New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-04-19
MODERN FISH CULTURE.

The International Fishery Exhibition opens
Mt Berlin O-mOrrOw. There is every reason to be-
lieye thai the American exhibition will equal
! that of any other country, even Germany. Pro-
fessor Baird, chief of the United States Fish
Commission, and Professor GOOde of the Smith
sOnian Institution have the matter in CHARGE the
appropriation Of 100000 from Congress would
not 20 far toward paying the expenses OF the
exhibit had it not already been in almost COM
plete order for removal. II is the first time that
the United States has ever been suitably repre-
sented IN any single point at an International
Exhibition, except her own, and even in Phila-
delphia the display made by us was of the shop,
SLOPPY, rather than picturesque OF dramatic
complete setting forth of our resources as ma
ton. There was, for example, not single sign
or indication from which q foreigner could
gather that he was in vast cOttOn-grOWing
country. Only one State limited that she had coal
within her borders. The enormous grain fields
were represented Ivy few faded stalks OF corn.
As our failures In such exhibitions have been
marked heretofore, 1t is but natural that the
Dublic should feel q lively interest in the very
creditable display which, thanks to Professor
Baird. we hope to make at Berlin. The set OF
casts representing all American fishes, with
which most of our readers became familiar in
Philadelphia, will be shown. The Fish Com
mission of this State send full exhibit of their
Matching and pIOpagating apparatus, with spec
linens of artiicialy bred fish. Not only all the
appliances for breeding fish, but those for kill
ing them will be shown. The scientific fish fan
cer the angler and the epicure all are to be sat-
isfed The display Of canned, dried and salt
fish, especially oysters in every condition, is re-
ported to be complete. Our oyster and fish
dealers propose to make as vigorous an assault
upon European markets as our beef and wheat
growers have done. With this end they ,ntend
to send fresh bivalveS and fish over weekly dur
ing the exhibition.
1t is the first International cOnvocation Of
fish cultursts in which Americans have taken
any prominent part Pisciculture is compar-
atively new science in this country, andis pop
ulary regarded as a curious diettante pursuit
for wealthy fsh-fanciers, rather than an active
and highly profitable trade which it really is.
Since the artificial breeding Of fish was re-dis-
covered by the poor fisherman Remy in the
YOsgcs, the business has grown to gigantic pro-
portions in Europe; the careful painslaking
Germans and Scotch proving most successful
in it. Our far off cousins, the Chinese, however
knew all about it thousands of years ago. as
they did about ost things which demand close
observation and skilful manipulation. Carp
were artifcially bred by them, it Is stated, long
before the Ming dynasty.
. 1t will be many years before ash-breeding can
become as profitable in this country as it was to
the Chinese, and is now to the Germans, French
and Scotch, simply because it is less necessary,
with our present inexhaustible food supply.
But the day is probably soon coming when
shrewd spectators will try the truth of the
maxim that an acre Of water is az profitable as
an acre Of land, if we know how to work it.