The daily gazette., 1883-02-22
THE CULTURE OF FISH.
REPORT OF FISHERY COMMITS
.stoNER MOORE.
HIS OPERATIONS FOR TWO YEARS.
Recommendation for An Increased APP
Propriation-wha Delaware Can Ac-
sonpifsh IN Pisoiunltare.

The following is the first biennial report
Of Fish Commissioner Moore, which Is fol
the years 1881 and 1882, which has beer
cent 10 Governor stockley, and Will be pre-.
sented 70 the Legislature next week
"7b Hs Exeelsncy Me Gover,.oy and
mem6ers Of the Legislature Of the STATE
Of Dsldware
have the honor 10 transmit herewith my
| report as Commissioner Of Fish and Fisheries
for the years 1881 and 1882. g
On March ~, 1881, the General Assembly
passed an act empowefin0the Governor to
appoiHta Commissioner Of Fish and Fish
cries for the State Of Delaware. l received
my commission on April 90, 1881, and i'm
mediately entered upon the duties of the
office. went to Washington, and through
the kindness Of Professor g. r. Baird, United
States Fish Commissioner, arranged TO dis
tribute Delaware's quota of German carp,
the only fish being distributed by the United
States Government.
gave due notice in the papers that was
ready to supply all those desiring 70 propa-
gate fsh. ! had many applications from
all parts Of the State, including Brandywfne
Hundred, Clayton, Camden, Centerville,
Dover, Ellendale, Frederica, FELTON,, Frank.
ford, GreenvilIe, Georgetown, Glassboro,
Hockessin, Kenton, Laurel, Lewes, Laba.
non, Milford, McDonough, MiIlsboro, Mid
dletown, Newark, New Castle, Odessa,
Rockland, Rehoboth, seaford, Smyrna st.
Georges and Wilmington.
{ Pendeavhred to supply all applicants but
may have missed some as the distribution
was made from the cars as they stopped at
each stationAnd consequently was hurriedly
done.
This being The first year OF the fish COM
"a II
placed their fieh in mill ponds and at this
early date are unable 10 tell the progress
they have made. Others put theirs In
small ice ponds and have reported their sue
cess, of which l will speak later In my re-
port. have distributed about two thousand
five hundred small fry, giving twenty carp
to each applicant, which, In comparison
with the distribution in some other States
shows a lively interest In fish culture in
Delaware.
The appropriation Is so small, (S30O for
two years, that after deducting the cost Of
cans for transporting fish, stationery, print
ing, ETC., IL does not allow the commissioner
means to incur the expenses necessarily incl
dent 10 the performance Of his duties.
have received many letters inquiring the
manner Of making carp ponds, and have
given the writers the best advice l could.
Certain plans for one place would not an
swer for another, and could the commits
sioner view the grounds he could better
advise.
There is a great future for carp culture
in our State, when our faT .aers understand
that their low, swamp lands, that can be
covered with water from one to three feet
deep, will return them from 500 to $500
per acre after the first three years, and with
a very trifilBg expense. | am often asked,
4
edly It will, judging from the experience of |
those who have taken an interest in raising |
carp.
do not know of food fish that grows |
so rapidly as carp. The small fry, such as |
have been distributing, have been known |
10 grow from two and one-half Inches to |
fifteen inches long in one year.
A pond Of four square rods will supply |
any ordinary family with iood-tlsh, and all |
the food required would come from the |
kitchen, such as turnlp tops, cabbage, fruit |
parings, crusts of bread, etc.
| requested some of those to whom ! dis |
tributed fish in the fall of 1881 to report to |
me their experience. ] have received |
several letters and will quote some of them" |
Then follow letters from Samuel N. |
Trump, of Wilmington, and Hon. Edward |
L. Martin of Seaford, detailing their complete |
success In their piscicultural efforts.
The report then proceeds "This is surely |
great encouragement, and shows what little |
labor is required to make carp culture a
profitable venture. Prof 8. f. Baird, |
United States Fish Commissioner says,
carp have been caught weighing from 60 |
to 20 pounds, and a carp weighing from
four to Eve pounds contains from 400, 900 to |
800; 900 eggs That being the case it would |
not take many years to stock all the streams
,,A IN 20 .arEk1
fish from private ponds l
have received several offers from Cali |
fornia and other Western States and New |
York for all the salmon eggs and other
kinds, well adapted to our waters, that | |
wanted, but have no way to hatch them. |
think they would do very well In any Of
the streams OF our State. They have fine |
flavor, and often weigh 25 pounds. Large |
quantities Of salmon are canned every |
year. s@ta
Last year over 900 salmon fry were |
planted In the Savannah river, Georgia. In |
the past few years much interest has been |
In fish culture throughout the |
United States. Thirty-seven States have |
appointed Fish Commissioners, and nearly !
all have Matching houses and experimental |
ponds.
would recommend a small appropria- |
ton for the purpose of building Matching |
house and experimental pond s..for this State, |
The City Council of Wilmington have made |
q very generous offer Of piece Of ground |
to be used for that purpose only. 1t is well |
adapted for that purpose, being located |
of Cool Spring Reservoir. 1t con- |
tains about three acres and has a never fail |
ing supply Of pure spring water, about forty |
CO. ,000) gallons of water running |
through 1t daily. For small outlay, say |
ave thousand ($5,OO0) dollars, series Of |
ponds could be built and small one-story |
building and all the appliances for hatch |
ing house and experimental ponds put upon |
this ground That this would be great |
benefit to the State ! have no doubt, for |
here could be hatehed eggs of the California |
salmon, land-l locked salmon, trout, carp,
ETC., and annual distributions of the same |
made throughout the State. ! have no |
doubt It could be made great success and |
at very little expense to the State after the |
first cost.
know of number Of our business men |
who have said that If such an enterprise |
were started here they would make yearly |
donation to aid in carrying out the object.
would also recommend an increased ap- |
preparation for the Fish Commissioner, say |
5000 per year The interest that Is now be- |
ing manifested in the matter warrants me |
In saying his duties next year will be almost |
doubled, This sum would enable the Com |
missioner to give more time to the extension |
of fish culture In our State. / have over |
40 applications for carp which / shall at |
tend t6 before the middle of February, 1888, |
showing good beginning for this year.
have considerable correspondence con- |
cerniup the manner of building earn ponds |