The Republican journal., 1873-03-20
Stocking our Rivers With Salmon.

1t is well known that not great many
years ago the rivers of New England and
the tributaries of Lake Champlain and
Lake Ontario abounded with salmon, dur
ing the proper season Of the year. to such
an extent that apprentices, paupers in
warehouses;, and others objected to being
fed with them more than three times a
week From the St. Croix to the Con-
necticut, inclusive, on the seaboard, the
numbers of salmon We're very great, and
they were but little less common in the
lakes Just mentioned. At the present time
the ease is very different, the only United
States waters where salmon occur bein o
few streams in Maine. The cause OF
their partial determination are to be found
in the erection of impossible dams, which
cut them off from access to their spawn
ing beds; in the discharge of sawdust
| into the streams, by which their eggs,
when laid, are covered up; in indiscrimi-
nate capture at improper times sc.
Similar experience abroad rs TO the
reduction in numbers of this valuable fish
| and the desire to restore it to its original
abundance, especially in view Of its
commercial and economical value led to
/ experiments for its restoration, and with
snch success rs greatly to stimulate effort
throughout Europe. More recently the
subject has attracted attention in this
country, and for some Years past the Fish
| Commissioners OF all the New England
| States have been earnest IN their endpAvors
| to renew the supply. Their first efforts
We're directed to the gathering of eggs in
the rivers of New Brunswick, aud were
not very successful. They then applied
| to the authorities at the Canadian Salmon
| Breeding Establishment at Newcastle,
not far from Toronto, and succeeded in
| procuring a few thousand, at a cost $40
per thousand in gold, price which pre-
vented their securing a large supply, OF
one sufficient to make satisfactory ex-
pertinent As may be readily imagined,
the young salmon when hatched and
| placed in the water are liable 10 be de
voured by their fellow inhabitants, and it
is only after these have taken their toll that
Il surplus can be counted on. For this
reason, the larger the number introduced
at one time, the better the chance Of sue
cess
| Limited as above mentioned in iheil
efforts to obtain a sufficient supply of eggs
| tor their purposes the State Commits
sioners and the leading psciculturists of
| the country, at an annual meeting of a
| society established by them, determined
to ask Congress for aid in accomplishing
their object. Their appeal was met by
an appropriation during the session OF
| 1S7172. the disbursal of which was placed
in charge of Professor Spencer T. Baird
| of the Smithsonian Institution, and at the
time United States Commissioner Of Fish
and Fisheries. After consultation with
| gentlemen interested and realizing the
Importance of leaving no effort untred to
| accomplish the object, the Commissioners
determined upon three methods looking
toward this end, excluding at the same
time any idea of dependence upon the
Canadian Government with its exorbitant
charges. The first method was found in
plan devised by Mr.. Charles g. Atkins,
formerly Fish Commissioner OF Maine,
and practiced by him with much success
in 1871. This consisted in securing the
living fish (principallv by purchase at the
weirs and ponds) from the period of their
| first entrance into the Penobscot River,
in spring, and transferring them to a fresh
water pond near Bucksport, Me, until
| their spawning season should arrive.
About 600 fish OF both sexes We're thus
| StCultt, tiltt tllt cOSS Sllpptt IL oIll lHt
| females when ripe (abOut the end OF Dc
tober) and fertilized by the milt of the
male, the total yield being about a million
this experiment was borne by the United
States, and the other half by the States of
Maine, Massachusetts. Connecticut and
Rhode Island. 1t has been distinguished
success, and will, we hope, be repeated
| lor caIln I,rio,r ,bD
son. The next source of supply sug-
gested was the Sacramento River, the
salmon of which, though of different
species from that Of the Atlantic waters,
is equally good, and has the advantage
of thriving in much warmer water, and
thus of being fitted for Introduction into
such States as Pennsylvania Maryland.
Virginia, and possibly the Mississippi
Valley 70 turn this opportunity to prac-
teal account, Mr.. Livingston Stone, Il
well-known piscicuturist, was sent to the
Sacramento River, and erected a hatchng-
house on the McCloud river, one of the
tributaries NIseh by the information
furnished as to the spawning season OF
this fish, Mr.. Stone arrived on the ground
a little too late for the full realization OF
his purposes, and succeeded in obtaining
only few eggs These were sent East,
and hatched out al the establishment of
DR.. Slack, ut Bloomsbury, New Jersey,
where, to the number OF 5000, they are
now awaiting the period OF their transfer
to the Susquchanna River their ultimate
destination. They prove to he very hardy,
and there will be no difficulty in greatly
increasing the number another season.
These two efforts not promising Il sut-
ficiency, Prof Baird directed his efforts
toward obtaining It supply from Germany,
and. on application to the Deutsche Fis-
cherei Verein, was informed thai the Ger
man Government would give orders to the
Director of the National Establishment at
Hiiningen on the Rhine to reserve ut the
proper season $50, 900 eggs as Il present
to the United States 70 supplement this
generous act, and to make sure OF an
ample supply, an additional 100000 was
ordered from Mr.. Schuster, Burgom-
meister of Freibnr@, at the low rate of g
per l,O00-a considerable difference from
the Canadian $40. These eggs were
duly packed up by the middle Of January
last, and delivered to Mr.. Rudolf Iessel
an experienced sh-breeder of Of'enburg,
Baden, who sailed with them on board
the Bremen steamer WcSer which left
for New York on the 18th, arriving on
Tuesday, the 4th OF February. BY the
courtesy of the officers OF the ship, who
rendered every facility in their power, the
boxes containing the eggs were placed in
u small honsc on deck, where they could
be really attended to by Mr.. Hessel They
filled GO boxes, occupying about seven
tons of measurement. The unprecedented
ly warm weather which prevailed in Ger
many during the last Of 1872, and prior to
the sailing of the Wcstr, was very I'M
favorable to the success Of the experiment.
as it hurried forward the Matching of the
eggs. and rendered them much more del
icatc than usual. 1t was, therefore, not
surprising to fad, on unpacking them,
that a considerable number of the eggs
had spoiled, though it is hoped that the
majority will be saved. As soon as the
vessel arrived, the eggs We're transhpped
to the fish Matching establishment OF DIR.
Slack, where they are now undergoing
the necessary treatment. Whatever be
their fate the experience of the past season
will, it is hoped, make further effort
DISTINGUISHED success The Commissioner