Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-04-12
FISH CULTURE.
The DECREASE OF F0OD FISHES.
THE CNUSE AND REMEDY.
SALMON IN THE POTOMAC.
A Talk with Prof. ID lird the Govern.
Hent Fish Commit ssiOner - Some.
thing About the Work He is Now
Engaged I'm. Etc. Etc.

The subject of the decrease of food fishes on
the sea-coast and in the lakes of the United
States has received some attention by Congress,
and two small appropriations have been made
TO prosecute the necessary investigation into
the causes thereof, and TO reStock the rivers, if
practicable. The work has made good progress,
and several important experiments have been
carried out, which prove that the propagation
of food fishes of various species can be prose
cuted successfully, thus yielding great amount
of wholesome food, besides the pecuniary value
of the trade; and furnishing a large number OF
men and boys with profitable occupation.
Under the JOINT resolution OF Congress o.
February 9th, 1871, introduced by Mr.. Dawes,
of Massachusetts, Profes, Or Spencer +. Baird,
the Ass.stan; Secretary of the Smithsonian In
stituton, vas appointed Government Fish
Commissioner by the President, and that gem
teman bs.c entered upon his task with much
zeal.
The decrease OF
sHAD AND HERRING IN TIE POTOMAC
and other rivers on the Atlantic coast WAS one
of the first subjects which received the atten-
ton of Prof. Baird, and his investigations re-
suited in conclusive evidence that the supply
can he renewed; and he is now actively engaged
preparations 10 restock these tins season.
Mr.. Seth Green, the noted fish cultUrist, has
been called to the assistance OF Prof. Bard, and
he will be here next week on his way south to
begin work. lie will start at some river in
Georgia and will collect supply of shad Ova.
which he will begin to hatch Dy the artificial
process, and work his way north, securing fresh
spawn a. he come g, and placing it to batch la
the various rivers on his route, reaching here
from the first to the tenth of June, when he will
Immediately proceed 10 restOck the Potomac
IL il well known that the shad seeks to return
to the place of birth 10 spawn, and when once
put in at the hCadwaters OF a river they are sure
TO return TO that locality after reaching ma
turity to deposit the spawn. As an illustration
OF this fact il may he stated Il at If three rivers
are elected. all cmptying INTO the same body
OF water, and the young shad plac in the first
and third, but not in the middle one, they will
when grown, return to the rivers where they
were first placed, but not one will ascend tIc
middle river.
CAUSES or THE DECREASE.
One great cause Of the decrease Of food f>hcs
and especially in the Potomac, is that the fish
is not given a chance to spawn OF account
the scnes, gill nets. traps, &c, which cover
the river. These OUstructiOns prevent proper
impIegratiOn or deposit OF the spawn, aud the
result is that most of it is expelled in some
proper place Tor it, propa CATION and sdevOUrcd
by other fish. The Instructions do rot turn the
fish back, as generally suppo ed, because the
desire 10 deposit the spawn OveTcomes the dis
enlargement offered by the Instructions. aud
the fish persist in their efforts to get up until
they are taken by the nets or a. Is often the
case the period to deposit the spawn comes oe
fore the 1iSh reaches the proper locality, and
the spawn is lost as above stated. One I'll Dry
for the
is that the clearing and cultivation OF the land
bordering on its unIer waters has served to
make the water muddy and impure. This is
probably an erroneous idea, however; the great
cause OF deere re being the obs ructions Of
Tered by the nets, as above noted. Professor
Baird IS of the opinion that laws should be
acted prohibiting any each after the LIST Of
June, and such laws should be strictly enforced.
Rep see itstated in a letter of yours, Pro-
lessor, that the waters o. the United States can
be made to Yield more foCd, acre for acre, than
the land.
Prof. Bard.-Oh, YES; water is more prodgc-
tive acre for acre. When you come to such fish
as the herring and shad the product is euol
nors. For instance, take the yield OF one hum
dl ed acres OF land bordering on the lower Po-
t0mac, and the neighbOring one hundred acres
Of water, and you viii lind that the products OF
the water Will subsIst many more persons than
that OF the land. And You see we are not requr
ed to feed the fish; therefore the needed to
secure the products % the water is not as great
as that of the land. Suppose the shad should
come up N the abundance row they did fifty or
hundr years ago, where would they get
their food? Thew came up then in a solid mass.
snd VIII 10 doubt do so again. This shows that
'ley do not get their food supply from the
river.
Rep.-There is a movement on foot, PrOfe.-
sor, 10 stablish large cotton and wooden III Ill
ufactories at the Great Falls; now what effect
will those establishments have on the tisha
Won't the dye-stuf and debris al them or
drive them OF?
Prof. B.-oh no; anticipate no such trouble
with the shad and herring.
THE BLACK BASS
may probably he driven out or killed, but the
mills weuld not hurt the other fish the short
time they stay here to spawn, unless it should be
by dams across the river, which the ifs, ,uld
not ascend, but these dams could be oy,f,ome
by ti>hways. 1t we ca open the upper Poto-
mac t. shad and herring we shall have plenty
hereafter.
r,Lo "a
them by fsh-ways at the Little and Great
Falls.
Prof. B.-I don't know. | am going up there
in a .ew days to make An examination, and il |
ma these ways are necessary Will try to have
them erected.
Rep.-But few sbai gel above the Little Falls
now, and those when the river is very high
Prof. B.-Ies. There are but few shi above
the Little Falls l believe. If we can open the
upper Potomac to them We shall have supply
plentiful enough TO allow a seine every quarter
OF "A mile on the river.
Prot. Bard then spoke of the success which
has attended shad culture in the Connecticut
and Hudson rivers, as the most satisfactory evil
dence of artificial culture. few years ago
IN the Connecticut river the shad became SO
scarce that they were worth from 50 cents to Il
each in the New York markets. The artificial
process OF Matching was commenced about five
years ago, when half a million of young fish
were put i'm the river, and the number increased
every year until 1872, when
NINETY-oNE MILLIONS OF You NC sHAD
were put H. III 10. L, the rrSt year tlat IL was
expected an increased supply of fish could be
taken from the eggs put in three years before,
there was an immense number of shad caught
and in 1872 they were perfect drug, being so
plentiful As not to bring more than IS hun
dred i'm some instances. People were not pre-
pared for the increase, and, therefore, the catch
was not utilized as much as it might have been.
This year there will probably be enough taken
to supply one quarter Of the United States.
SALMON,
now the most costly fish and most sought after,
economically is less important than the shad and
herring, as these are more widely distributed,
multiply faster, and of course furnish greater
amount of food Last year the appropriation
made by Congress did not become available I'M
til after the list of July, which was too late to do
much towards Matching shad. 1t was in time.
however, Tor the salmon, and Prof Baird,
after q consultation with prominent fish cutr'
lists, determined TO get supply of eggs
rom Europe, as well as from our
eastern rivers, for the interior water, and TO
transport the Sacramento salmon to some OF
our southern rivers on the east side. Half a
million eggs were, therefore, engaged from a
German establishment on the Rhine, ard the
German government presented quarter of a
million from its establishment on the same
river. An establishment was started on the
Penobseot river, in Maine. for the purpose of