The Hickman courier., 1874-04-25
FISH CULTURE.
It's Prospective Benents to the

4 It's Prospective Behents 10 INC StatSfl#s
1t has been reserved for the last Is
| or five years to develop with}SEue
monwealth something like rfea -
i ception of the immense beneftsz ~
| it has now been practically k
| strated are certain to flow fro1lfSf - -
actment of general fishing laX<
wholesome law not only Arovide Z
the appointment of threal al3Ommissfs
ers to whom is entrusted tie important
! and responsible duty of superintendent
! the fish propagating establishments or
| ganized under it, but provides also the
! funds necessary for the erection Of fSl1
! wavs in our principal rivers, 2.'3<s=s<<s, =
/ is equally essential pseS -
strictions upon fish Il = - 4 )
/ tect our most valuaBfeT ~ 5;s
Wholesale captures by neffS s
during their spawning seasd
The only cause for surpris - q
law so salutary in its results Was not
enacted many years ago, for the most
ample and satisfactory experience oi
our own and other countries long since
demonstrated the entire practicabillty
of stocking the magnificent but now
almost wholly depleted streams of Penn
/ sylvania with edible fish of the finest
I u u
can conceive of no investment, whether
by state or individuals, that gives such
| positive assurance of large and contln-
ued profit.
That fish food is both wholesome and
nutritious is so self-evident as to require
no argument that it is generally rel
ished is equally beyond controversy
and that its average cost in our markets
/ is so great as to render it virtually q
/ luxury rather than an ever day dish on
| the table of those of humble means, is q
fact that admits of no dispute. There
are thousands of families that would
| gladly substitute fish.for- serofufs=ss--s...-
| ducing pork and unwholesome veal,
could the change be made without in
volving greater outlay than their linn
tied incomes justify. Thanks to the
wise law to which allusion has been
made, the day is not far distant when
fresh fish Gnstead of ranking among
the delicacies readily accessible to the
to the masses only at a sacriticeJ viii
constitute the main feature of at least
one of each days meals.
Such pleasant anticipations are based
upon the fact that fishes multiply with
almost incredible rapidity. The fecun-
dity of trout. salmon, shad, BAGS, and
other choice edible fishes. is really amaz-
ing. This is evidenced by the almost
countless numbers of young fish Matched
at the several propagating establish
ments within an hours ride of Phila-
delphia. Now it is to be remembered,
that the cost of the machinery and labor
by which such surprising results are at
tanned Is comparatively trifilng. But
when, in addition, it is borne in mind
that when these millions of little fishes
are turned into our beautiful streams,
mother nature assumes their guardian
ship and throws over them her protect
ing egis, and in return for her k ndly
offices asks but the enactment and rigid
enforcement of laws that viii effectu-
ally prevent interference with her ar
rangements, we only learn to appreci-
ate the magnitude of the boon confer
red upon us by artificial fish cNfure.
It is safe to assert, that if the princi-
pal brooks, creeks and rivers Of Penn
sylvania were ludiciously stocked with
food fishes appropriate to each, aud leg
islative protection granted them for
five years only, the dollar and cent adj
vantages to the people at large would
be represented by tens of millions.
Assuming as a data the careful Observa-
tions and experiments of such distin-
find that a single sturgeon produces
from a million to a million and a half
of eggs, while the Goldfish is estimated
to contain nine millions. If all these
were fructified by the male fishes, the
numbers would, in a few years, be so
great the waters of all the oceans and
rivers of the earth would not contain
than. But Providence has ordered it
sSttlerwise. The proper equilibrium
has always been maintained where
mans destructive Tenderness have not
been permitted full sway. All the
oviparous tribes of fishes are endowed
with these same wonderful powers of
reproduction, and prominent among
- em are the shad, the trout, the sal
mon, the bass, and other fla fishes
which are now being so largely and sue
cessfulIy introduced, or reintrodaced
rather, into our state waters.-Er-
change.