The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-07-19
PROPAGATION OF FOOD
FISHES.

Il
Work OF the United States Fish
Commission Cooperating BY
the state Authorities.
From The New York World. o.
The official report on "our Fishes and
on the Propagation Of Food Fishes" Of
Professor Spencer F. Baird, the United
States. Commissioner Of Fish and Fish
cries, has Just been published. It COW
ers the work Of the commission for the
years 1s75-76, and 10 4 large volume OF
], 02O pages, 1922 Of which are composed
OF tabulated statistics OF the American
whale fishery between the years 1874 and
| 1888, the collection and compilation OF
which must have been 4 work OF great
difficulty, industry and patience. The
chief division Of the report consists oil
general considerations and an outline Of
the history and work OF the commission,
under which heading are an inquiry into
the decrease OF the food fishes within the
waters OF the United States and chap.
ter on the propagation Of food tishe'; then
follows an account Of the actual work
which has been accomplished in the pro.
ragalion Of such fishes during the years
covered by the report, and tables OF
Matching and distribution. The whole
work is carefully indexed, which, OF
| cnnrsa trehIea Tia yalue,
The importance Of pisciculture must
be measured by the fact that there has OF
late been great danger that if nature
were left to herself the supply Of edible
ish, which forms so great a part OF the
subsistence Of man, would coon be serious
| ly diminished. London annually re.
ceiyes,from the North Sea about as many
pounds Of fsh as Il consumes Of beef,
and in the season Of 1885, 6S0,000,00O
pounds OF shad and herring were taken
from the Potomac. II cutting off OF
supplies like these Ia threatened at a
time when there is such a danger Of "de.
pecorationn--or the obliteration Of edi-
Bile quadrupeds-as was talked Of in En'
rope not long ago, it is evident that
money Is well spent when 1t is laid out
In way which gives such ample returns
as have already been yielded by the arti.
fetal introduction and cultivation Of fish.
OF late several European governments
have turned their attention to this matter,
and, az Professor Baird's report shows,
have been greatly aided by the United
ststes, and yet so late az 1868, when Mr..
Seth Green, to whose labors our piscicul.
tural success is largely due, impertuned
Congress for a small appropriation Of
money with which TO carry out his ex.
periments, it was peremtorily refused, and
Mr. Green himself was looked upon as
little better than crazy enthusiast.
Having shown that the water can be cul.
tiya,ed even more successfully than the
land for the good 81 man and at far less
expenditure Of time, trouble aud money,
Mr.. Green has right to smile at conser'
NATIVES as they once smiled at him.
In pursuance Of a law passed early IN
| i 81 The President appointed Commits.
sioper Of Fish and Fisheries, whose duty
il was 10 investigate the alleged diminu-
ton in the supply Of edible fishes along
the sea. coast and in tho lakes Of the
United States, and il the existance Of
such ialIing.off should be proved, to sug.
gest proper methods for restoring the
Fuppiy. In the second year Of Its work
The additional duty Of propsgatipg and
introducing fish was laid upon the COM
mission, and through the Offices Of the
American Fish Cullurists' Association
grant OF $4,000 was given by Congress
Tor the purpose Of restoring fish to our
depIeteL waters, and since then the ap.
propriation has increased year by year.
Many comparisons will be necessary &C.
tualIy to prove TO what extent our supply
Of food fsh IL falling away, but that the
defamation is steadily going on has been
we'll enough shown in the cases OF many
Of our rivers, such as the Hudson, in this
State where sturgeon once a6ounded,
and the Columbia, in California, in which
there was thought to he an inexhaustible
supply OF salmon until II was found that
The actual catch during given year was
appreciably less than the preceding. :,
'As Professor Baird saya, during any oil
The last few years only from six to ten
million pounds Of herring and chad were
caught 10 the Potomac, whereas, az has
been shown, forty years ago 6S0,00O, 600
pounds OF them were taken during the
dix weeks fishing season. The diminu-
don was evidently mainly due to reck-
less fishing, for 1t Is incredible that the
ocean should not be to-day as we'll able
10 send ils fish up 10 the spawning grounds
as ever twas. 1t is the shad, the fresh
water herring, the California salmon, the
different varieties Of carp and the white
6sh which II Is especially important 10
preserve, as they are excellent food and
Enormously prolific; the commission
would introduce the shad into every
river opening into the Atlantic. Mr..
areen placed 10000, 900 Of them In the
Connecticut River, and 1.-The result has
been that mol long ago $500 shad were
caught in one net,which was q greater
haul than had previously been made du.
ring this century. Within the last month
Mr. Sutherland, Of this city, has exhibited
Connecticut salmon also weighing as
much a. thirteen pounds. Shad also
Visit rivers Of California now where they
were never seen before. The vast i'm
i bortance Of tish culture Ia thus apparent,
especially when II Ia remembered that In
4 10 nature the great possible increase Of
hsh-which In the case oithe sturgeon Is
million TO one-iH nearly all lost,
whereas by using artificial means Of i'm
ORIGINATING the eggs and preserving the
young 1t can nearly all be saved.
i Since the commencement OF fsh'breed-
| log operations blythe United States the
| interest in the subject has greatly increas'
ID, az IL shown by the number Of State
commissions which have been appointed
| In 1871 the whole number Of tiSh com,
missions in actual operation was made up
Of those Of Maine, Massachusetts,, Con
necticut Rhode leland, New York, New
Tarsav pannRylvAniA and California