Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-04-23

ture in contradistiuction to the Eastern sal
mon and trout, which cannot endure a heat
exceeding 20 degrees. Strenuous efforts
are being made TO introduce this fish
among us by the United States commissioner,
Pof. Spencer +. Baird. Aud, finally, there
is the new species, only lately discovered in
our country, the Grayliuss fish which is
highly priced in Europe both for table and
sport"
The remarkable success which has attend
ed the artificial production Of shad, gives us
the assurance Of The benfts tho whole ooun-
try will reap, when the increase of these two
great families,-the salmon and shad, shall,
without danger of anuihiation, become the
common food of man. The following sta
tistics, which we presume are reliable, are
most gratifying
"Already has the price of shad been large
ly reduced by such efforts at fish culture as
have been possible in face Of neglected leg
islation and unlimited fishing. For four
years past the New York commissioners
have yearly deposited 100000 to 10000
900 Of shad fey in the Hudson, while the
Connecticut commissioners in one year rails
ed the enormous number Of 92,000,000.
Fisheries which were exhausted have reviv.
ed the number taken at single haul Of
the net has been largely increased, while the
price has been reduced so that shad were
sold at wholesale last year at the fisheries
on the Hudson for SO a hundred, whereas
two years before contracts had been made
at S18. The yield from the Connecticut
river in 1871 was greater than it has been
since 1902. As many as 5000 we're taken
in one haul the largest haul previously on
record being $500 in 1911. In the mean
while the Southern rivers, which were ex-
tremeIy prolific few years ago, are descend
ing rapidly from bad to worse"
The Restocking of our inland lakes and
rivers-and we mean by this such as have
not natural or artificial connection with the
sea-with the best food fishes, is a matter
Of great moment to our people. If the black
and Oswego bass are not migratory fish, in
the sense that salmon and shad are then it
seems to US that the problem IS solved. We
must heartily endorse Mr.. Roosevelt's esti.
mate Of the pickerel, and would fire guns
and powder-crackers over the exit Of the
last of the race from this continent. He
says:
The admirable domestic qualities of
black bass are tax en- advantage Of by the
fish culturist. The eggs Of this class Of fish
cannot be hatohed by the means OF present
within our knowledge to any advantage.
They are surrounded with 4 gelatinous or
mucous fluid, which units them for being
deposited either in the salmon troughs or in
the shad boxes. 1t is possible to develop
them. but at q cost Of time care and labor
which is too great. All that is done is to
put the mature fish in new waters. They
increase with astounding rapidity, if the con-
dtions arc favorable. No other variety
can stand before them. Defended as they are
with their spiny fins, they are more than q
match for enemies larger than themselves,
while their rapidty Of motion enables them
10 seize smaller sorts with ease. Our farm.
ers have in some sections Of the country, in
their anxiety to obtain food, introduced pick
ersl into their ponds and lakes. A fish can
not be absolutely worthless perhaps, but a
pick kerel is as near worthlessness as a fish
can be. A catfish is king by comparison,
Yet pickerel are voracious, and it has been a
question Of some difficulty to get rid of them
when they were once established in any
water. The black bass has removed the
difficulty; he will dispose of the pickere,
aud convert him into higher kind of ami
NAL tissue with rapidity which is gratify-
ing to all lovers OF good living.
| "Oswego bass were introduced into the
Potomac river in 1850. There were only
some fifteen or twenty Of them, and yet for
years past the bass fishing there has been
wonderfully fine. Millions have probably
been taken from that parentagc, aud millions
are yet to be obtained from the same source
The conditions in this instance are favora-
BILE. Although the river produced but lit
tie Of value to man it was full Of hsh-food,
abounding In minnows, dace, chubs, suck
ers, craw6sh, and insect life. The bass
breed prodigiously. The young hatch in
eight or ten days and reach maturity in
two or three years. Through the care Of
the parents few are destroyed before they
are hatched, aud afterwards they are pretty
we'll able to take care Of themselves. Their
marvellous increase under such circumstan-
ces is not surprising. IL such results can
be achieved by an individual in single
venture, what might not be done by state
authority, or by united action among a num-
Der of states. The plan has been followed
in New York and hundreds Of lakes which
were exhausted, in instances utterly de.
ficient in any food.fshes, have been restock-
ed with those most admirable fish"
Too much attention cannot be given to
this subject Of fish culture, and we may add,
fish protection, by our legislation and peo-
pie. Such contributions as Mr.. Roosevelt
has thus publicly given to the press, and
through it to the people, will command the
attention of the thong ghtful, and most certain
ly arouse and direct the attention of the
citizens to the most appropriate channel ol
| D.,tJ...J HILL