The New York herald., 1878-03-01
ICTITHYOLOGTSTS.
Close Of the American Fish CuluristS'
Deliberations.
E E l. S AN D. S III A D.
Facts Relating to the Salmon Trout
and Mackerel.

Market Fshmongers' Association, foot Of beekman
street. still larger attendance than that OF the pre-
vious day scsted the rapidly growing Interest winch
is evidently beng felt The subject Of hsh culture and
the fishing trade generally Thepresident Mr. Robert
b. Roosevelt, having called The meeting to order,
stated he understood proposed to add come
amendments 10 the constitution OF the association,
and suggested that they be submitted before the ord-
nary business OF the Convention was entered upon.
MIR. Barnet Phillips, the secretary, then read the
proposed amendments, one of which was 10 change
the OF the Fish Cul,ursts Association 10 that OF
the Fish Cultural Associations; another that the Ex-
ecutive Committee should be increased from three to
sevon members, and another that The society would
in future all questions regarding fish Of scien-
tiic economic character Alter a desultory debate,
In which occasionai ebuitions Of ichthyoiogcai
humor were observable, the amendments were unani-
mously adopted
On the report of the Nominating Committee the
following officers elected for the ensuing years:
Robert b. Roosevelt, president; George Shepperd
Page, vice PRESIDENT Eugene G. Backord, treasurer;
Barnet Philips, secretary and H. J. Reeder Fred
erick Mather, J. W. Miner, W. F. Wnitcher Seth
Green and H. D. McGovern, executive committee
THE FISH MARKET
Mr.. Eugene G. Black lord read interesting treatise
''The Peculiar Features oi the F'sn Market"
which, among other matters, embraced report upon
leading objects of sale at various seasons in Now
York. l. commenced by setting forth that The supply
of shad was not remarkable, either as to size or
quality. during the season OF 1877 1t was not abun
dant In either Northern Southern waters. In the
Middle States Virginia and Maryland supplied but few
shad TO New York. much smaller proportion coming
from the Potomac than for several years past One
pcculiarity of the OF the Potomac is that tho
icmalc nsh are all very fully matured, with csgs
much further advanced III condition than those OF
any other shad coming into the market In
these Potomac fish tho quality is impaired by this
ovcrrpeness, IN many instances the roe beng worth
less as food. The harvest CT shad from the Hudson
River last year was not up to the average, and was
necessary law should be passed restricting fish.
ermen from using their nets for ut least one entire
day per week durlng the ushng season. SO that
spawning 1sn may have an opportunity TO ascend the
stream and ef+cL thor spawning. Unt ibis Is done
we shall be able to increase tho number Of shad
ir the North River. We call upon this association to
give i,s aid remcdying this everlasting ana 10 uso
lis efforts induce legislators 10 pass such laws as
viii restrict Tho periods OF shad Ashiug. In the Con-
nect,cut river snud IS also decreasing from the
caase. II IS not Tor single year, then, that tLe
preventing overnshing IN river, but Tor
4 series of years If 1t takes. as IS
asserted three years TO produce crop OF snad, ~
Ibis sprng about preventing the gravid shad,
born III 1s74 from reproducing their kind The price
OF shad during the last season had very little TO DO
win productlon The price is affected by many acc-
dental causes. Shad may be IN good demand, IN not
very IA uuautily, mhCkerel come IN ana
make shad very cheap The leading position shad oc-
cuped ten years ago in New York market, as an ur
tcle OF fish ood has somewhat lowered of late The
reason Is that New YORK; with Increased iacities Of
draws itself all the best sh OF the
seaboar and is not dependent as II used 70 be on
| q single variety OF fish,
| We receive in Now York salmon IRON the Pacific
| ana Atlantic coasts Tue Pacific Salmon lsalmo
oulnnut, is not as highly esteemed as the Atlantic
isn and docs nol command high price, The guam
| lity oil The Atlantic scimon (salmo saar) sent Into
market was unusually large. Owing TO improved
| IsttA In frnn
| from new sources--the Bay OF Chaieur, the pesti-
gouche aud Niramiche rivers. The salmon caught
in New England form very small proportion OF the
| total quantity, though they Command the highest
price. rhe first salmon coming into New York are
derived the Provinces, and when arriving IN the
later part OF February Will bring much 81 so per
pourd Ii IL not Tor the methods oi reiiisera-
tIon which prevents gut IN the mark't which pro-
absorbs the surplus salmon might DO sold at SIX
| cents per pound
HAVING In former years, after some slight difficult
| tics succeeded N introducing the pompano-tiat
most delicate OF all fish. sn which We belicve TO be
the finest OF ali table tsh beng ~ tact the rival
OF he turbot-we have that the pampano last
year was rarely received Ia our markets IRON south
| ern waters. The supply from Norfolk and from
| chesapeake Bay was almost entirely wanting. The
Abundance Of salmon in the waters of tho Dominion
Is due the legislation which prevents the fish,
there from caching salmon day In and dAy out
during the open season.
