The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1881-05-21
FISH CULTURE.
Commissioner Seth Green Tells All
About Ii.

The subject of fish culture is ene
that is fast growing in interest. and
increasing in popularity and useful
ness, in all parts of the world. AL
though fish culture was first practiced
in the old countries we are to-day far
ahead of them in almost everything
pertaining to the art. Many of the
ideas that have originated in this
country have been forwarded to our
friends over the sea, and they are fast
making use of our Improvements !;
and through the interchange of
knowledge it will not he long before
we will all be on an equal footing.
Although, as have said at owe, we
as a nation are far ahead Of other
countries, in the artificial propagation
OF fish still, from my daily expert
ence in the way of correspondence
and conversation with parties with
whom / am brought in contact, / find
that comparatively few have more
than a m'ager understanding of the
practical points Of what is necessary
to carry on Ash culture, even in a
small way. Perhaps can not better
explain few Of the leading points
necessary to ehtain satisfactory re.
suits, than to give you a little of my
fl ST experience.
When l commenced active opera.
tions in fish culture in the year 1864,
| soon learned that the great draw.
back to- success in the artificial pro.
duction of fish was the small percen-
tage Of the eggs taken that could he
impregnated by the only methed
known at that time. First let me
state for the benefit of your readers.
who may not know, that eggs or
spawn produced by the female are
impregaated by mixing in a pan with
the milt or spermatozOa produced by
the male, and they must be brought
in contact as quickly as possible after
they have left the fish. The old
method. and one which I USED in my
first experiments, was to take the
spawn and milt in a pan full or nearly
so of water; by this process but 25
per cent. of the eggs thus taken were
impregnated-that is, 25 per cent.
was the best percentage thatanybody
had ever succeeded in impregnating.
and from that down. / made up my
mind that, if out of every one hun
dred egges took l should he obliged
To pick out seventy five that were of
no use, that there could not be much
profit in the business.
l set my wits to work aud soon
settled on an experiment which.
though simple, proved great sue
cess. To be brief, the SUCCESS was
acconL Llished by taking the spa wn
and milt in dry pan, without the
use of any water, and in this way l
lmpregnated from so to 100 per cent.
on the average. improvements are
constantly being made in fish culture
apparatus, but there is no probability
that there will ever bs any way dis.
covered of bettering this process of
impregnation.
My first operations and expert
ments were made with brook trout.
as they commanded high market
price and our waters were fast being
depleted of this valuable variety ol
fish and as there is ne better fish 10
experiment with, l will give you.
readers few ideas of the way in
which they can be cultivated in the
easiest manner and with the least
outlay.
There is scarcely farm in the Uni.
ted States but what has spring OF
stream of cCld, clear water flowing
through it, the temperature of which
ranges from $50 Fahrenheit In. the