New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-11-27

EXPERIMENTING WITH TIE OYSTER
very important series Of experiments in the ar
icial propagation Of the oyster is now III progress
These experiments have already determined one I'M
portant fact which NAV indeed be called discovery
| 1t has been found HAT artificial npregnaioh on
oysters rs well as ~ fish, ~ entirely ptac'chpv;
| Major Ferguson who il at the hrad OF the MalyAHu
| Fish Commission and ~ also Z one of Professor
Bards assistants. - now having constructed unnci
his direction on oyster park near FONT LoomouI
on Chesapeake Bay. Tbs park VIII bear general
resemblance to those IN France. but hri1uai prop
agation which has not been Iied III that country,
| will be resoItod to here. 80 49,
Young oyster Is described bv Professor Baird ms n
| caprIcous animal. nmble rs shrimp and lively
| as flea. Its activity is uncessing and u never
thing To which IL can cling. WHOM II at once settles
down for liie If this does not happen early IN ITS
career the young oyster perishcs. Unusually low
temperature OF the water, or storm which drives
the young 10 sea- are also fruitful causes OF infant
mortality among oysters To prevent these fataIles
as tar as possible, oyster parks are designed
place on he seashore selected dles arc butt and
gates so adjusted that tho parks can be HOODED
30 any required depth with sea-wa'er, when can
| be drawn off when desired The bottoms OF these
ponds covered with clean bricks tiles, OF oyster
shells, and sometimes the branches Of pine ana Diner
trees are planted at intervals In these artificial
ponds The parent oysters are deposited heh the
young oysters appear they are safe from the dangers
which would surround them elsewhere. and they
| soon find resting places.
Professor Baird assured THE TRIBUNE correspond
cut that IN ali probability large part OF the shores
Of Chesapeake Bay will within fifteen years be COW
cred with oyster parks The decadence of the ovs-
ter fisheries has Tor some years attracted CONSIDER
able attention, and more recently has caused grave
alarm, especially IN localities where the oyster IN
dustrV extensive. While the quantity OF oysters
taken each year has not materially diminished, the
fact that the oyser-beds are be ne rapidly ex-
hausted has become scli-eydent. Year by year tie
amount OF capital ana number Of abOrers employed
produce given quantity ofoysaers aveincTeased.
At the present rate the time when the native oyster
beds Will be- practically exhausted, and the Industry
wholly destroyed, not far distant, unless somc ar
tHcial means keep up the supply are adopted.
Professor Bard is confident that the work begun
nrder the auspices OF the Fish Commission will
lead TO results which VIII save the oyster trade OF
The United States from destruction.
wmrEFIsn AND CALIFORNIA TROUT.
Two species of American fresh wafer fish have
been included III the work of propagation thus far
undertaken by the Commission These the
whlteGSh of the Upper Lakes aud the California
trout. For several years there have been many in
dicationS that the whitefsh rapidly diminish
Ing in numbers. Many favOrite fishing grounds mad
been abandoned altogether and at others only lew
fish were taken where formerly the supply seemed
ineXhaustiblc. Even on the distant and famous
fishing grounds of Lake Superior the yearly catch
was RAPIDLY dwindling, and IN some Al
most n failure. When affairs were III this condition.
and II annpared thnt fayorte source OF food supply
for he West about to fail altogether, the Fish
Commission established a station az Worthwhile,
Michigan. and began operations ] he artificial
matter and already about 90, 0000 600 of the young
have been placed in the water al that place.
Formerly Immense numbers OF w"lteiish were
taken in Detroit River. Professor Baird has recent
IN received Information to the effect that while very
few wh.tehsh of merchandise size were taken IN
that river this year. yet IDyrIads OF hsh OF the
same species, evidently one or Two years DID, were
Several OF the States bordering on the lakes have
established Fish Commissions, and these, as well as
the Canadian Fish Commission. have also paid con-
siderable attention to the propagation OF whlehsh.
There Is therefore, good prospect that within
limited period abundant supply OF these valuable
fish will be secured aud maintained.
Several years ago the attention OF Professor BalId
was attracted TO the California trout as valuable
food fish, 4 Matching station for these fish was cs
tablished the McCOud River. in California. some
distance from the salmon station before mentioned.
Last year about 100000 of the OF this fish were
brought East and distributed. II is expected that
several million more eggs al this fish Will be dis
tributed during the coming winter. The nsh re-
sembles the Eastern specked trout in some particu
lar. The spots on its sides are black instead of red
or yellow, and it attalns larger SIZE than the
speckled front of the East. This fish Is much more
hardy than the ordinary specked trout, and
will thrive IN water so warm that the IatIer nsh
would soon die II kept in 1t. The California front
will do well in the streams Of Virginia, South Caro-
lima, Georgia, and the southern States generally,
and will therefore, form valuable addition 10 the
food fishes of the South as well as of the Middle
Besides the German carp, the only foOdtfsh winch
has thus far been introduced into tins country from
Europe by the Commission for the purpose OF prOpa-
cation is the fish known in England as the char, a
delicate fish resembling the trout. These fish spawn
in rivers and will thrive in ponds and interior lakes.
As they live the bottoms of the ponds and lakes,
they can be- successfully introduced III the same
waters with bass and other fish which swim
the snriace.
There is a great demand in Europe for the salmon
Of our Pacific coast, and the Fish Commission has
seat salmon eggs abroad and received the char
i'll exchange.
A majority Of the States have established Fish
Commissions, and these besides cooperating with the
United states Commission. devote much attention
to the propagation and stocking Of then interior
waters with different species of fish.
The United States Fish Commission confines its
efforts the public waters Oi the country and TO the
introduction of desirable food fishes from abroada
work which individuals or States would be unlikely
tOundertake.