New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-07-27
CODFISH-WHY AND WHENCE
HE TIIRIvES IN COLD WATER On CAPLIN.
HERRING AND SQUID.

frAoM STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUSHl
St Johns, Newfoundland. July G.
Many people, / am sure, will be curious to know
why the Goldfish inhabits the waters around New
foundland rather than those in other attitudes
The answer APPLY illustrates the operations of
Natures great law Of compensation. Tie Arctic
regions, bleak and dcsOlate as they are for the
purposes of human habitation. furnish 10 all the
lcep-sea commercial fishes their natural ana agree
able home The Arctic current, rushing south
ward from the Spitzbergen seas along the coasts
Of Labrador Newfoundland, Canada and the
United States until it is divided and dissipatcd by
the warm waters of the Gulf Stream, is densely
crowded with marine life, each variety of which
has some relation with every other. In the polar
seas immense of what might be called colored
water are constantly observed. The color is con-
tributed by organic life. The sea Is covered by
q sort of living slime This is brought down by
the enormous squadrOns of polar ice which float
southwark in the Arctic current, and it gives
sustcnance 70 the millions of minute crustaceans
which inhabit the northern seas. These in their
turn become the food of the small sheish upon
which live the caplln, squd and herring, and
these, finally, become the prey of the mighty and
greedy cod.
The cod is king wherever he lives. lie is
fishes hc is incomparably the most useful No
part of him is without function in the service
Of man. His head, bones and intcstines are used
in the manufacture of a rich fcrtllizing compost.
lsnghss is made from his swimming bladder.
The roe is exported as bait for the French sardne
fishery The liver is famous for the great curative
oil that is extracted from il, and the rest OF the
cod Is pure flesh Ills home In the waters OF the
Northern and Western Atlantic extends over about
1900 square miles and along coast-line from
Labrador to Cape Ilatteras which in all IFS sinu.
ostics is about $500 miles long OF this vast
hunt over 100000 square miles in area and over
5000 miles in lateral extent appertain to tie
British possessions. The temperature of the waters
within which he keeps himself does not greatly
vary from 80 degrees to Az.
The old theory that the cod is q migratory fish,
though it Is still cherished among the fishermen,
has been conclusiyely disprOvcd. The range OF
his movements is not wide and is governed by
three things-the spawning instinct, the food sup
ply and the temperature of the water. The law
of his being moves him TO return to the place oil
his own birth for reproductive ends. and the hab-
its which this involves have gradually resulted IN
the natural processes OF evolution, in the creation
OF slight differences, which may almost be said
10 mark species. Some fishermen are so familiar
and tell the very harbor he born in. The
spawning is done at no great distance from the
shore, this being one of the purposes which bring
all the fishes of the Labrador current inShor
during the first weeks Of June. The spawn is
cast free into The sea, where it floats near the
surface, going through all the processes OF de-
yelopment in about sixteen days II leaves the
shallow water when six months Old, but II con-
tinucs to he an inshore fish until 1t is fully grown
This is accomplished with the completion OF It's
fourth year, and then it makes its home in tue
deep waters of the Grand BanK. 1t is quite con-
clusvely settled that the only difference between
the cod Of the shore and the cod Of the Banks is
difference of age The older fish is much the
finer commercially, and therefore the Bank fish
cry, Systematically pursued, is the more profitable
s The Grand Bank is rocky submarine plateau,
covering from north to south about nine degrees
oil latitude and of longitude from three TO i've
degrees Its depth below the ocean varies from
50 feet to 800 and IFS southern and western
sides descend precipitatciy 10 a depth of from
5000 to $4,000 feet. 1t possesses many slopes
and valleys and much remarkable submarine veec-
taticn The Banks are said to be gradually ris
ing though 10 what this is due scientists have
not clearly resolved. In a slight but perccptlble
derret.t is due TO the deposit of glacial drift
from the icebcrgs, which melt rapidly as they
cross the Banks Thus do the giant forces OF
Nature recrcate the earth.
So soon as the caplin fash their silvery scales
in the sunlight about the coasts the fishermen
become active This generally occurs as the
month Of June opens. The caplin pronounce II
cape-lin) is ono of the most beautiful little fishes
in the sea. II Is six or seven inches long and
most delicate Of favor. II comes IN uncountablc
myriads with the cod in swift and greedy pur- |
suit The fishermen begin their work by eaten |
ing the caplin, for the run lasts only about |
week, and in that time enough must he caught |
for bait 10 last until the s1ud arrive. The eaten |
is enormous. SO plentiful are the fish, ana 50
easily taken by sening, that great surplus
beyond the needs Of the fishermen accumu3tes
No method has yet been found Of preserving |
the c1pn, and all this surplus amounting 10
thousands of barrels. is used fertilizer. II
seems shameful that this exquisite little fish
should be put TO such base purposes.
Being now well stocked with bait. the fishing
harvest begins The banking fleet hurrics ont
TO sea- and the smaller boats. little two-nostcd
schooners Of from twenty 10 forty tons burden 90
and come at dawn and nehtfal 10 their fishing
grounds just of the coast. Various devices are
used for catching the fish, many Of them in
furious and wasteful. The hook-andne is used
along the shores extensively. and this is tlc least
destructive and also the least remunerotive III
strumeat The seine. the cod-net. the cod-trap
and the butOw are generally employed En-
cept the bultow. these are all nets, varousy con-
structed They have gradually done 50 much
harm to the shore fisheries that laws have had
To oc passed regulating the size of The mesh.
10 many OF the bays and harbors where few
years since cod wcrs plentiful scarcely fish can
now ne taken. and serious concern is felt lest
the shore fisheries have declined beyond hope Of
Iepehishment This fear has led 10 the estab-
Ishnent by the Newfoundland Government of
Fisheries Commission, which has been busily en-
PefIh'e"'ihs WIN cod-haichcTy. The sUpcrin-
tendent Of the hatchery is a distinguished Norvo
gian, and his intelligent and suggestive work has