Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-02-01

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! The following letter from Professor snrpcer
#. Baird, United States commissioner OF nsh
and fisheries, has been, addressed to Hon. ). A.
iGar6eld, chairman of the House Committee on
appropriations: 80
Fish Culturists, and OF State Fish Commission
ers, held In Albany, in February, 1872, it was
determined to make application TO Congress for
distance IN stoeti.g the greater r,yer and
on the ground that, whatever the several States
might be willing TO do for themselves respect-
lively, they we're not ready 70 enter upon any
TALLY, or perhaps exclusively, 10 the eitisens Of
other states.
Ttwss also believed that nueh roma med to be
done In the way Of introducing the best variety
Of foreign fish, such might DC especially suit
able for certain waters, to which our domestic
species are not 50 well adapted, thus acting on
cultural bepartmen Mt takes me asures to nrocnre
new and desirable kinds of foreign seeds and
plants, and disseminates them throughout the
ont the wishes Of the association, and Congress
finally made An appropriation of SIS, 600 for this
purpose, the disbursal of which was placed in
my charge as commissioner of fish and fisheries.
As the American Fish Culturists Association
had been so closely connected with the measures
for obtaining the desired appropriation, felt il
my duty to ask their advice As to the initiatory
request special meeting was held at Boston, In
the beginning of june, at which the question
was brought up as to the species of fish that
should first be taken into consideration, and the
measures most suitable for securing their null
tiplication. 1t was advised that shad. salmon,
and white fish be the first attended to- and
after very full and free interchange Of views,
ceeded to Eastport, Me-, which served as nav
headquarters until October both for the inquiry
into the decrease of the food fishes of the ited
States, and the question Of their multiplication
n mt aoSla uvt,l IN,
June, and was not available until the LIST of
July, and there was consequently very little
time Tor doing much during the year in respect
to the introduction of shad. was SO fortunate
however, as to engage the services Of Mr.. Seth
Green. of Rochester, and Mr.. VIM. Cliff, of
Mystic Bridge, Conn, both experienced fish Gull
commissioners of New York. Obtained q large roe
number Of young shad from the state establish
ment near Albany, (sOme hundred thousand
and, carving them west, placed portion Of
and another portion in the Upper Mississippi, at
st. Paul. A much larger number would have
been used, but for the fact that the season on
possible to authorize Mr.. Green to undertake
the work. The season for Matching shad in the
Connecticut river being rather later than in the
supply through the kindness of the Connecticut
commissioners, and accordingly proceeded with
several millions to the west OF these portion
were planted in the Allegheny river, and an
lie
lis, with view Of determining the PRACTICABLE
ity OF transporting young shad over long dis
tances in midsummer, "a problem already ex-
young fish from the Hudson to the Sacramento.3
Mr.. Cliff started for the Rocky Mountains with
the remainder Of his fry, and, notwithstanding
the intense heat, succeeded in reaching Denver
with several thousand of living fish, which he
placed i'm the head waters of the Platte We
have much reason to anticipate success in the
experiment of stocking the. Mississippi river
with shad, since we know that the Alabama
river has been stocked by the efforts of DIR.
Daniel. by carrying impregnated eggs from Sa-
vannah across to its head waters. and there are
instances which are detailed fully in my report,
Of their occurring in considerable numbers at
the hot springs Of the Ouachita; at Neosha
Falls, Kansas; at the fall Of the Ohio, at Louis
vile, and in the Wabash river. There is little
or nothing to interfere with the anticipation
that with proper efforts, shad may swarm in the
waters of the Mississippi Valley, including all
the tributaries of the Gulf i'm the course of five
or o.; SIX years, in numbers corresponding to those
in the Potomac, Delaware, and other Atlantic
coast streams generally. The experience of the
State Of Connecticut in this respect Is a case In
point The supply Of shad in the Connecticut
as compared with its former usual abundance,
owing to the reckless method of fishing. few
years ago the commissioner of fisheries of Con-
necticut undertook the business of Matching
ont the shad, and has been turning out young
fish year by year in increasing numbers, until
the aggregate in 1871 amounted to about 30, O0O,-
UW, ana IN 1917 10 VI ,OO The Oeneht or this
action was satisfactorily exhibited in the spring
OF 1872. Immense schools Of shad were met at
sea, pound for the Connecticut river, and the
number of fine, marketable fish actually taken
IN its vicinity was 80 great that they became
drug In the market, scarcely worth more than
five or ten cents each. This condition of things
was, OF course, not very satisfactory to the fish
efmen nor the marketmen, who preferred larger
profits with less trouble, but the boon to the
people and consumers, generally, cannot be
over-estimated. desire to commence opera
~
during the year 1873, by impregnating the spawn
and Matching out the young in all the Atlantic
rivers, beginning, perhaps, with the St Johns,
to rtSer
until the work can be closed on the Connecticut
river. The young fish can be taken from the
coast by the lateral lines of railroad to different
points In the west, and introduced in hundreds
of localities and it IL hoped that many millions
Of young fish may thus be started on their way,
TO become the progenitors Of an ultimate supply
IN the waters Of the entire Mississippi Valley.
II authority be granted, similar efforts with re-
gard to shad will be made on the great lakes, in
continuation Of the labOrs of the commissioners
thousands Of young fish have been planted in
the tributaries Of Lake Champlain and Lake
Ontario. The practicability Of having shad in
cess to the sea, is yet to be proved; but an au-
curry Of success is drawn from the fact that, by
reason Of discoveries made very recently, partly
in connection with the United States commits
Of these lakes have been found to abound with
minute crustacean, which are very similar, il
not identical, with those which form the chief
sustenance of the shad, and also of the salmon
in the ocean. AZ regards the salmon, time was
available to act with more deliberation, 80 as to
secure more definite results, the spawning sea-
son, for the eastern fish, as is well known, being
as late as the end of October or the beginning OF
November. The fact that nearly all the rivers
of the United States, which formerly abounded
with salmon, are now destitute of them, made
IT necessary, Of course, to adopt measures for
fore the only establishment in America where
these could be purchased, was the Matching
house belonging to the Canadian government,
and under the care of Mr.. Wilmot. The price
was almost prohibitory; and, at any rate, the
number that could be obtained at any price, was
too small to be Of much value in the proposed
methods for procuring the desired supply,
IN which was encouraged BY the fish cul-
turists, at their meeting already referred to. 1t
Is known to most persons that salmon come from
the sea in the early spring, and entering the
large rivers, pass high up to their head waters,
remaining there several months before the
business OF spawning is begun. Fat and In good
condition at first, they gradually become very
son they are unfit for food. After the eggs are
some instances proceed into the large lakes, and
advantage of this habit of the fish, Mr.. Charles
n <ba n,