The times., 1897-11-05
MANUAL OF FISH CULTURE
Commissioner Brice Issues a
Very Interesting Volume.
EXHAUSTIVE In RESEARCH
Special Attention Is Paid 10 Propa.
CATION and Hatcheries-Oyst
Frogs and Lobsters Are Given
Much Careful Consideration-Mi
lions of Eggs Hatched Annually.

Commissioner Brice ha issued the Manual
OF Fish Culture. title which explains the
scope and purposes of the work Speaking
OF the need of such a work, Mr.. Brice SAYS
1.-The necessity for a handbook describing
the manner of propaeating the different
fishes reared by the United States Fish
Commission mas long been felt in the con-.
mission, and it is thought that such q
manual viii he OF value To all persons
Interested in fish culture The material
for the present work has been furnished by
experienced fish culturists connected with
the commission, who have treated of the
SUBJECTS with which they are personally
familiar. Owing to the interest shown In
the cultivation of oysters and frogs, special
reports ou these subjects have also been
Incorporated.
In order to increase the usefulness of
the work to the general reader a technical
deScriI tion OF each important fish IS given.
tGgeffier with brief information regarding
its geographical distribution, habits, move
ments. size, growth, fooo. natural spawn
ing, etc.
We are now getting up our annual re-
port said Commissioner BTice TO Times
Reporter yesterday, and We are astonished
ourselves at the phenomenal results OF
the past year under the new and improved
netsiJ,ls " hich have been accomplished upon
about the SAME appropriation the com
mission has had i'll former years.
The practical and scientific work OF
the cOpInission has been kept side by side,
and both branches have been conducted
III a way more than gratifying.
ON the New England coast and else
where the results are beginning to show
in the abundance of young fish and lobster
reared from fry liberated by the COMMITS.
sion We have received reports from Oh
seTl eTS, stating that vast numbers o.
yoaLg luhsters, from two To four inches
cong 1:C along the entire New EnglanH
Co&s5. They are from the deposits made
last year and the year before, and l conf,
IDENTITY predict that in three or four years
there VIII be more holsters Ct ttla1 Cuast
thau were ever known before. W.
changed the former system of planting the
young HOLSTERS We now put them on their
own spawning beds, among their natural
surroundings This process is followed
with al fish fry now, mi the young, in
stead Of being released Ill strange waters,
are pl lccd where nature intended item
10 be.
In general comprehension" said Com
missioner Brius, this commission is OF
ganized 10 repenish the streams and the
waters Contiguous to our Suores with fisn.
To accomplish this is the question before
us, and with the system of auxiliary
Int
tions. Hatchihg fish eggs is very simple
iH,t to collect them economically and also
toascertau the result OF the WORK by trae-
ing the fry from the time Of their deposit
10 the streams until they return to then.
mature fish is question Of study and
practice.
We have Hustered that question: . CON
tinued Commissioner Briee. This work is
ia charge of the scientific branch OF tie
commission Observers are stationed On
various rivers ard the movements OF the
rsh studied and frequent scientific exau.i-
nation made Of then, t. ascertain the char
acter OF their food, their growth their
hshits etc. The schculs in this way are
followed into the ocean and taken up again
Oh their return TO the rivers and studied
throughout in the same way.
IL dealing wHE eggs and fry" he pro.
ceeGed, ! believe in following nature Us
closely as possible by llatchng the eggs
and depositing the fry Oh the spa wning z
grounds whence the eggs were taken, not
by the thousand or the hundreds OF thou
sands. hls by the hundreds of m:lions.
This must be done TO make our work ef
fectie an q commercial point of view.
repeat that we are vastly plea sed, both
in ti:a practical and scientific work OF the
Commission this year The scientific branch
conducts is uTrra.ionS un d line with the
fish cHtnTist and everything is working in
perleci harmony and to the common interest
OF the whole Country. We thought We were
doing great woIk last year, but il win be
excciled BY far in this years work. In
California we viii take 20. Ooo, 600 or more
Sdinon eggs, as against 900, 900 to To-
00o, u0o in former times. To give you an
idea OF Te,O00 900 salmon eggs in bulk,
they vii! fiji 500 bushels, and 500 bushels
OF corn, you know. by comparison, is big
pIe. The United States Fish Commission. =
said the commissioner in conclusion, has
d great future before it, at the rate it is
now advancing"
SHERMAN SNUBS WILCOX.