The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1877-02-07
The Fish Commissioners Inter
rogated.

rogated.
RED WING, Mimi, Jan. %, 1877.
From the Pioneer Press: I desire
to ask a few questions Of our Fish Com.
missioners, and believe it may be done
more pro6tably through the columns of
your paper than otherwise. 1 have
numbered each, that they may be an
swered by the commissioners or other
person interested by referring to the
number.
First-Has it been clearly demon
strated that fishes, having habitation
partly in the sea and partly in fresh
water streams and lakes, can be profita-
bly, reared in regions where their annual
migration to the sea is an impossibility?
Second-Has it occurred to the minds
of our Fish Commissioners that every
salmon smolt reared in our waters, be-
fore he arrives at the completion of his
second year will, if possible, 60 to the
sea, and that his only route is through
the Mississippi river and the Gulf of
Mexico?
Third-Can a salmon smolt after hav.
ing passed through two thousand miles
of filthy, muddy water, pass through the
heated waters of the Gulf to feeding
ground congenial to his nature, and
have vitality enough left to protect him.
self against the thousands of voracious
enemies inhabiting the sea?
Fourth-If he shall have succeeded
in passing through the thermal waters
of the Gulf without injury in December,
when those waters are undoubtedly at
their lowest temperature, and become a
large, fat fish of ten pounds weight, as
we have reason to believe he will, is it
possible for him, in his rlethoric and
obese condition, to pass through the
same heated waters in April and May,
and through the whole length Of the
Mississippi to the place of his nativity?
Fifth-Has it been demonstrated
that fishes living a portion Of the year
in, and gathering their chief sustenance
from the sea, can be reared exclusively
in fresh waters and retain all or any
portion of their nutritive qualities or
flavor?
Sixth-1f a salmon (sazmo salar) be
confined to water of a river or lake, is
there any just reason to believe that he
will be better favored or more nutri-
tious than the finer varieties Of fresh
water fishes inhabiting the same wa.
ters?
Seventh-Have tae commissioners
considered the feasibility of breeding
the black bass, (gristes nigricanus),
and the wall-eyed pike, (Lucioperca
Americanus) or attempted a comparison
of the worth of fishes known to be cas-
lily reared in our own waters with those
Of habits so radically different that
their living to an adult age is prob
lem
Eighth-Would it not be for the
best interests of the State for the Com
missioners to ask for an appropriation
sufficiently large to pay for salmon al
ready Matched and contracted for, and
for further sum of FIVE to ten thous.
and dollars to be used in the propaga
ton and distribution of black bass and
wall-eyed pike and such other varieties
as are known to be good food fishes,
and easily reared?
Ninth-Is it fact that black bass
and wall-eyed pike can be propagated
throughout the State at one dollar per
thousand
| I hope the foregoing questions will
be carefully considered by our Fish
Commissioners and all others interested,
before any definite action is had to-
wards an appropriation. Very respect
fully, Frank Ives.
An Honest Medicine.
/