The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1876-02-23
Culture.

4p1IdtCu OI1Ay PA1ooo W ACAidy tlAC
expenses Of the fish commission,
consisting Of DR.. R. O. tSweeny, Of
St. Paul, chairman, Hon. Horace
Austin and A. w. Latham, ESQ. In
a brief and business-like report, pre-.
pared apparently by the chairman,
the commissioners give a statement
of their labors, from summing up
which we gather the following: they
have distributed in the lakes and
rivers Of the State 1860 Atlantic
salmon, $3.50 land locked salmon,
and $4,000 Pacific salmon, total
so,35o. As we. understand the re-
port, these are from, the former years
hatchings. They have, also, receiv-
ed and placed in the Matching house
of Mr.. S. S. Watkins, of this city,
100000 and in that of Mr.. C.. NJ.
Dittman, of Saltwater, 100000 Pa
cifc salmon eggs, nearly all of which
have Matched and are now growing
finely, and make about 100000 of
these fish now in this State, after de-
Quoting all that did not hatch and
those that died from injuries in trans
porting and breeding. They have
also purchased 1oo,ooo white fish
fry from Michigan. 1t follows then
that the cost of introducing these
fish has been only two mills per
hundred 50 far.
This showing is in striking con-
.trast with the too general prac-
.tice of those having public money to
.expend. The commissioners have
been economical almost to parsimo-
ny, and have stretched out the insult
:hcient appropriation entrusted to
them to its EXTREMIST tension. We
hope our present Legislature will
place at their disposal liberal ap-
preparation, for we feel satisfied that
they will not waste a dollar, and
that whatever they expend will re-
turn a hundred fold to the State in
the early future. We copy the fol-
lowing from the closing portion Of
the report, and commend it to the
attention Of our readers;
Considering how to do the best with
the $1,000 of money appropriated to
purposes of stocking the waters of the
State with fish, We contracted with pri-
vate parties to hatch and care for the
young fry until the proper time to dis
pose Of them, by placing in suitable
waters at such price as was considered
reasonably just and fair. The expenses
Of Matching and distribution, freights,
express charges, &C., &C., are all detail
ed in the statements fled with the
State Auditor, and has used up the
money for this year except about eighty
dollars, which will be accounted for in
the next statement. g.
The hat"hing Of the 100000 Pacific
Salmon anu Feeding till spring has not
yet been paid for. In addition to these
we will have the 100000 white fish fry
and the 10000 Land-locked Salmon to
care for. All Of which, even with as
generous assistance from friends Of the
work and the Railroad Companies as
we have had this year, will, we are sure,
more than use every cent of the 81 200
appropriated for 1876.
TO make liberal provision for
speedy and extended dissemination Of
food fishes over our State will provide
a reliable source Of sustenance when
the land crops fail, which will be &C.
cessible as well in winter as in summer,
and the fact Of its presence is 4 guar
antee to the settler that he shall not
starve-that drought, nor fire, nor frost,
nor insect can take it away. Fish food
has been the diet Of many of our
Scandinavian citizens in their own
country, and the assurance of plenty
of good wholesome fish for the catching
is an inducement that any immigrant
will appreciate, and seek the place
where they abound in preference to that
where they are not.
To carry out such a system as we
think would he to the best interests Of
the State, and as has been Indicated in
the report made to your Excellency last
year, to use the words Of ex-Commis-
,sioner Day, tho cost twill be $4,000
annually for three or four years; and
latter Matching and distribution shall
shaEe been completed, oil that is neces-
,sary thereafter to be done is a general
surveillance Of our waters to protect
what we have planted, and nature in