The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1903-12-04

mutton in our number of food fishes Of
the coast and the lakes Of the United
States had taken place, to what causes
the same Is due, and what protective,
prohibitory or precautionary measures
should be adopted" Soon after the in
vestigauon was instituted several
hatcheries were established, and almost
every fresh session Of congress new
hatcheries have been provided for Now
35 hatcheries in 25 states are IN opera
ton. Last year the United States fish
commission sent out 1,4S8,67S374 little
fishes to stock waters in various parts
Of the country. The demand from pri-
vate individuals is constantly increas-
ing.
A pond, II only a small one, should
not be neglected by the farmer; can be
made readily available as home for
the fishes. And all one has to do 10
obtain a bountiful supply Of these mi
mute water creatures is to fill out a sim
pie blank of application and send it to
the state fish hatchery. The kind Of
water must be described whether
springfield lake, running stream, or
what. whether or not fish already in
habit It, and one must specify the kind
of fish desired and the number, though
those in charge Of the hatchery may
suggest a different selection to yours.
Then, at the proper season, some day
along will come the fish train bearing
its small cans, each probably containing
tens Of thousands Of fish; and the per-
son to whom the can is addressed re-
ceives his property and at once pro-
ceeds to empty into his waters the tens
Of thousands Of baby fish. He now has
the beginning OF future property con-
cerning which an enthusiastic fish cul-
lurist has written thus: after the seed
Is planted nothing further is required
than to reap what you have sown. Wind,
rain. hail storms or cyclones do not
damage them, nor are the buds blighted
BY early frosts or the fruit withered by
late ones"
We shall have time to speak Of the
artificial propagation Of but one species
of fish. and have selected the white fish,
probably the most important group Of
fresh-water fishes Of the world. The
artificial propagation of white fish has
been carried on with great success, and
about four-ffths of the eggs hatch.
When left to nature a female fish will
deposit from 10000 to 5000 eggs; but
many Of the eggs are destroyed by enc
mics. and there IS great loss. In the
artificial methods. the impregnated
eggs which are to be shipped 10 any dis
tance are placed on trays and drained,
then covered with damp mosquito net
ting. over which Is packed damp moss;
the trays are placed in cases. and ship
ped in cool cars or cool boat rooms.
Whitehsh eggs have been safely shipped
from Michigan to Australia.
The eggs are hatched in hatching-
lars. sufficient water being introduced TO
keep the eggs in slow motion. Every
thing must be scrupulously clean. When
the FRY" is hatched they 90 out into
tanks. then are dipped into kegs and
transported to natural spawning
grounds. II they go any considerable
distance fresh water is kept running on
them.
The fish commission holds as one inn
portant branch Of its work the dissem-
nation of information relative to the
utilization Of fishery products, which |
includes methods Of canning, pickling, .