Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1873-03-25
The Preservation of Fisheries.

comprehensive pan during the uShlng sea-
son, the extent Of which in this and other
States is regulated by law, catch the fish when
ever aud by what means you can. The mi
gratory fish, which comprise the most valuable
kinds, find their way up the streams to the
Spawning grounds obstructed by nets spread
ing in every directions; So that only small per
centage Of the fish reach the spawn beds, aud
early extinction Of the fisheries would follow. AS
it is, the supply Of valuable kinds, such as the
siad for instance is gradully diminishing IN
tie streams and rivers where they We're once
abundant and without the adoption of pre-
vcGtlve measures, total extinction Will ensue
before many years.
Fortunately, by the adoption ofproper meth
DDS it is easy TO maintain at an insignificant
cost, regular and abundant supply. KS fish
cries are now conducted, it is simply the old
system of hunting, which necessarily fails as
the obi .cts If pursuit are frightened away or
become killed utf ; the adoption OF a system OF
yl-cicutllre IS analogous to the systematic rals-
ing OF stock for the purpose OF food supply.
As regards the respective costs OF tish AID
animal tIod, the report says: Cattle are ou-
" raised aud iat'cuei at high expense to the
resources Of the world, requiring large cx.
penaiturc Of human labor, and wasting heavy
proportion in the operation, whereas fish, If
left to themselves or properly fed would only
consume what costs nothing in itself, and what
could not otherwise be utilized. They should
dirvc; y or ultimately Craze tie meadows OF the
sea, the production from which is ordinarily
left 70 destruction and waste, and Is not at pres
eut turned to mans profit. Nor is the flesh of
the inhabitants Of the water less valuable when
obtained, tlan that Ut the beasts upon earth.
Pound for pound. II contains the same amount
of nutrment aud will sustain human life equal
IS We'll. while in certain particulars 1t possesses
superiority. 1t supplies phosphorus TO the
brain and nerves all element which is not OBJ
tanned from most kinds Of food but which
is IL essential to perfect health as gluten and
starch, while at the same time 1t is so much
more dgestible than the meat of terrestrial!
animals or birds, that it is used Us Il moliicd
form Of fasting, and at certain seasons OF the
year is more Wholesome than grosser food. a
WISE ccuuomy Of the resources Of The world will
therefore, as population Increases, compel at
teu,iou 10 this easily secured harvest Of the
seq.
By an uncrring instict. migratory fish a! ways
return to the streams III which they were
ha chcd, when, having come to maturity dur
lug their stay in the ocean, they come back to
spawn Upon thi, characscrlstie the systcmat-
ic culture of >Ead depends. 1t is simply a
method by which the eggs are protected while
they are being Matched. OF the eggs that are
deposited in q natural way it is estimated that
not more than one in hundred escapes de"
struc!on and produces a fish, whereas by the
ar iGca method, trcln ninety II Dlncty-hvc are
saved. These !i-h escaping to the sea return
in three or four years as the full grown shad.
The dangers from which the eggs are to be
protected are, the deposit of ealthy matter up
on them which will kill them, the force OF the
culrcn, which ordinarily sweeps many Of them
away, aud the ravages OF uauy species OF small
fishes. Matching boxes of simple construction
have been invented, that prevent los from
these causes. The process is thus described III
the rep 'rt
The moment the seine is hauled, the con,
tents of all sorts are udled with scoop. net into
boat, aud while 1t is being set again the fish
are hauled The manipulation has in front Of
him on one Of the thwarts tin pan containing
Tide water, aud taking fish after fish he
holds il over this with one hand and gently
presses its belly with the other. The ready
performance Of this is Il matter of practice, and
if the eggs and nilt are ripe they will eXude
under a slight pressure. As fast % the fish
have been stripped males and females being
used inliscrlminate!y, they are thrown into
auothcr boat, being subsequently sold in market
for abJut the same price as the unstrlpped
shad
"When the fish have all been stripped or the
pan is full. it is kept in gentle motion for ft-
teen minutes, after which the wateris changed,
and the gentle motion and changing Of the
water altcrnatcd until the eggs swell, become
hard and d!stcnded, and the impregnation is
perfected.
''Iu the course of the first fifteen minutes
the temperature OF the water falls some tea
degrees, and the eggs become 50 hard that
they feel to the touch like shot although
when first dropped into the pan thcy can hard
" be felt at all. This is repeated as often as
the net is hauled, and when no more spawncrs
can be caught, the pans are carried 10 the
Matching boxes and emntied into them. These
boxes are covered with coal tar to prevent the
wire rustlng on the bottom and the growth Of
auimal matter, and have along the sides sticks
Of wood acting as floats, and presenting the
wire screen at such an angle to the current that
the eggs are kept 10 perpetual boiling mo-
ton. The boxes are fastened one behind the
other by ropes fastened to the floats, and need
little or DO care except to be occasionally stir
Tcu III SiaCktuc. j he cPSS cAnlDlt Hic III
twenty four hours, and hatch in from four to
ten days, according to the heat of the water,
and then the boxes are towcd into the middle
Of the river, ana the living fish arc turned out
and left to care for themselves. Nothing
further has to be done for them and by this
simple and inexpensive coutrivance they are
saved from ali the dangers which surround
them in their embryo state, by far the greatest
they encounter for when they are once born,
instinct teaches them to guard themselves
against the ordinary risks incidental to their
existence.
By means Of this process seven million four
hundred and ninety eight thousand shad were
last year successfully Matched and turned loose
in the Hudson and other rivers of New York.
Such large addition will greatly increase the
yield of the fisheries Of that State The subject
is one that should receive the attention OF our
legislature as such method will have to be
adopted at some time, and an early use will OBJ
viate greater expense when, BY reason of the
diminution Of the supply, extraordinary meas
ures will become necessary. -BdH american.
,rht ,- Il