The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1872-07-18
Progress of Fish Culture.

organized efforts for stocking the public
waters with artifcially-hatched fish have
been adopted in nearly all of the States.
In consequence of the interest which has
been excited on this subject, Congress
has also taken the matter in hand, and
appointed Prof Baird, of the Smithso-
nian Institution, q commissioner to ex-
anime into the condition of the national
fisheries and the cause of their diminu-
tion in yield.
Prof. Baird's researches have devel-
oped some extraordinary facts. He spent
the most of last summer on the Massa-
| chusetts coast, where he ascertained that
| fishing stations which in 1860 produced
| thousands of fish now furnish hundreds
| only or at that ratio, giving diminu-
ton of quite nine-tenths, and often
| more. The depreciation has been gen
eral, except with blue-fsh, which are
now as abundant as ever they were.
This remarkable decrease of fish is as
cribcd by many to the use of the pound
net. Of these there are only sixty along
the entire coast of New England yet
they secure nearly all the fish that are
taken, and control the supply of the
market, in consequence of which the
hook and line fishermen and the fyke-
men have almost been driven out of the
| business.
Four men will manage pound net
with IA leader a mile long, and the catch
OF single period of six hours has fire.
quently been as large as one thousand
blue-fsh, or an equal quantity of other
varieties.
Such mode of destruction, carried on
the year through, in season and out of
season, would naturally account for q
great decrease in fish; but the theory
that it is the sole cause of destruction is
damaged by the fact that the blue-fsh,
which are so plontifully caught in these
contrivances, are as abundant as ever.
Prof. Baird, while he denounces the use
of the pound net, furnishes u more ra-
tional explanation of the whole matter.
To the increase of the blue-tsh he as
cribes the destruction of the smaller fish.
The oil factories have used up the
menhaden to an extent which has made
them scarce. The menhaden are the
natural food of the blue-fsh, and this
supply failing the latter were driven to
feeding on the killies, porgies, young
weakfish, striped bass, and young shad.
|
edied remains to be seen. The matter
is one Uf Importance, as fish contribute
largel y to the support of Il large and in
dustrious class of our population who
inhabit the sea shore.
In regard to restocking our lakes and
rivers with fish it has been demonstrated
that it can be done without difficulty
and at comparatively trifling expense.
The yield of shad in the Connecticut III
1871 was far greater than it had been
for many years, many millions of shad
fry having been placed in the river three
years previous by Mr.. Seth Green, under
) the auspices of the New England Com
missioners. II takes three years for
shad to attain their growth. Our own
Commissioners of Fisheries, Mcssrs. Ho-
ratio Seymour, Geo. G. Cooper, and r.
B. Roosevelt, havo labored enthusiastic
| ally for the advancement of scientific
fish culture, and their report of their op-
: erations for the year 1871 affords evi-
dence that their efforts have not been
unrewarded. Their operations on the
: Hudson river for the purpose of incroas,
ing the supply of shad have been moro
successful than heretofore, and the op.
2 position to their work from fishermen
l has generally ceased.
l, The progress made III fish culture il
the New England States has convinced
the most incredulous that unless activ,
b. measures are pursued to keep pace will
$ our Eastern neighbors our fishermen
will be driven out of the market an(
their occupation ruined. Last year owe
100000 shad eggs were Matched an(
T the fry turned loose i'll the river; and i
q is hoped that in Il few years the tisherie
+. will be 50 improved that 5O0,O00,000 o
y fry will be artificially Matched, when tn
!; yield will defy diminution by all the en-
gines of destruction that the wit of MAJ
can devise. But to effect so desirable
e result the enforcement of laws whicl
t will give the breeders chance to reacl
: the upper waters where they can hatcl
e their young, is indispensable.
c The State Matching house establishc,
e at Caledonia for the purpose of breedin,
4 the better kinds of fish for distribution
g through the waters of the State ha
y been greatly enlarged, and the Commits
C sioners pride themselves on having tn
: cheapest and largest fish breeding estab
y lishment in the world, one which
e capable of supplying all the public wa
o ters in the State with the salmon tribe
y of fish. Millions of the spawn of tn
e salmon trout We're taken there from tn
e great lakes to be distributed through th
a State, or to be developed and then dis
d tributed. In future the Commissioner
g propose to pay more attention to tn
cultivation of the salmon trout and les
IS to that of whitefish than heretofore, to
: the reason that the whitefish have to b
II taken with a net, while the salmon tror
d are handsome game fish, and will bit
} readily at the hook.
Q, No means have been discovered
II Matching black bass, but substantial
= the same end is attained by anothC
ct mnthod. Every year large numbers (
N vIrn'i' hinds of bass and other fresl
re water i,h pass into the Erie Canal fro
Is Lake Erie. These fish vary i'll size fro
TO four inches to fifteen in length, and mG
ID be caught in immense numbers whe
r the water is drawn off in the fall.
id this way the Commissioners have reachC
an inexhaustible supply, which is di
at tributed wherever there is a demand Fl
st any of these fish. 1t is not believed tn
ID there are any streams in this Sta
ce adapted to the culture of the true So
lg mon (SalmO Salar), and the Commissio
ie ers are convinced that any attempts
es introduce this fish in our waters won
n prove futile.-N J.. sun.
he
,,e' Petrifying Human Bodies.