The daily gazette., 1875-05-01
,Sh0d 5n the DeldtC0re.
From the Philadelphia Press.
FISH CULTURE.

From the Philadelphia Press.
FISH CULTURE.
The practice which has obtained for
years past in fishing American waters
has been neither more nor less than
ruinous, the apparently inexhaustible
character Of the supply having bred
wastefulness, and wastefulness, in turn,
having now bred wan. Leaving quite
out of the question the loss which has
resulted from barring with dams the
rivers in which shad, salmon, and other
migratory fish had been won't to run,
the main cause Of the falling of Of tho
supply has been brought about by the
capture Of gravid and immature fish,
and the consequent lessening with each
year of n parent stock. With no inter
ference on the part of man, the proper
tion of fish arriving at maturity is very
small. Speaking of Salmon, the habits
Of which are now pretty we'll known, q
writer in a recent number of Nature
says: "Out Of every hundred eggs that
are spawned in the natural state, 1t may
be calculated that at least one-third es-
cape the action of the formulating milt,
that another third never, from various
causes, come to life, which leaves only
one-third to produce fish; and Of the
thirty three tiny animals in every hun
dred thus left, a full half will be killed
by enemies, which are numerous, leav-
ing, say, sixteen young smolts to become
grilse, and as these have to make one
voyage to the sea, or probably two, be-
fore they become reproductive, their
number in the end becomes sadly re-
duced, so reduced that probably not five
Of them will be able to repeat the story
OF their birth and so provide future sup
plies" All this, which is true Of sal
ic Hnuhtlacc af chad
and when to the distractions to re-crea-
tion interposed by nature are added the
further distractions interposed by man,
it Is not to he wondered at that salmon
in many of our rivers have become ex-
tinct and that shad are each year de-
creasing in numbers.
1t is realization of the imminent de-
struction of this very important source
OF food supply which has led, within the
past few years, to the artificial propaga-
CATION on a large scale in this country of
various sorts OF fish, the excellent re-
suits obtained being already perceptible.
All of the Eastern and several of the
Western States have regularly appoint
ed Fish Commissioners, who attend to
the artificial stocking of depopulated
streams, and who are further charged
with the duty OF enforcing the various
protective laws, while a considerable
amount Of private capital is invested in
pisciculture. In New England, where
the Commissioners of the several States
have worked in common, results Of 6
most gratifying character have been oh
tanned by the construction of fsh-ways
over most of the dams blocking the riv-
ers, and by placing young fish in the
head waters of the streams. Last year,
for instance. 100000 ahad, and 1,O0O,-
| 600 salmon, hatched out in the Matching
| houses the previous year, were placed IN
| the Connecticut river, and in this same
| river the good effect of the fish-ways is
| apparent in the increased run of shad-
| an increase so great as to have caused
fall of as per cent. in prices since 1869.
In New York, where the Commissioners
| have had the valuable cooperation of
Seth Green, results less in degree, but
equally excellent in kind, have been OBJ
tanned. In 1874 over 100000 young
shad were placed in the Hudson, and
the yield during the same period, owing
to the restocking of previous years, was
| exceptionally great, and produced fall
of about 60 per cent. in prices.
Our own Fish Commissioners have
| been by % means behind til ose of other
| States, fsh-ways ha ing been construct
ed at a considerable cost and to very
good effect over the dams in the Susque-
hanna, while a very considerable amount
of restocking has been accomplished.
The black bass placed in the Schuylkill
a few years since are in excellent condi-
ton, and will shortly pass from under
the protection of the law and become
common property, and fish placed in
other of our rivers are doing equally
! well. That the State government is dis
posed to continue this excellent work is
| evidenced by the act approved on the
| 18th of March last, appropriating the
sum of $4,000 for carrying on the propa-
CATION of fish and for paying the "rea-
sonable expenses Of the Commissioners.
The first section of this game act pro-
vides for the especial appropriation OF
any sum not exceeding S., 900 for the arti-
fetal propagation of shad in the Della
ware. the grant to be dependent upon
| like grant by the Legislature of New
Jersey, and the united fund to be used
| by our Commissioners conformity with the
Commissioners of that State for the pur-
pose named. As will be seen from the
carefully prepared paper We elsewhere
print concerning the shad fisheries upon
| the Delaware, this action has not been
taken any too soon, the run of the pres
ent year, as nearly as may be now esti-
mated, showing marked decrease under
| 1874, which in turn was less than 1873.
| That ShaQ tnlS season hre ScdrCe, duu
consequently high in price, Is the direct
result Of the overfshing of previous
years. and only by such action as that
which the Commissioners propose to take
can the Delaware fisheries again become
profitable. To make the restocking q
success it is further necessary that the
"close-t.me" law, forbidding tishing be-
tween sunset on Saturday and IL o'clock
on Sunday night, repealed during the
oyster war with New Jersey, should s,nS be be
again put in force. for without sueh si op,
rpeaeh poashs the 'stas Spawning beds in the head
restocking gUld will fDptbes be aefsssHsH be- ws
to hsve asis pointed out in the article
above referred to, a law regulating the
Size Of netmeshes in such n 10%ng mannef sb Is
Thase general suggestions, while here
made with particular reference to the
Delaware, apply with equal force C to to all II
are being arti6cially repopulnted, and
we shall BE glad, in the interest OF fish