Beaufort Republican. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1871-1873, 1873-03-06
Stocking Our Rivers and Lakes.
Prospect of an Abundance Of the most Delicious
Fish. the Salmon.


years ago the rivers of New England and
tributaries of Lake Champlain and
Lake Ontario abounded with salmon,
during the proper season of the year,
to such an extent that apprentices, pau
pers in warehouses;, and others objected
to being fed with them more than three
times week. From the st. Crolx to
the Connecticut, inclusive, on the sea-
board. the numbers of salmon were very
great. and they were but little less COM
mon in the lakes Just mentioned. AT
the present time the case is very differ
emf. the only United States waters where
salmon occur being a few streams in
Maine. The causes of their partial ex-
termination are to be found In the erec-
ton of impossible dams, which cut
them off from access to their spawning
beds; in the discharge of sawdust into
the streams, by which their eggs, when
laid, are covered up in indiscrimlnate
capture at improper times, &c.
Similar experience abroad as to the
reduction in numbers of this valua-
BILE fish, and the desire to restore 1t to
its original abundance, especially In
view of its commercial and economical
value. led to experiments for its restora-
tion, and with such success as 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 endeavors to renew the
supply. Their first efforts were directed
to the gathering of eggs in the rivers
of New Brunswick, and were not very
successful. They then applied to the
authorities of the Canadian Salmon
Breeding Establishment, at Newcastle,
not far from Toronto, and succeeded IN
procuring few thousands, at cost OF
$40 per thousand in gold, price wi ic1
prevented their securing large supply,
or one sufficient to make o satisfactory
experiment. As may be readily imag-
ined, the young salmon when Matched
and placed in the water are liable to be
devoured by their fellow. inhabitants,
and it is only after these have taken
their toll that surplus can be counted
on. For this reason, the larger the
number introduced at one time the bet
ter the chance of success.
Limited as above mentioned, in their
efforts to obtain sufficient supply of
eggs for their purposes, the State Com
missioners and the leading piscicultur-
lists of the country, at an annual meet
ing of Society established by them,
determined to ask Congress for aid In
accomplishing their object. Their ap-
peal was met by an appropriation dur
ing the session of 1S7l-72, the disbursal
of which was placed in charge of Prof.
Spencer Z. Baird of the Smithsonian
Institution, and at the time United
States Commissioner of Fish and Fish
cries. After consultation with gentle
men interested, and realizing the i'm
portance of leaving no effort untried to
accomplish the object, the Commission
er determined upon three methods look
ing toward this end, excluding at the
same time any idea of dependence upon
the Canadian Government with its ex-
orbitant charges. The first method was
found in plan devised by Mr.. Charles
G. Atkins, formerly Fish COMMISSIONS
of Maine, and practiced by him with
much success in 1871. This consisted
in securing the living fish principally
by purchase at the weirs and pounds)
from the period of their first entrance
into the Penobscot River, in Spring,
and transferring them to fresh-water
pond near Bucksport, Maine. until their
spawning season should arrive. About
600 fish of both sexes were thus secured,
and the eggs stripped from the females
when ripe (about the end of October)
and fertilzed by the milt of the male,
the total yield being about q million
and half of eggs. Half the expense
of 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 on larger scale
during the coming season. The next
source of supply suggested 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.
TO turn this opportunity to practical
account, Mr.. Livingston Stone, well
known pisciculturist, was sent to the
Sacramento River, and erected hatch
ing-house on the McCloud River, one
of the tributaries. Misled by the in
formation furnished as to the spawning
season OF this fish, Mr.. Stone arrived
on the ground little too late for the
full realization of his purposes, and
succeeded in obtaining only few eggs.
These were sent East, and hatched out
at the establishment of Dr. Slack at
Bloomsbury, New-Jersey, where to the
number of 5000 they are now awaiting
the period of their transfer to the Sus-
quehanna River, their ultimate destina-
tion. They prove to be very hardy, and
there will be no difficulty in greatly in
Creasing the number another season.
These two efforts not promising n
sufticiency, Prof. Baird directed his ef-
forts toward obtaining a supply from
Germany, and, on application to the
ReutSche FJSchcrcl Terein, was informed
that the German Government would
give orders to the Director of the Ma
tional Establishment at Huningen on
the Rhine to reserve at the proper sea-
son 100000 eggs as a present to the
United States. To supplement this
generous act, and to make sure of an
ample supply, an additional 100000
was ordered from Mr.. Schuster, Burgo-