National Republican., 1880-07-10
MILLIONS OF MACKEREL.
Successful Experiments in the Ches-
apeake.
An Important Discovery in Fish- Culture
Spanish maokcrel successfully IIatohed
in Maryland Waters go Inyestiga-
tions Which May Revolution
ize The Chesapeake Fish
cries s. The Scnson.
Spanish Mackercl in the chesapon.c.

just finished a series of experiments on the
Chesapeake under the auspices Of tho United
States fish commission, showing that tho
Spanish mHckercl, fish so delicious in nav or
and SO difficult to obtain that it commands
the highest prices 10 the markets, can be propa-
gated by artificial means as successfully
as the shad, cod, salmon carp and other fishes
to which tho commission hav e devoted much
attention. The discovery will be of great
importance to tho fishermen Of southern WA
ters, rs the Spanish mackcrel is fish peculiar
to our southern coast Mr.. Eurll was designated
as agent of the fish commission to gather
statistics for the census Of the fisheries of tho
entire Atlantic coast. lie WAS connected with
the Matching operations ut Gloucester and
other places, aud had charge of the only ex-
periments ever made in haiching cod. These
experiments were mado in 1878 and 1879 ut
Gloucester. S veral millions of cod were
hatohed, and the young fish following Tho
strong instinct Of fishes, all returned to tho
waters in the vicinity Of Gloucester last car.
Tho result of these experiments 1t is believed,
oflera practical solution Of the international
fishery troubles, for it Is the opinion Of Pro-
iessor Baird and others that in few years
American fshormen will not be obliged to
invade British waters in search Of cod. Mr..
Earll while pursuing his investigations for
fishery statistics accidentally came upon the
Spanish mackcrcl in MOhjack bay, an arm Of
the Chesapeake, about Juuo /. Going over to
the east side of the Chesapeake, ho found tho
fish in much greater numbers in the vicinity
OF Crisfield. To tho local fishermen II has
been known for years that the mackerel came
there, but nothing was known MS to whero
and when they spawned. Mr.. Earll found
that the fish were then just beginning to
spawn. Coming TO Washington, no reported
these facts TO Professor Baird, and Professor
D.,.. L.
make full investigation aud report, aud to
hatch, If possible. Under these instructions
Mr.. Earl returned to Crisfield about ten days
ago and prepared such Matching apparatus as
be rough material at his command would af-
ford. His experiments were entirely salts
factory. Ho succeeded in Matching three or
four different lots, numbering in all Mt least
half million fish. Specimens of each days
progress were preserved in alcohol and will
be placed in tho national museum. Mr.. Earll,
In studying the nature of the fish, was surprised
to find that they would hatch in the short space
of eighteen hours after bringing the spawn
of the female and tho milk of tho maG
together. 1t requires from two TO Eve days
to hatch shad aud from eight to twelve days TO
hatch cod. Thus while the hatchng steamer
is Matching one lot of shad or other lsh II can
bo hntahins so-, roi lots Ur spanish mackerol,
so that the work Of stocking waters with the
fish will bo greatly accelerated. Another
point of great value, discovered during tho
experiments, is that the Matching season will
come in midsummer after the shad season,
which closes the 1st of July, is ovur. and tho
| operations with Spanish mackerel will not in-
tcrfere with salmon and cod hatGhing in
o, her parts. From 100000 to 800 900 eggs can be
taken from a maclSerc at 4 single time, whllo
shad will only produce from 10000 to 10000.
| Professor Baird will probably send the hatch-
| ing steamer Lookout under the direction OF
Major Ferguson, Immediately TO the Chcsl-
| peakc, and should the work be continued until
| the cosc of the spawning season, late in Sep
tember, probably l0O,OOO0OO fish will have
been placed in tho waters Of the Chesapeake
at various points 1t will bo entirely feasible
to transport quantities of the yuumg fish by
stenmer to Delaware bay or the sounds of the
North Carolina coast. The Spanish mackerel
has been supposed to be unable to live in auv-
thing but the salt water of the sea, but Mr..
Earll has established the ftct that the young
fish will thrive in hrackish water. While at
Crisfeld Mr.. Elrll prospected fora permanent
Matching station, which Proto sor Baird will
probably locate on the eastern shore of Mary
land, below Crisleld The fishermen took
great interest in the Matching process, and
heartily co-operatea with Mr.. Earll, evidently
apprcciating the importance of his labors rs
affecting thoir own future prosperity. Tho
most serious obstacle that had to be over
come In prOpagIling mackerel after ascertain
ing the spawning season was the delicate phy-
sicsl nature Of the ish, requiring much moro
careful treatment than the harder fish of tho
| northern waters. The Young mAckercl, Just
set free, when they return next year will
be two inches long. The second year they
Will attain q length OF from eight inches 10
one foot. In the next two or three years they
will grow to weigh anywhere irCm two or
| three to eight pounds, and they aro then
ready for muket Eight pounds is consi,!-
cred to be an unusually heavy weight for
fish. One uf the specimens secured by Mr.
| Earll was Of this sz~. Tho Spanish mack
erel is considered a great dulcaGy lpI the la
bic. When most pGmty II sells la The market
No twenty aud twenty-five cents uuuud, and
whom rare brings Us much ~ II pound. 10
| is expected that within few years now
Spanish mackercl viii sell as uhoaply IN tho
market rs tho most ordinary Gsh Though
man may moi be able TO improve upon The pro.
cGsScs Of nature, the work accomplished hy
the fish commission shows that ho can asst
nature very much. In the Matching uf fish IN
the natural way, II is u matter of chance
whether the eggs become iuprcgna,ud or not.
Tho female fish deposits Its spawn aud the
male fish emits its milk" When by chance
the milk and spawn drift together, the pro-
cess OF mprcgnnton follows, Ia the natural
way II is computed that only ahou, ona ,gg In
1000 becomes mprognated. BY the artificial
way fully eighty per cent. Of the eggs are de-
vcloped into fish. When fish are Matched in
the natural way large numbers of the young
are doVUured by larger fish. Tho fish commits
sion, however, cares for its wards until they
are large enough to shin for thrmSo so
that artificial propagation shows enormous
gains in comparison with the natural process.
Nature supplies the forces and the fish COM
mission supplies the brains.