The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1878-06-15
SUsQUEHANNA FISH CULTURE.

On the invitation of Prof. Spencer F.
Baird L. 5. Commissioner of Fisheries,
Mr.. Hayes, accompanied by company of
gentlemen, visited Havre de Grace, on the
295h ultimo, to inspect the Government
fish preparatory station in the Susque-
hanna river, at Spesutia Narrows. six miles
below that town. The visitors were re-
ceived by Prof. James W. Miner, Assist
ant Commi ssioner of Fisheries, in charge,
and taken to the station in the steam
launches of the Franhlyn and Canandai-
qua, which have been assigned for duty at
the fisheries during the season by the Navy
Department. The launches were decor
ated with flowers.
Four large flat bottomed scows have been
fitted up for the purposes of the commits
sion. One. OF them contains officers quar-
tiers, another the mems quarters, and
third the tanks, &c &c, used in Matching
fish The fourth has been fitted with ma
chinery aud appurtenances for fish hatch
ing, but Is not quite ready for use. The
arrangements for Matching have been much
smplified under Prof. Bald, and several
different systems are used. The fish are
caught by OILERS at night, the spawn taken,
nilted and placed in the Matching vessels.
The larger number of these vessels are
simply iron cylinders, about eighteen in
ches in diameter, open at tho top and GOV
cred at the bottom with fine wire. These
are arranged on frames outside the scow,
and agitated gently in the water by means
of levers worked by steam machinery on
board. The fish thus patched have usually
been turned into the Susquehanna river.
On the inside of the floating Matching
houses are sixteen Matching boxes, eight
on each side. These are of tin. coppeIed
outside, and are i'll the shape of inverted
cones, about two feet in diameter at the
top and six inches at the base, and three
feet high The water is fed by tubes from
two large tanks, considerably higher than
the Matching boxes, SO that it enters from
beneath, and as it rises by natural flow
gently agitates the eggs and is allowed to
flow out at the top through wire screen
into tube leading outside the vessel
There is also glass jar in which eggs are
Matched on a very similar system.
A recent patent by VIM. F. Wroten, of
Maryland, is being tried, and reported to
work admirably. This consists of a tin
bucket and exterior case, SO that water can
sired the bucket can be placed in boat
and water fed by hand into funnel at the
side, flowing out through waste pipe. 1t
is claimed this facility of movement is u
great Improvement.
The fish culture is Immediately super
intended by Mr.. Frank n. Clark. Eggs
hatch in from three to four days i'll favor
able weather, and are ready for shipment
usually 10 quantities of from $50, 600 to
200, 900. The season this year has been
very favorable. and recently 5000, 900 eggs
were obtained in one night. Usually from
ten to thirty Matching boxes are used, but
as many as sixty-two can be operated.
The system of Matching in the conical
boxes has been devised some four years,
but only practically used this season. The
loss in the eggs taken has been very small,
from 50 to SO per cent being Matched OUT.
A lot of $50, 900 will be sent to California
next week. There are thirty-six men in
the service here, Of whom the following
are Baltimoreans, and have been regularly
in the employ of Mr. T. B. Ferguson, Fish
Commissioner for the State of Maryland:
VIM. +. Rotan, VIM. Hammond, William
Bush, Gus Rotan, VIM. Sauerhof, Will
liam Hines and J. II. Hines, spawn takers,
and John l.. Butler and Robert 7. Burton,
engineers.
Upon the general plans of the govern
ment operations Prof Baird says they do
not include the propagation of local fish,
such as trout or black bass, which are left
TO State boards. but those food fishes which
are general throughout the country. The
work is divided mostly between four large
stations, one at Sacramento City, Califor-
MIA under Mr.. Livingston Stone. where
10000, 900 of salmon have been Matched
this year; another in Maine for salmon
propagation, in charge of Mr.. Charles G.
Atkinson; carp cultivation under Mr.. Ru-
dolph Hessel, partly in Druid Hill Park,
Baltimore. and partly in the carp ponds at
Washington city, and the shad station,
moving from North Carolina to Maryland.
This latter station will probably operate
next year as far South as Georgia, or may
start in the St. Johns river, Florida, in
January or February, and work up along
the coast.
The work this year began in Albemarle
Sound and the Chowan river North Caro-
lima, early in the Spring, and was after the
season there removed to the Susquehanna.
The season has been so favorable that neatly
fish enough have been Matched to supply
the demand for all the tributary rivers to
the Ohio and Southern rivers as far as
Georgia, with shipments to other parts of
the United States. The catch is nearly
1900, 600 of eggs night, which, if all
were shipped, would take about eight cars
to carry them. About three fourths are,
therefore, returned to the Chesapeake bay
after they are Matched. The propagation
was commenced in 1871, and is now car
ried on under an annual appropriation from
Congress of $75, coo for all expenses. Fish
cultivation is carried on to a considerable
extent in Europe, but the United States is
now doing more work in that line than all
the rest of the world together, and with
most satisfactory results.
A special division is engaged in study of
the sea and lake fisheries, the causes and
conditions favorable to maintenance and
extension in numbers of such fish as cod,
mackerel, herring, etc. 1t is proposed as
soon as practicable to apply the same mode
of production to those fishes. If that is
DONE the work would be on a much larger
scale, multiplying the number of young
fish sent ont at least one hundred fold over
those now produced.
ss-It has been customary in old com
munities to suspend pieces of stick sulphur
around the necks of children protec-
tion against contagion i'll epidemics.