Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1876-01-31
The Cultivation of Fish

John II. Kimball, President, Vim. S. Badger,
Vice President, and J. w. Clapp Secretary, of the
Maine Fish Association, have addressed an inter
esting Memorial to the Legislature, in relation to
the subject of the cultivation of fishes. The me-
mortal states that the natural facilities existing in
Maine for the cultivation and maintenance of fish,
cries and other aquatic industries, are unequalled
by those Of any State in the Union. The open
sea, bays, rivers, lakes and ponds may TEEN with
abundance of fish. In their original condition
there was abundance of salmon, shad and ale
wives in the rivers of Maine. With few excep'
tons, the date of their disappearance is within the
recollection of men now living. Mention is made,
and statistics given. Of the breeding Of salmon in
other countries. For instance, the salmon fisher
les of the river Tay, in Scotland during the seven
years ending with 1864, produced annually about
$4,000 worth of fish. There is no natural reason
why the Penobscot should not yield as we'll as the
Tay, and produce yearly an amount of fish equiva-
lent to rental Of 1913 900 annually. The prosper
ity of the coast fisheries for cod haibut and some
other species, directly influenced by the river
fisheries. This fact has been from time to time
satisfactorily demonstrated by scientific men.
The cultivation Of the salmon has received con-
siderable attention 1t is capable Of arithmetical
demonstration that if all the eggs were to hatch
and all the young grow up, the progeny of SIN
gle pair of salmon would, in sixteen or twenty
years, be numerous enough to cover the whole
State Of Maine one hundred feet deep. Left TO
nature, e-tenths of all the eggs laid by salmon
perish, by the vorac.y of predatory fishes, or 9TH
er means only ten out Of each hundred hatch
But artificial breeding takes all the eggs from
salmon, impregnates s. per cent guards them
fiom their enemies, matches S. or 80 per cent and
brings 50 per cent of them to the age Of six weeks
when they are turned loose to feed and grow up.
Thus this process produces eight times as many
young salmon rs the natural method.
In other States We have seen the wonder-wo,k-
ing power ofthe process of artificial breeding. 1t
has not been SO apparen. in Maine for. many
reasons. The subject is comparatively new ore
here. Tests have been introduced and patiently
applied. In the three seasons Of 1873, 1874 and
1915, there were turned loose by the fish commits
sioners a total Of over l,200, 900 young salmon,
and there are now several hundred Thousand
eggs developing at the works at Bucksport.
The very first of these were planted in 1873, and
till 1873. In one Of these years they will make
their appearance, ard then we shall realize some
of the results Of the fish culture pursued by the
State. Meanwhile there are not lacking traces Of
the very few salmon planted before 1873, they
having been seen in the Androscoggin and Medo-
max
The Introduction Of valuable species Of fresh
ter fishes has not been neglected. Over forty
ponds and lakes have already been stocked with
the valuable black bass, very superior, large fish
Of the perch family and those bodies of water
lest stocked having now begun TO yield, the COM
mssioners are in position to push the dissemiua-
ton of the specie. rapidly. The art of capturing
AID multiplying the fresh water salmon, known as
the "land-lo locked salmon," has, during the past
year. been brought to higher degree Of perfec
ton than ever before.
The Improvement Of the fresh water tisheries is
of importance in more ways than one. Not only
will it aid in supplying the people with healthfal
food and recreation but it will attract 20 our State
great numbers Of tourists from abroad. 1t is esti
mated by gentleman who has given this matter
some at enton, tina. so large a sum as 100000
was spent by tourists in Maine during the past
year very large per centage Of these people
were sportsmen, drawn thither by our inand fish
cries srd the better the fishing the more they will
come. They are generally liberal in their ex-
pendituros, and leave hehinl them more dollars
than they / III Of Ssh.