Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1873-06-28
Lobster Farming.

newest attempt at bringing the production OF
animal food under mans control.
The attempt to cultivate HOLSTERS for the
market was begun about year ago, and
though no very great results have yet been OBJ
tanned the experiment presents every indication
Of ultimate success. 4 space Of some thirty
acres Of flats having been enclosed by an en-
I,aukmcnt. the proprietor of the place conceived
the plan OF hiring the use Of the enclosed water
for a lobster pond. The place was originally
IN arm Of the sea, and had deep channel in
the centre, so that sufficient depth OF water
was secured On building the dyke an archcd
way was made iu it, so that the tide could flow
cut and in at all times The opening being
small the tide only rises and tails about three
feet inside and eight feet or more outside. Ihls
keeps the inside water deep at ali times, and at
the same time prevents it from becoming foul.
During July and August, last summer,
10000 Holsters, Of every age and condition were
let loose in the pond. Many of them were in
the soft. shell states, and many were unsalablc
on account of /; lost claw, or other nutllatlon.
Food, in the shape Of refuse from the hsh mar
kct, was freely supplied them, and gate was
put up at the entrance to prevent their escape
into the sea- Nothing in particular happened
for several months and the cnterprlslng owner
arranged nets for eeis and other fish, which he
caught in the pond in large quantities during
the ial! and winter
"When the ice had covered the pond, holes
were cut aud lobster traps were put down.
GOOD, s!zcablc hard-shcll Holsters were at once
caught, and Two things were proved First, the
water was deep and pure enough to keep the
t!>h alive, and secondly, the fish were healthy,
:;,r,hcy bad taken their hardened shells in the
usual manner, and new claws had grown In
The place of those lost. In the spring, cells,
pcrch aud great many other kinds OF fish
were taken from the pond iu liberal quantities,
and now that the spawning scasoo Is well nd
yapccd, the farm has reached Its final and most
critical stage Some $4,000 good, marketable
Holsters have been taken out and sold. Every
one was male fish, as the female fish were ali
returned to the water for breeding purposes.
The spawn is now in its last stage, and in
lew weeks, if all goes we'll, some millions of
young Holsters will swarm in the pond. The
eggs are already so far advanced that the young
fry can be seen through the transparent shells,
aud only one thing will prevent them from
coming to maturity. The question is, can the
young Holsters defend themselves from the fish
in the pond? 1t is impossible to keep other
fish out, and the Holsters must take their
chances. Everything is favorable so far. The
lotion is Stony and gravelly. There are plenty
of hiding-p!accs, such as the young fish. seek to
hide in, and the water is always deep and fresh.
The proprietor is keen, tar-slghted man,
well educated, and thoroughly 10 love with his
business. lie has entire confidence IN the sue
cess of his venture and will make 1t succeed if
anybody can. From personal inspection OF
the lobster farm, we are inclined to think tho
project destined to prove a fuancal success.
The fish already sold are of excellent quality.
and have won good name iu the market.
The number of Holsters that can live 10 the
pond is practically countless. It one-cighth OF
the young fish live, a couple Of years will see
the place stocked with millions OF saelable lob
stcrs. The expense is small-the rent. the
TODD (which may be obtained for the asking
mud the labor of catching and preparing for
market being the whole Of it. The expert
Aent is very important. one. Ii it succeeds
it will Introduce an entirely new system OF lob
Ster fishing and do much TO prevent the des-
truction Of the natural supply. Nor is this all;
for the same pond can be made to yield perch
founders, cells, smelts, and other fish IN great
Quantities at no additional expense
TIE DIsCovERER OF AMERICA.-The Amer
lean Norwegiaus are determined to put Colum-
bus nose out of joint. They claim that one
Left Erickson, bold adyenturer from the coast
OF Norway discovered the present United
States in the year 1000, and with his compan-
ions resided in the State Of Massachusetts tor
several years. They do cot propose to allow
Christopher Columbus to enjoy the honor, OF
having been the first white man to land IN
America when it rightfuly belongs to Captain
Erickson aforesaid. Accordingly they are col
lccng money to build monument to their
c9uu,ryman at Madison, Wisconsin, and their
plan is to have it dedicated on the one hun
iredth anniversary of American independence,
III the presence OF Ole Bull Bjorson, the great
est OF Norwegian novelists, the Swedish Min
lister and all the Scandinavians they can get to-
gether. Ole Bull will fiddle some for the mon
umcnt fund, and the tathcrland, as we'll as the
new Norway in the great West, is expected to
contribute literally
Some curious facts have recently come to
IlSht concerning the early Norwegian dis.
r"vcrcs. Their presence in the neighborhood
oi Fall River, Taunton aud Newport, nearly
I'VE hundred years before Columbus landed
al Iat Island, in the Bahamas, is too well
established to be disputed They left behind
Vem such traces as the Old Stone Tower at
Newport. the Dighton Writing Rock and a.
IhGle'oii Hi IN armor, which was dug up at Garnet
,a E.n. lew years ago. Then, again, the old
historic manuscripts of Iceland and Norway
,,a'a 1ns"n ACCOUNTS of these voyages and of the
lhahd Which the rovcrs discovered
.' "nu pcoplgd All these facts have been known
; ,Gt years tut new thing out about the early
i ',st> 10 'hiS contlnentiS is that Christopher Co.
Wnp N1inpuS laH not onl ly Il full knowledge of the
,,'"cslan discoveries before he started on his
''nouS trip III the Santa Maria, but actually
.'SscSSed rude map of Finland, which had
' %vsn handed down from Left and his compan-
""S Il Is known that Columbus made voy-
aye TO Iceland in February l477, fifteen years
"v.ore he worried the Spanish Court into fitting
o'! an American expedition for him, and it is
r'"e probable that he learned there all about
nG s:i ne" world In the West. Thus those ter
i ,i'lG lconoclasts, the modern historians tear
n'n "y !3;urclS from the brow of the Genoese and
Pun iiim down to the level of a common sea
@r'ain. ra 1t does not appear even that he be
sIn si a new era Of discovery, for the records
SNOW that the Norwegian continued to make