The Portland daily press., 1874-05-21
Fish Culture.

THE matter of the protection AMI encour-
scement of the fisheries in the inland waters
Of this State has been the subject OF consid-
cradle legislation for come time ana we nave
an efficient board of fish commissioners VINO
are dong much in the way OF stocking Tue
streams and ponds of the interior win eul-
bic fish. The artificial Matching OF nsn'
which was at first secuted at as chlmerlcai,
has nroved practical and useful in the high
est degree. Special pains have been taken to
propagate the landlocked salmon-one of the
most delicious of fishes-which is found, we
believe, in only few places in Maine. The
spawn of this fish we are enabled to furnish
to some other of the States, receiving in re-
turn the ova Of their best species, the most
important of which is, perhaps, the Califof
MIA salmon. The propagation of shad has
also been very successfully inaugurated and
our great rivers are likely to become once
more alive with these 5ony but toothsome
swimmers.
Several other States are carrying forward
the same system with favorable results. The
New York Commissioners, with Horatio
Seymour at the head, report an entire sue
cess from their operations. As an instance
of the advantage of artificial spawning they
report that full grown female shad will
spawn upwards of100, 600 eggs,of which num-
Der only few hundred will be Matched in the
ordinary way; while at their State Matching
house from 80 to 95 per cent. can be secured
by the artificial method. They have also
placed large numbers of shad in the interior
fresh waters of the State as an experiment,
and report very favorable results.
Our own State is specially adapted to the
culture of fish, on account of the abundance
of lakes, ponds and streams, and from this
source should be derived large ell ement of
food of the people. The practical value of
this interest is indicated by the testimony of
Warden Paine Of Orono, who reports that,
last year up to July %, nineteen hundred
and eighty-four salmon were taken from the
Penobscot between Bangor and Oldtown, of
an average weight of sixteen pounds, ten
ounces and an average value for the season
of sixteen and three-fifths cents per pound,
making in all value of $5504.60. Comparing
this small space of water with all the fish
bearing waters of the State and this one class
of fish with all the edible classes, we may have
some conception of the extent of the food
supply which must result from suitable Gull
tivation and care of this great interest.
In discussing the difficulties of protecting
fish in the wilds of the State, our Commits
sioners speak very warmly of the unprincipled
and unsportsmanlike conduct of large class
of summer visitors from other States, who
kill great numbers of trout from mere wan
tonness and leave them by hun lreds to de-
cay on the shores. They say ''no legislation
can meet the requirements of this shameless
abnse OF the hospitality of our State. We
must look to our sportsmen, our gnides, our
hotel keepers at all orr summer resorts, and
to our newspapers to aid us in putting these
sorry burlesques of true anglers to shame.
1t is class of men unworthy to bear a rod,
fit only to handle fish pole or drag-net."
Every citizen of Maine should feel it per-
sonal duty to assist in enforcing the laws
against this shabby set of fellows who take
their vacations in our woods and whose only
practical knowledge of fish arises, probably,
from selling salt cod at retail in the corner
groceries of Boston and New York.
The Maine Sporting Association, which is
now taking so good care of the game of our
State under the stringent law of last winter,
will seek similar legislation for the protection
OF fish at the next session and will then take
measures to enforce the law. Till then we
must all do what we can to crcumscribe the
performances of these cockney devastators of
sport and destroyers of the food of the peo