New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-03-15
FISH CULTURE.


SALMON. TROUT, snAD, AND BASS UNDER ARri-
FICIAL CULrURR-GRATIFYING RESULTS OF THE
EXPERIMENTS IN BREEDING.
Robert b. Roosevelt, Fish Commissioner for this
State lectured on Saturday evening ut the Cooper
Inst ute ON "Psci culture" The lecture was Illus
trated with number of stereopticon views Oh INC
Headquarters Of piscioultursts in this country Oh
salmon, trout bass. etc. He began with an outn'c
of the history Of piscicuture from the days oil Con-
fuoius laying special stress upon the experiments
of French scientists and the abors of American
ahorers IN this field Extracts from the lecture are
published herewith:
There are two divisions Of h In our country SUBJECTS
OF fsh culture We might perhaps. like our friends OF
rrsh extraction say that there we're three TWO OF
which We can cultivate and that we cannot ana YET
the latter Is very valuable also In modihed ana ID
direct way. The two manageable classes are "no'y
dissinar their habits the nature OF the eggs ana the
method OF their treatment are wholly unlike 30 mueh
so that the be considered separately and as being
almost diff rent creatures The two families which We
Fan treat articialy the salmon tribe salmOntde.
and the BAD tribe oiosde while the assistants, though
not direct subjects OF our art are the perctd@ perch
black bass forth. In Europe there are practi
,aly only two fish which manipulated scientifically.
the salmon and the trout Both Of one family aud DOth
the delicate. the least productive and the hardest
to handle In America We already treat SIX different
charge. go
In order 70 understand fish culture practically IL VIII
be necessary to consider the method In DETAIL anu
,ha take up management Of the salmon hrs' as S
treatment was first discovered. aud its manipulation Is
the most complicated. Under the head Of salmon may
be inclnded the salmou the front, the salmon trout
otherwise called lake trout, the white fish, aud the
California salmon / shall speak OF one for tine whole.
only occasionally pointing out such indviddaliies as
may DO necessary.
They spawn in the Fa with the exception OF the Can-
forna salmon which is earlier, spawns in Spring or
Summer and resembles the grayling tSh OF the
same race which has only lately been found TO exist III
our country. The salmon in from the sea- where
he has passed the cold weather the ice breaks
up aud keeps all Summer long running up into the
fresh water which alone is adapted to the Qualification
Of his eggs Trout in like manner pass from the ponds
and deep lakes into the cooler streams where constant
supply Of fresh and lively water be obtained while
white appear Ou the depths OF the great lakes ana
seeking the shadows along shore select sprnsy spots to
lay their eggs In the natural way these fish all mako
nests, the females digging out the bottom with
their noses, flaming away with their ms
and tails the mud aud finer SAND from
the gravel which they afterward use 10 cover their
eggs When those operations sufficiently advanced,
the male who has been chosen by what Darwin com
monty styles natural SELECTION" that is NEST bitter
battle against all comers the lady IN orange silk and
silver lawn" falling to the strongest joins his
bride. They simultaneously deposit the eggs OF the
female and mit of the male. Only certain number OF
these are extracted al single Impulse The eggs are
then carefully covered over with gravel by the female
while the male divides his time between driving away
ntruders OF and deyOurng such stray eggs
as NAV have escaped the notice Of Lis devoted
wife and been carried down stream by
the current One noticeable popularity OF the spawn OF
this class OF fish IS that the moment 1t falls from The
parent adheres to whatever it touches This pro-
vision of nature enable the parent to cover 1t over
with gravel before is washed away, which she does
with remarkable skill aud care moving the stones with
her fins for that purpose 1t remains fast for the space
o. 80 minutes an then becomes loose and, II un-
covered swept away by the curren dainty morsei
for whatever bird fish insect comes across It, 1t
also be observed that the are heavy and sink
to the bottom like shot marked popularity of the
spawn u the saimonidG, and distinguishing them from
those OF other varieties.
Several different dep lsits OF spawn made and COW
cred up this way, till often mound OF Dish eggs and
gravel erected. have such mounds built by the
famous trout OF Rsngelcy and her sister lakes large
enough TO I'LL busbel basket. But as those "Dound-
buI.ders" sometimes grow TO weight OF ten
pounds. and aspire to the dimensions Of a
salmon, their performances are no crterions
for the conduct OF the little speekled beauties
OF our mountain streams or island ponds. who
are conteut TO construct much smaller monumental
pie. AS the nest is completed and the father
and mother exhausted Of spawn and milk they drop
back into the deeper water the TO recuperate
The eggs left to themselves unprotected except for
their graveY covering and prev to every passing
spoiler They Intended TO be mainly destroyed
aud that intention Is .fectuaIly carried out
ENEMIES TO FISH LIFE.
Enemies to fish life abundant; regular procession
marches upon its citadels. First come the cells, per
hstept fellows, who will nOt be deued; who Chamber
over high falls and surruount perpendicular dams In
fnto
bOie and Granny and devOur Eggs without number
Next waddle up the ducks, thIlsting hei! broad Dis
down among tae pebbles for the aPpsilzag nSrses,
their dark silent way plGnging their sharp oeaHs
ont its life. All manner of water creatures love
the taste OF hsh spawn Unpromisins as al TINS Is
mug of the trouble The Danger OF disease or ply steal
Injury 10 always present. Heavy rams come and foul the
the whole batch OF and snothers the life out Of
them, water mold makes it's appearance and soon
Diseases Of many kiuds invade the family and seem TO
be contagious, as single dead egg VIII anect al those
entire heap Accident or great Hood may even dis
turb the whole ara leave the displaced eggs 70 perish
Amid such vcissudes the wonder ia not that SO many
perish that any survive The need OF
duty is thus made manifest.
When the little embryo OF plscatory life has man
fully brayed these per anGzhas eseaR9d from 1is
the rst place his physical conformation much ssahst
him. he Is eneumbered by belly which would 40 creds
OF him Unlike that OF his political photoy pc inns I'M
pe dime ptn not represent so many good dinners
wien have been duly eaten and enjoyed bat represent
certain number OF dinners tor tie future. for ABOUT
IN DAYS after birth the salmon eats nothing but eus
tanned by the absorption OF their stomach or what is
more accurately termed the ntnoiHcsl suCA. AZ Az
this while, as may be reSdby understOod, Nc
il awkward, and bampered In his movements,
an easy prey 10 any passing enemy. Approaching bis
posltio he strives TO hide himself during thls pelod
Ie cra%s into and under stones, ana ofen hues
a. eectualy hat where he has been artnelaly aaso
Lis anxious father the breeder, never discovers
what las OF him unless his breeding trougls are
well made and free from worm holes. But IN thls MS
hour OF weakness ms enemies never desert MN they
stand by him from fret TO last At that stage OF ms de
yelopmept every miserable sbner, dace, aud nnnow Is
iann will