The Republican journal., 1902-01-23
TO SAVE THE LOBSTIR.

The effort to rehabilitate the lobster
fisheries along the lower New England
coast, which has had its seat at and
about Woods Hole, has at last, we are
glad to say, got itself upon basis of
common sense, and is likely to be pro-
ductive of good results. We have had,
for several years past, reports OF the
Matching of innumerable millions of
Young Holsters and their release in the
waters where they were expected to
grow great and replenish the supply,
but little effect appears to have been
produced beyond the feeding of the
voracious fishes whose particular deli
cacy is the lobster fry. These have
been very much interested in and en-
couraged by the generous contribu-
tions to their favorite diet, and per-
haps the flesh of the fresh cod and blue
fish may have acquired delicacy per
ceptible to the initiated from this par
ticular form. of food. But, as has been
said. the effect upon the market has
been imperceptibe and the lobster has
continued to grow scarce. At last,
however. some official in the govern
ment employ, having heard perhaps OF
the experience of the fish commission
i'm the shad replenishing business, has
applied the same rules to the treat
ment OF the young lobster which have
been found successful with the Shad,
aud the lObsterS are not dumped into
the water when utterly unable to pro-
1ect themselves and sure to become Il
prey to the greedy fishes waiting to
east upon them, but are kept III re
tanning ponds, tin they are old enough
and large enough to look out for them
selves. Great head, Think of it 1t
has taken wears for this truth to pene-
trate the consciousness OF the sclen-
lists who boss the lobster Matching and
fish breeding jobs. and now the de-
partment puts the case as follows
"The first stage attained by lobster
is a moult, which occurs, under favor
able conditions, six days after the egg
matches. The second and third are
reached after similar intervals. The
fourth requires nine days or more. AT
this stage the lobster is provided with
hardened shell, pinching claws, vigor-
GUS muscles, and a pugnaclous dlsposl-
ton. Professor Bumpus is convinced
that if the liberation of the young is
delayed until this degree of develop
ment is reached, thousand of them
would do more to restore the lobster
industry than the planting of million
helpless fry as they leave the hatch
cry"
That it requires any particular
amount of scientific education and
training to arrive at such simple and
self-evdent truth as that, and that a
professor of anything should vaunt
himself upon having discovered it.,
shows the ruts in which such things
are ordinarily run. and how in the blind
fumbling for far off accomplishment
and ahstruse theory the little, COM
mon, essential everyday truths under
the noses of the scientists are some
times unseen for many moons. 1t took
a long time to educate the Fish Com
missoners of this and other States up
to realization of this simple truth
with reference to shad, and when they
had mastered it, nearly a decade was
needed for the education of leglsla-
tive committee that would recommend
the principle to our Assembly. Had
Professor Bumpus been turned naked
into the streets. to shift for himself as
soon as he could crawl. the chances Of
his ever becoming ''ProfesSor'' would
have been reduced to minus quantlty;
but having been kept by his prudent
parents till he was in fair condition to
grapple with life and solve some of its
problems, he has reached the p:oud
stage which enables him to apply the
same rule of procedure TO young lob
Sters and to see in it the promise OF
success i is the first CLEAN of com
mon sense we have seen, or heard OF,
in this business for long time and it
comes like a saving grace Bridgeport.
Ct, Standard.