and York counties. ~.
We anticipate the day when the Legislature
of Maryland will be able to appreciate the
importance Of this question, and, Initiating
the example and protiting by the enterprise
and experience of other States, win pass the
necessary laws for an increase of fish food, not
only by, "the protection Of 6sh" from "unfair
and piratical, fishing" but, also, for the art-
fetal propagation Of the more valuable spe-
cies.