Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1892-05-13
PLANTING FISHES isl
Uncle Sam Provides for the Sport
Of the Angler.
How the Finny Tribe Is Propagated and
---- Observation-Disclosures OF Little Fishes
Annually Liberated In
Our NyaterS.

United States by the fish commission.
This statement is more remarkable than
it may seem. Up to 1886, all the fishes
artificially Matched by the government
were turned into the rivers AMI lake St
shift for themselves, as soon as tn
were out of the eggs. Conscquent.y
nearly all of them were devoured, altt
out of every thousand young fry but
few were expected to survive aud reach
maturity. Five years ago lii ct expert
ment was made with the pinnting of
$4,000 ''fingerlings," that is, + les which
had attained a seasons growth.
Before long oil the fishes artifcially
propagnted for planting in this country
will be allowed to get years growth
before they arc let loose. 1t has been
found that one acre of water will accom-
modate 100000 fry from the time they
are Matched to the condition of finger
lings. Under such circumstances so per
cent. of the baby fishes survive the sea-
son, at the end of which they are able to
take care of themselves and have passed
the danger point. In other words, when
permitted to escape and look out for
themselves in the streams or elsewhere,
they mostly escape destruction and
rcacn mature uSnnOOu.
Pretty soon this plan will be exclu-
sivcly pursued in the propagation of
shnd for stocking the rivers. Con-
venicntly near to each stream will be
established suitable ponds. The fish
commission will simply hatch out the
fry and send them Immediately to these
preserves, where they will be permitted
to grow to fingers length before they
are let 60, Fishes only grow during
the warm season, so at the end of four
months, when ha3ched in spring, they
are yearlings in size. A pond 100 acres
in extent will accommodate so, 100000 of
shad fry, and at the end of 100 days COM
munication with the river can be opened
and 25,oOO,OOO little fishes will swim
mcrrily away, to return in future years
of remarkable size.
Unlimited quantities of shad eggs are
always obtainablc in the season. and az
many millions Of them can be hatchcd
in glass jars as are desired. Thus the
result TO be secured by artificial culture
in any river is only limited by the pond
area used. A majority of the finger
lings let go will certainly live to grow
up and swell the schools which annual
1y visit the streams for spawning. EX-
actly the same proposition applies to
other kinds of fishes. The fish commits
sion is at present rearing trout and sal
mon on n like principle and with SINH
lar results, A large pond is now being
prepared at Gloucester, Mass, for stock
ing with newly Matched Goldfish which
will be put into the sea as yeaflings.
In this way it is hoped that tho catch
- Ia = 1r1 81
England coast will be greatly increased
after awhile.
The Same method would be tried with
Holsters, but for the fact that these
pugnaciOus crustaceans cannot be made
to grow up together peaccably. You
put a dozen ncwly-hatched specimens
into an aquarium, and within few
| days there will be only one-a large,
fat aud promising youngster. He has
eaten all the rest. Therefore, baby
! Holsters have to be let loose in the
ocean when they are just out of the
| egg, and in this plan not much profit is
found, because they arc quickly gobblcd
| by fishes. The fish commission is hatch
ing 100000 of young Holsters yearly.
| Once upon time, not many years ago,
! 25-pound Holsters were not infrequently
captured, and there Is record of 40
pound specimens, but such giants are
no longer seen, because they do not
have a chance to get very big before they
are taken by the fishermen.
One of the most profitable branches
OF the fish commissions work consists
in stocking the streams, ponds and
l.. 1-.,s. - II -
fishes of the Mississippi valley. They
are taken in great quantities in puddlel
big and small, where they are left By
the retreating waters after the floods
and ara shipped alive to various part;
of the union. Thus black bass, roc!
bass, pike, perch, crappies, spotted
catfish and other species are being dis
tributed throughout the United States
very plentifully. Trout of six kinda
have recently been introduced success
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