The Rutland weekly globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1876-11-10
Preservation Of Fish and Game

The following are brief abstracts of the
earnes. and convincing addresses of Hon.
Il. j. Phelps and DR.. Goldsmith, deliver
ed in the hail of the house of representa-
lives, Wednesday evening, as gwen in the
Montpelier J0Urndl:'
Mr.. Phelps alluded TO the healihlul and
invigora'ing Influence of field sports both
to the body and the min. lie said ,hlt
for men who lel ecden'ary lives, such tx
erciso was positively necessary, aod that
he hmsa Lad passed the happiest days of
his life in the woods. face to face with ma
ture in her primitive wilderness. lie eaid
that there were many tracts of land in Yer
mont, now uGproductive and lying idle,
which arc admirably adapted for the
growth Of game, and which might be
rented at good profit for shooting and
fishing. There were members of the ASSOC
citation for preserving fish and game, WHO
stood ready 10 lease lands for that pIr
pose. Ore great hc'p towards the increase
of game, WAS more stringent laws. He
thought that partrijges should not be shot
till October, and that deer, especially,
should be projected. He denounced the
vagabords who now slaughtered the deer,
in and ont Of season, and said that if they
could be suppressed, and deer imported, our
forests and mountains might, III few
years, be full of the spotted herds.
Mr.. Phelps address was replete with
the glac9ful periods 80 peculiarly his own,
and with which he adorns the discussion
of every subject he touches.
DR.. Goldsmith began by saying thst if
anybody were to ask how much tie game
and fish of Vermont were worth, more
people would answer nothing, and to-day
there was no doubt that the time spent in
procuring pound Of fish or game, was, 80
far rs TODD was concerned, much less prof
liable than raising potatoes. Yet the time
was wh:u our fathers depended for flesh
food entirely upon the forests and streams,
and they managed, with the pelts taken,
to add much to the comfort of their little
households; but to-day fish and game have
become SO scarce that the sport that fishing
| sn1 hunting brought was pretty poor sport.
He then went on to discuss the question of
property in fish aud game, and thought
their money value was as real as the money
value Of COWS and sheep and ~ much to be
looked after. Turning 10 Scotland and
England he gave statistics showing what
an immense revenue was produced every
year from the rent of game and fish
preserves aud the sale Of fish and game.
Vermont he said, had about three million
acres in woodland, which now produced NJ
deer, and Scotland, with only TWO million
acres of deer land, got about one million
dollars annual rent. He argued strenuous
ly IN favor of making deer forests in YER
| mont, by which our now totally unpIoduc-
| tive mountains could be made to yield Il
generous revenue. He believed that in
many instances more money could he made
raising Gcer than sheep in Vermont. 1t
was so in Scotland, and the prices of veni-
son in our cities proved that venieon was
| far more costly luxury for the table than
mutton. OF course partridges, rabbits and
small game, could be raised AT the same
| time with the DEER In regard TO fish,
| DR.. Goldsmith gave some surprising sta
tistics about the vast number Of salmon
and trou, caught yearly in Canada, Scotland
and EAgland, where attention was given 10
| their preservation. lie contrastcl The
meagre sport which oar streams offered to.
| day with the suac SIS which our fathers used
to haye-frequently oa'ching several
pounds of noble trout before bTeakfalt-a
golden age which would again return with
proper care. Oar streams were the purest
| in the world and the best adapted for sal
mon and trout breeding, and the owners OF
streams might easily obtain fine annua
rentals, if the fish were only preserved.
DR.. Goldsmi,h's address was replee will
the most interesting information in regart
TO The game and fish preserves of England