| FISHING.
The president having invited an expression OF the
opinions members In relation 10 The matters set forth
In the above paper, Mr. Seth Grcen sad thnt IN regard
to shad fishing there were now twenty Usher
men where there was but Que when the
| the waters OF New York State. AS a
conscauence the number of fish spawning had greatly
decreased. but II the fishing was prohioted on one
DAY each week they could hatcn several millions
| moro annually. Oi late years No. shad have been
| sold between AIbany and Bal 10 Tor twenty i've
cents each. In 1861 when he went 10 the Hudson
River TO hatch shad, they we're sold at forty cents
eacn u, ice which placed them bey ond the Of
tue mechanic ana the laUcribg man. The process OF
hatching successful that III 1870 aooi shad
we're selling ut Ave cents each, ana as consequences
\ ruti In lf.sIf mi mo
result OF shad hatchpg III The Connecticut RIVER
The practice OF setting uut pound net was most de-
strucve to the hsh anu should Dc proh,bited In tho
Western waters the fishermen nave nets every lew
mies strong enough to stop steamboat, asd these
tinues wo cannot expect the supply to hold out ex
ccpt BY resortlng TO artificial hatching. GIVE US a
closed term against these fishermen, and we Will
| make the North River alive with shad.
| POUND NETTING.
Professor Campbel related nis experience in tho
and It's fleet upon the Dish. Before this Practice
was commenced no SAID, weak 1sn used 10 DC
taken IN large numbers, but OF late years
il mas been almost Impossible 10 naa one
owing to tue continuous line VI nets lie was IL
favor OF having law passed compelling The Usher
| men to raise the pound nets from Friday night to
| Monday morning ia lne spawning seasun Other
members also spoke OF the pernciou effects OF pound
out any inlet oil hsu in short time, ana that the
nsn VIII never come back again. The net, lie said,
was irsi used New England, ana ID as clectual a
trap as though person lxrd 10 a pasture green
sward sucn manner tlat when cattle
trod upon II they would tall To their
knees Into deep pit IL gave the lsh chance
at all for If any fish got on the opposite size oil the
pound net they were drowncl he pound nets VIII
clean out "a whole family oi nsh in season. They
capable OF cleaning out the ertirc upper lakes,
and II continued IN use we snalI have 90 depend
| wholly OIL arthcial propagation to ~ any nsh.
Professor Miner read paper snad Matching,
| which set forth that the Maryland Fish COmnis
sioner, Major /. Is. Ferguson, commenced operations
May s, 1877, at Havro ue Grace Nd. wBcrc the Sus
| quenanna pours It's waters into chesapeake Bay
III winch vicinity the seInes ana gl nets very
mcrous. GA the night oI May IL The ConmiAsioner's
men took $50, ,O0v suad esgs Major Ferguson then
sent word tuut he roauy TO cooperate with The
United states COinissOIurs IN tye work OF Laicnns
| abd distributing, when Professor Bard and others
| proceeded Havre dc Grace, ana under their
| JOINT work about S,I4000O Lsh we're bached, tho
larger portion beng consigned 10 adjacent waters
| The hatculng t0uc with mover and enicient
apparatus VIII ch marks OF the greatest advances
iu isn culture yet maze. IL was process by winch
| fish were hutchcd by steam ihe eggs we're not
steamed in a cuIlcnder but ten horse power steam
| wing LII mo Ill Il raYOlllI nlu1K 4