The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1883-10-05
The FATHER OF FISH
CULTURE.

Experiences.
(rurf, Field and Farm.)
Show did you eyer come to devise
this scheme %
u have been working at it ever
since was large enough to bend a
PIN
The above remark was addressed
to Mr.. Seth Green, the veteran fish
culturist, who is known to the entire
world, and his reply indicates the ex-
tent of his labors.
"When l was quite young" he con-
tlnued, 81 would lie on the limbs of
trees that reached over the water en-
tire afternoons watching the move
ments of the fish and studying their
habits, In this way l discovered
many characteristics which were be-
tore unknown. | saw, as every OBJ
server must see, the destructive
elements that are warning against fish,
and L realized that unless something
were done, the life in the streams of
this country would become extinct.
TO counterfeit this disastrous end be-
came my life work and l am happy
20 say / have seen its accomplish
ment."
"Were YOU successful on the
start %
"No, indeed. Up to that time all
artificial attempts to hatch and raise
fish from the spawn had failed and |
was compelled to experiment in an
entirely new manner. The work was
a careful and tedious one, but l Fl
nally succeeded, and to-day l am
able to hatch and raise fully seventy
five per cent. of all spawn"
Enormous Why that is larger
percentage than either the vegetable
or animal Kingdoms produce in a
natural condition"
r. 81 know it, but we exercise the
greatest care in the start and guard
the little fellows until they become
able to care for themselves"
The foregoing conversation &C.
CURED at Caledonia where the repre-
sentative of this paper was paying a
visit to the state fish hatcheries. 1t
has been his privilege to report very
many interesting sights within the
past twenty-five years, but the view
presented here exceeds in interest
anything ever before attempted.
EcI thnr in, fhoca
ponds, Mr.. Green 20
GAS we have never attempted to
count them it will be impossible to
say. They extend way up into the
millions though. We shipped over
three millions out of the ponds this
year and there seemed to be as many
afterward as before. We have nearly
every variety of the trout family and
many hybrids."
"You speak of ny birds, Mr.. Green.
What do you mean by that ?"
81 have experimental for years in
crossing the breed of the various fish
and am still working upon it. We
cross the female salmon trout with
the male brook trout, and thus pro-
duce a hybrid. Then we cross the
hybrid with the brook trout, which
gives us three quarter brook trout
and one-quarter salmon trout. This
makes one of the finest fishes in the
world. He has all the habits of the
brook trout, lives in both streams
and lakes, develops vermillion spots
on his sides, rises readily to fly, is
far more vigorous and fully one third
larger than ordinary brook trout of
the same age. The possibilities of
development in the fish world are
great and we are rapidly ascertaining
what they are"
AS the man of news watched the
countenance of Mr.. Green while he
was giving the above account, he
could not but feel that he was in the
presence of one of the few investiga-
tors who, from a rich and lifelong
experience, bring great benefit to the
world. Let the reader imagine a
strong and stalwart frame, surmount-
ed by a head strongly resembling
that of Socrates, and covered with a
white silky beard and luxuriant gray
hair. Seth Green, the father of fish
culture, is picture of health, and the
reporter could not help remarking SO.
"If you had seen me the last win
ter and spring, young man, you
might have thoughr differently" said
the veteran.
elbow is that? One would think
TO look at you, that sickness was
something of which you knew moth
ing"
sand so it was until last winter.
went down into Florida in the fall
TO see what kind of fish they had
in that state and study their habits