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

|
Not long ago, we had occasion to speak Of
fish culture and in connection with il Of
fish preservation. In that article we spoke
of the destruction Of fish 10 our vicinity,
from the pollution of our main rivers.
A very plain and comprehensive relation
Of the facts or science Of pisciculture, was
lately prcsentedby Robert u. Roosevelt, fish
commissioner Of the state Of New York, at
the Cooper Institute 10 the city of New York.
We should be glad to spread the whole ad-
dress before our readers but for its length,
which would be too great a tax on our col
umns. We therefore content on rselves with
few extracts and running comments.
Artificial breeding is thus far confined to
two families, which, using common names
familiar to our readers, are salmon aud shad.
Under the former head are included trout,
salmon trout, white fish and California sal.
mon.
The habits of this family ia the state Of
nature are minutely described-their lives
10 the sea, lake and river--the details Of
spawning, secreting their eggs, the Matching
process, and the lite of the young until they
take to the great deep, are minutely and
graphically told.
The peris to which the eggs and young
fish are subject, the enemies that prey upon
and destroy them, from the smallest water
insect up to the more intelligent destroyer,
man, are all fully described. Mr.. Roosevelt
says:
"Man takes the best. and so upsets the
equipoise Of nature, which up to that time
has by its checks and balances kept all va
rieties of living creatures at an established
relative proportion. For every salmon he
eats there are 10000 fewer eggs for the wa.
ter bugs and minnows, who will make up
the loss out of those which are left. These
embodiments of evil must be fed, aud grow
more diligent in the search for food the scar
Ger it becomes. Still man keeps on with net
and spear and hook, making yearly larger
drafts, az the human race increases, aud ex-
tending his machinery as the prey diminish
es. So the whole system Of nature is disar.
ranged. The edible fishes at first diminish,
then as the process goes on in geometrical
ratio they decrease more rapidly, the opera
ton becomes accelerated at every step till
the stream or lake which once abounded with
excellent fish is utterly aud absolutely de.
nuded. left sterile, bare and unproductive.
The insects have devoured the last edible
fish which mans greediness had failed to
reach. This has happened with so many Of
the ponds and water-courses Of our country,
that it is safe to say full one-half Of the
lakes, rivers aud streams Of the state Of New
York were uttery depopulated of food fishes
when the fish commissioner was appointed
three years ago"
How nature is improved upon by the ar.
tifcial process of FISH breeding, is told in
matter-of.fact way that must astonish those
not fully conversant before with the COM
parative results of the natural and artificial
processes.
"In the natural method not one in 800,
certainly not one in 100, survive to mature
aud produce perfect fish. BY the Artif-
cial plan fully ninety in every hundred are
saved and developed. Here is the great
gain in fish culture II is in the primary
stages that the advantage is secured. Say
that aiterward the perils are alike, and still
SEQ the enormous difference in its favor.
Allow that young fish after their birth are
in continual peril OF their lives that enemies
still pursue and waylay no matter how they
are bred suppose that one-half Of all that
are born perish before attaining a marketa-
Bile condition. In one instance that hal has
to be taken from supply already decima.
ted in the other nearly its full number is to
be drawn upon"
The springing into life as if by magic Of
the myraid of living, moving creatures in the
Matching boxes, can best be described by one
who has watched the proceeds, as the foster
father of this innumerable family:
"Some morning when he goes to his
troughs he will notice broken egg shells in
the water, and on closer inspection will OBJ
serve wrigging nondescripts on the bottom,
neither like fish or eggs, but compounded of
both, and occupied with wonderful intensity
in the sole purpose of hiding from obserya'
ton. These are ungainly, ill-formcd fry,
weighted down and encountered with the
ugly, troublesome. umbiical sack. When
they once begin to appear they come in
thousands, in myraids, in millions, for it is
nothing TO talk Of millions in fish culture,
and soon the troughs are full and the eggs
all gone. The young need more water at
this time, but require less care, though still
they must be watched For Obout thirty
days they remain comparatively helpless and
need no food except what they carry about
with them. Then they change into bright,
active, shapely fish, difficult to see, cunning
to hide, rapid of molten, independent, little
fellows, sclf.reliant, and ready to face the
world and all its snares."
, Mr.. Roosevelt then discusses the question
of feeding the young salmon, which has been
found to be difficult. The fact, however, is
, stated, that as soon as it becomes necessary
, to feed them, they are sufficiently matured to
be placed in the streams which they are in
tended for, aud able to care for themselves
$50 our salmon or trout when he has been
} successfully carried to this period Of his life
: must be, as he ought to be, turned out tC
{ shift for himself. If he is a salmon, after q
: few months preparation to strengthen his
5 sinews and test his powers, he goes down u
: the sea, there to dwell and to feed aud grow
] gaining wonderfully in size drawing his sus
4 tenance from tho exaustless storehouse o
/. the world and coming back TO man in few
months magnihed embodiment Of strength
o and beauty, bringing to the lord of the uni
Q verse five or ten pounds of as delicious food
r as ever delighted gourmand's palate, o.
satisfied hungry mans stomach. Ii he Ii
Q only trout, younger brother of the glori
Il Gus family of the sGlmOnide, he will lurl
r about the bottom Of some pond, or graz,
( some pebbly mountain brook and struggle VI
J, to half pound or more before twelv,
}, months shall have rolled over his hsad."
s The capabilities of our lakes and rivers
e in which tho advantages Of Vermont will b.
q readily seen and appreciated, are thus stat
/. ed
l. "The NamagaSh or Macinaw salmon
which attains weight of eighty pounds
y can live in all our large lakes. POssibl.
n more valuable than even this splendid fish i
a. tha Nalifornia aalmon a variatv of nnr nrdi