Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-11-24

Il 10 a OOOVAuA -APSAASAS. liz PASccAe
law may have the effect of tempting
men to contract for more than they can
pay, but that is their own folly, and no
legislature can undertake to furnish
men with brains.
THE PROGRESS OF FISH CULTURE.
During the past summer, several of
the country's ablcst scientists devoted
their best time and thought to a sub
ject about which the great mass of
newspaper readers have known, until
quite recently, but little and cared, per-
| haps, still less. The investigation In
question was made with a view to ascer-
tanning whether any and what dimin-
ution In the number of food fishes
of the coasts and lakes Of the United
States has taken place, and, if SO,
to what causes the same is due;
and, also, whether any, and what pro-
tective, prohibitory or precautionary
measures should be adopted in the
premises" 1t evidently requires a
complete geological, botanical and
physical survey Of all the waters en-
braced within the scope of their re-
search, but the Swans by whom the
vast work was undertaken have already
shown themselves fully equal to its ac-
complishment.
AT the head of the United States
Fish Commissioner termed in the act
of Congress authorizing its appoint
ment-is Prof S. f. Baird, of the
Smithsonian Institution, with n. E.
Rockwell, of New York city, as secre-
tary; Prof. a E. Yerrin and Prof. D.
z. Eaton, of Yale, with two or three
assistants; Prof. S. l. Smith and four
or FIVE students from the Scien-
tiic School Of New Haven; Profs.
Rice and G. B. Goode, Of
Wesleyan University; Profs. Hyatt,
Sallonstall and Rathbone, Of the
Boston Society of Natural History;
Prof. d. w. B. Farlow, of Cambridge;
Drs. Joseph Leidy and Henry Chap
many, of the Franklin Institute of
Philadelphia, and Mr.. Henry Blake, of
Cambridge, artist. The place selected
for their headquarters the present year
was the fishing village Of Noank, in
Connecticut. Situated at the end of
Long Island Sound, and looking out on
the Atlantic Ocean, midway between
New London and Stonington, with
population principally engaged IN fish
ing, it was well suited to the purposes
# the Commission.
While investigating the questions
concerning the food fishes Of the At
lantic, great attention has been paid to
the food fishes Of the lakes and rivers.
Under the direction Of Prof. Baird, Mr..
Livingston Stone has been employed
on the Macleod river, a branch of the
Sacramento, obtaining Salmon eggs, of
which he secured some six millions.
The salmon of the Macleod are a very
vigorous fish, growing rapidly, and |
larger than our Eastern salmon, weigh |
ing twenty and thirty, and occa-
sionally fifty pounds. This spe-
cies is especially adapted to the
warmer waters of the country, and the
eggs thus obtained had been distributed
in the headwaters of the Susquehanna,
Potomac, James, Delaware, and even
the Mississippi. They come forward
much earlier than those from the colder
waters Of New England and Canada,
the ova being obtained in August and
and the young fishes, fully
Matched, intrusted to their future
homes IN November and December.
OF the 100000 eggs obtained by
Mr.. Stone, 100000 were restored to
their native river, that that source of
supply might not be dried up; the
other 100000 were distributed in the
Middle and Western States; 100000
were sent to Michigan, and 10000 to
Utah. Half a million were placed in
the Matching house of Mr.. Alexander
Kent, of Baltimore, to be distributed
over Maryland and Virginia, and an
other large amount to a similar institu-
ton at Bloomsbury, n. J. Besides
these salmon gathered from Oregon
and scattered in the warmer waters
Of the country, Mr.. Charles G. Adj
kins, Of BuckspOrt, Me-, on the Penob-
scot, has obtained 100000 eggs from
that river. These fishes, adapted to
the streams of New England and
Northern New York, are slower in
coming to maturity than the Western
fish. They are secured in October and
and placed In the water in
he following February and March.
From Maine and Oregon, therefore,
100000 salmon eggs have been this
year gathered and distributed in all
he rivers of the land that run to the ..
Dcean.
But in addition to this, Prof. Baird
las succeeded in obtaining eggs Of the '
and locked salmon of Lake Sober. in
Maine. This species of salmon, though
low fresh water, is supposed to have