Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1875-03-25
VT. THURsDAY 2ka1RNING, MARCH 25 $50

The Southern rivers, which were ex-
fremely prolific few years ago, are de-
| l-seending rapidly from bad to worse.''
The restocking of our inland lakes
ss4and rivers-and we mean by this such
as have not natural or artificial connec-
j lon with the sea-with the best food
fishes, is matter of great moment to
onr people. If the black and Oswego
Tsss are not migratory fish, in the sense
that salmon and shad are, then it seems
IS that the problem is solved. We
~ aesltily endorse Dir. Roosevelt's
lnate of the plckerel, and would fire
sTs sss and powder-crackers over the exit
IUf the last of the race from this conti-
sueht. He says:
1.-THE admirable domestic qualities of
rssack bass are taken advantage of by the
fish culturist. The eggs of this class of
7ossh cannot be hatched by the means at
present within our knowledge to any ad-
I vantage. They are surrounded with a
elatinous or mucous fluid, which units
4 lem for being deposited either in the
salmon troughs or in the shad boxes. 1t
ls possible to develop them, but at a cost
III time, care and labor which is too
great. All that is done is to put the
mature fish in new waters. They in
crease with astounding rapidity, if the
t-aunditions are favorable. No other vari
/ ETY. can stand before them. Defended
fp they are with their spiny fins,
tIney are more than a match for enemies
rsasger than themselves, while their ra
| pidity of motion enables them to seize
smaller sorts with ease. Our farmers
Lhaye in some sections of the country, in
s1gsr anxiety to obtain fish food, intro
duced pickerel into their ponds and
lakes. A fish cannot be absolutely
worthless perhaps, but pickerel is as
rear worthlessness as a fish can be. A
catfish is king by comparison. Yet
piekerel are voracious, and 1t has been a
question of some difficulty to get rid of
tsem when they were once established
"a any water. The black bass has re.
moved the difficulty he will dispose of
Ina pickerel, and convert him into high
ff1kind of animal tissue with rapidity
which is gratifying to all lovers of good
living.
Oswego bass were introduced into the
Potomac river in 1850. There were only
-s0me fifteen or twenty of them, and yet
~ years past the bass fishing there has
bfen wonderfully fine. Millions have
probably been taken from that parent
aes, and millions are yet to be obtained
tram the same source. The conditions
= this instance were favorable. AL
though the river produced but little of
value to man it was full of fish-food,
astounding in minnows, dace, chubs,
suckers, crawfish, and insect life. The
bass breed prodigiously. The young
hstch in eight or ten days and reach ma
tarity in two or three years. Through
the care of the parents few are destroyed
Lefore they are hatched, and afterwards
they are pretty well able to take care of
thelaSelves. Their marvellous increase
-, =, T,NSch circumstances is not surpris-
III Of o sha1 la Efss'l sstheysa .l.i,ss hz
40 + 9bls sn j done F,e'gke authority, or
psay,,sus sssg lsJi1 On tion arn9zys number of
/, not bsm plan has been followed in
AK and hundreds of lakes which
s Tea Thelausted, in instances utterly de-
'1icienr IN any food-fishes, have been re-
stocked 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 legisla-
tors and people. Such contributions as
Mr.. Roosevelt has thus publicly given to
the Press, and through it TO the people,
will command the attention of the
thoughtful, and most certainly arouse
and direct the attention of the citizens
to the most appropriatechannels of sue
cess. IL .....-,. .....-..... .-..-..