Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1875-11-09
Fish Culture.

10 the ed'tor Of the Alexandra Gazette:
MANASSAS, Va, Nov. 6, 1851 enclose
you copy OF letter recently received BY me
from Mr.: Alex. Moseley. of the Fish Commits.
slou, as think 1t contains Information of in.
terest to the public. 1t Was written 10 renlv
10 one OF nine urging that the comm 8 ion
shou'a expend portion OF the fish fund IN
stocking the streams of this section of the
State. 1t you regard it as of public interest
you are welcome to publish it.
Respectfully, &C., GEO. G, RoUND
>, KIcaMoN2, Va, August 80, 1876.
mr.: George c. Round Manassas:
hand -''''A' ~
You are under mistake in supposiug that
none OF the fish fund has been spent ia your
portion OF the State. We expended nearly S5O0
IN Matching shsd in the Rappahannock, which
is not very distant from you, last spring, and by
inc assistance OF the United States Fish COM
the Potomac, from which no counties will re-.
Fairfax. !" 4'18" anu
1T is our wish, as fast as we can, to Distribute
really gooo varieties 0, fish to all our streams
But there is doubt among fish experts whether
~. Is ponce 10 pat into any stream large enough
for sea going fish any of the prsdacious and
Voracious species, which never leave the rivers
and get their food and growth there These last
cannot be increased beyond the supply of food
iound IN the river and they, staying all the
time In the fresh water, will: prey upon the
young snad. herring and salmon-all much
moe valuable fish than they arc. I heard this
opinion expressed in April at the Smithsonian
Institute. respecting black bass: That in Eve
years cater we find the value Of California
saimog) we would rather give $500 to be rid of
every oIack -ss than one mill to have onr rivers
crowded with them" All did not concur-but
inc mnJ 'rity dld-and they were P of. Baird
experts
l, however, suppo Led, that the streams YOU
mention, If large enough for bass AID free from
distractions, ,(dams, &c., were already we'll
stocked with bass from the Potomac I shall be
onlIgeo 10 you Tor information as to the number
of dams on each of the streams. Gf snvl and
how high up, the volume Of wster n.y. + yn aIo
structed would be sufficient for shad. That is.
now nigh up shid have been known to 20.
oalmon Will go as high as shad; and thew will
soon be abundant in the Potomac.
j., In the waters of the Nottoway and Roanoke
t IiL a,e TWO varieties OF perch, game and IN
high esteem for the table-the red eye'' and
the red belly" perch. They are not found as
lar norm rs the Appomattox, but have caught
the first 'rcd-eye) in the cold waters of the
Roanoke, IN the Alleghanies and would suppose
taem adapted to any of our streams. We think
OF distributing some Of these early this fall or
80 noAt splins, i, upon further inquiry, we
NM them worth the expense
The two great difficulties in the wsy Of having
an abundance Of fish in all on, streams, great
and small-snd especially the lasl-sre dams
and senes In small stream, one or two DAYS
seine t. hauling would thoroughly strip it. And
this is the trouble throughout our interior. If
we cannot by some means, law or pubic opin.
ion, or both, have fshways over dams and a
total stop put to seines and traps above tide, the
pr;stlne abundance Of fish crnnot be expected
Very truly yours A. MosELEY.
Ono Of Fish Commissioners.