The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1875-02-19
Fish CuKtnre,

sions were exceedingly interesting, and
we are sorry we cannot publish the entire
proceedings. In addition to those pres
ent on Tuesday there were in attendance
H. Reeder, Fish Commissioner from Penn
ayivania, and Dr.. Hessel, who was sent
to this country by the German Government
in charge of 100000 Rhine bass eggs, to
be deposited in American waters. Mr.
Reeder said that at the last annual meet
ing he had expressed belief that there
was only one species of black bass.
Since that date he had made researches
which showed beyond doubt that two
species existed. He gave an interesting
description of the method of Matching the
eggs of this variety of fish, as practiced
by MIN in Pennsylvania. he stated that
there was a rapid decrease Of bass in the
waters of that State and asked If there
was any one present who could explain
the cause. Seth Green said he thought
that their food becoming exhausted, the
bass naturally turned upon their own
young and devoured them. Prof. Baird,
who represents the United States Com
mission, stated that bass had been found
TO be plentiful in the Hudson and Con-
necticut Rivers A large number of
Eastern fish had been successfully trans
planted to Western waters. The yearly
distribution all over the country was
between 10000 % and 100000, the dis
tributing season having closed Aug. 10,
with very satisfactory results. Two hun
dred and fifty thousand salmon eggs had
been received from the German Govern
ment, but owing to the excessive heat ex
perienced in their transportation they
could not be Matched. At different
points in California salmon-hatching
had been attended with results which
were very satisfactory to those engaged in
| il.
A discussion upon the possibility of
OF successfully transporting the eggs of
| fish to Europe was held. All attempts
thus far have failed A communication
from n. w. Clarke was read, in which he
| suggested that if the spawn were packed
in ice it would become an easy matter to
keep the eggs from Matching until they
reached the waters for which they were
intended.
Mr.. Wilmot, of Canada, by request,
rad an exceedingly interesting paper up
on Fish Culture in Canada, synopsis of
which we give below:
He thought legislation should be
! brought to bear very forcibiy on the sub
! ject of the preservation of fish. He said
| this new industry was one of vast lmpOr-
| lance both as a mode Of furnishing cheap
| food to the people, and as road to in
| divdual wealth The speaker asserted
| his belief that agriculture would in time
| become in importance the peer of its sis
ter, agriculture. Prof. Baird and Living
ston Stone had been instrumental in
bringing to Eastern waters the California
salmon, and in peOpling Western waters
with fish naturally living in the East,
Fish from England have been planted III
Canadianst reams. In France and Prussia,
besides the other countries OF Europe and
Asia, the art of piSciculture is extending
very largely. All general government eff
forts have been surpassed by those made
by local legislators. In no country has
fish culture had such gigantic studies as
in Canada There are now FIVE fish
! breeding establishments within its
| domains, and there are others in course
Of construction. There are periods when
certain fish are in season and fit for use,
There are other tunes when the same fish
are out of season, are unfit for use, and
should not be taken. After spawning the
fish is lean and warm-aud by the drain
ing efforts which spawning has cost them.
| AT such times, the fish should be pro-
| tected by every effort which can be
| brought to bear.
Inc question has arisen, why resort to
| artificial means to propagate fish when
] they are provided by nature with the
| means Of doing so themselves? In trav-
cling about the United States and Cana
da, find an ALMOST incredible amount
! of skeptcism on this subject OF aptiGcial
propagation of fish. Now if we can show
1 the public that the balance is in favor of
| the artificial cultivation Of fish, l think
| it will be direct benefit to the ASSOCIATION.
| Not over one per cent of the natural eggs
| deposited ever produce fish, while by the
artificial process from 80 to 80 per cent
is almost always saved. In order to show
the advantages of the artificial system
over the natural one, it will be Necessary
to describe both processes. From the
time the egg is deposited by the wild fish
it is beSet with difficulties and dang RS.
When ts,G Salmon is ready to lay her eggs
she seeks a shaitCE SPOT where the water
flows rapidly and where the ge1 Ct the
river is gravelly. Here, by the aid OF the
swift current she scoops out a small cir
cular nest where, by 3 series of muscular
contPactions of the body she deposits her
spawn. She is generally accompanied by
q male, who rests i'll the water by her side,
and elects his mit at the same time she
presses out her spawn. When the opera
ton is complete-it sometimes lasts sew
eral days-the female fish covers the eggs
with fine gravel and leaves them to hatch,
In this position they remain during tie
Wintes E!orths, and if they escape the
insects which QttaE feed upon them and
the other dangers to whicE tag are sub
iect they are Matched in April or May. |
For five or six weeks the young fish floats
about on his side incapable of moving,
and during t!...::S time be is subject to the
attack of other larger ssh BY the arti |
fetal method the female fish, whaa ready |
for epawning, is taken from the water and |
her eggs are removed ard mixed in a pan |
with Inc miIt AID which has previously |
been removed by like process from the
male. The eggs are carefully guarded |
until the time for Matching, and when the |
fish is strong enough to take care of itself |
tits allowed to go free In contrasting |
the two processes have to say that in the |
artificial a.o3e there is 70 fear OF losing |
the young fsh, ana diet the mother Is
freed from her burden in few 4.oIIapts, !
instead of spending days or week in lay
ing her eggs. In the artificial process,
coo, there is an increase of over 80 per
cent over Tie natural mode.
Dr. Salter, former United States Con
sui at China, stated in a few words thai
there bad been great progress in the art
of fish culture there. lie also said that
he had eaten shad which we're caught in
Yang Use Kiang River 1000 miles from
its source. At the mouth of the river the
water is very dirty aud muddy, being of
the color ofpea soup. Mr.. Roosevelt said
this was an important fact, as the United
States Commissioners had wished 10
stock the Mississippi River with shad but
had been doubtful as 10 the success Of
the plan, because of its extremely muddy