Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1876-11-08

produce in a single year crop oil salmon
that will exceed in value a half million OF
dollars In his address before the legislature
last week, DR.. Goldsmith spoke OF the
river Coquet running through the lands OF
the Duke of Northumberland, and having
about a. much water as the otter Creek at
Rutland. as Welding in four years, ending IN
1873. over one hundred and thirty-one tons
Of trout. lie also estimated the value OF
the salmon crop in England at about six
million dollars, and Of all the other fish taken
in its waters at about ten times the guam
tity of the salmon catch. Since the govern
ment has taken pains to protect this crop in
England the annual sale Of the salmon |
caught in the British Isles and sold at Biz |
hngsgate in London has advanced from about |
fifty thousand pounds to over three millions
of pounds. Aud this increase in the value |
of this one product has been due entirely to |
the legal protection which has been given
and enforced to this fish. Wherever legal |
protection has been afforded to the fish, and
all attempts to take them at an improper sea
son prohibited and punished, there has been
at once a large and rapid increase OF fish.
The question with US is, whether it is pos
sible to restock the streams Of this state
with edible fish. Once there was an abund-
ance Of trout in all our streams and ponds.
They we're the profuse aud exhaustless lar
der of the early settlers of the state. We
have heard old inhabitants in the vicinity Of
Greensboro tell Of the vast supply of that de-
licious fi-h which was found in the beauti-
full pond in that town. The farmers in the
vicinity were wont to catch barrels of them,
and salt them for winter use The Lamoiue
aud Misssco rivers were also full of them,
as were all the other streams of the state
The first settlers on the banks Of our streams
could always take the food for their meals
out Of the water at a moments notice. The
size and beauty OF those fish are now once
in awhile indicated by the occasional catch
of some speckled denizen of our streams,
who has withstood the tempting bats OF
years only to fall prey at last to an ignoblc
angler, who has abandoned the fly or the
worm for the gaff or the net. The reason OF
the depopulation of the streams is not wan
of water nor want of food, nor lack of any
thing necessary to the production and subsis
tence of the fish. 1t is the insane polio.
: which has been followed by our people, IN
., checked by common sense and unhlndere'
, by law, of capturing the trout at all seasons
Only last year we knew a man who reporte
J. that he brought to his house a large lot o
=, handsome trout, TO the amount OF severa
; hundred pounds, which he had taken with
l. net on their spawning bed. 1t was as wal
ton murder as if he had killed all the bird
!, ON his farm on their nests, all the motht
e hens, ducks and turkeys by the side OF the
young broods for the slaughter of trout O
their spawning grounds represents for eac
female fish over fifty thousand trout. Til
is the sole reason why our streams have b
come almost barren Of the most beautif'
# and delicious fish which God ever made i'
M the comfort and satisfaction of men. Sine
sc more stringent laws have been passed pr
10 tecting the fish, and since public opinion HI
az. been toned up little, there is perceptib
n increase Of the number of trout taken in OF
n streams. But they are now pursued at Q
al times by the lawless fishermen they a
m. even exposed for sale in our winter market
ch and millions of them are still murdered
nd the egg by the shameless barbarians wi
he care neither for law, humanity nor trout.
,as There are but two remedies for this utt
iii. waste and destruction of what might be o
ed of the most valuable productions of o
,H- state. The frst--the education of our p
lie pie to a proper observance of law, human
ost and decency in the time and mode Of cat'
hat ing the trout-is, we are fearful doubt
is remedy. Here, as everywhere else, one 5
I'M ner destroyeth much good. A single la
de- less poacher will impoverish a stream o
= n pond at one cast of his net. II he fin
nd. where the trout love to congregate in tn
,t spawning time, he can easily depopulat'
tel. river by few hours wholesale slaught
me-. And the mischief is irretrieyable. As
de- law of itself can hinder his murderous d
md relation, so no law can remedy the +
mischief. There needs to be a better p
in lie sentiment and then severe legislation;
n6- there is also needed second and am
,ple remedy Law must be made argus-eyed.
nee must have its police and its executors
TIL every farm and in every dwelling.
y is doubt if ever the best public sentiment, q
the the most arduous efforts of the fish comm
feat sioners essaying to keep our streams stool
SON with edible fish, can succeed in secur
the such production as our waters will adr
most unless every land owner is vested with
God ample rights TO protect his streams az
In protect his wheat-fe his poultryyart
| be his sheepfold. Law should give to e
isti- man an absolute right of property in all
red; fish and game in his territory. And IL
the when he learns that the brook which h'
den through his pasture may be worth mort
ling him than the pasture itself, or when the 81
re- learns that the leases of itsriyers may be We
attic more to it in revenue than any other sol
may OF income; when our citizens find out
orst the protection OF fish in our lakes 20
eBe and streams will pay all their taxes, ty
attic over il is possible that laws of protect
nee, may be enforced. When every man, wor
IS of and child is made watchful guardian
nent the law, it will be difficult, If not impossi
! in for the marauder of our streams to obt
N in his booty. Then, with the time limite'
ore the first of August for trouting, we II
flee within five years, see our streams as full
pub trout as when the Indian royed, unmoles
r en- through our forests, and fed himself with
bore game of the woods and the FISH Of the riy
initial Given such protection as this, and the
lion. nual value Of the fish crop of the state w
lmy exceed six millions OF dollars per year at
most modest estimate. II would prob
exceed four times that sum. Every mo
OF self-interest calls for intelligent action
been our legislature On this subject, Every
hsh tive of humanity demands it, that men
the not exercise their diyinely-giyen dorii
our over the fish of the waters and the fow
them the air and the beasts of the field, to
cked entire and absolute determination.
] po- -
and ANNUAL CnoP REpoRTs.-The crop
A. 4