The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-07-16

bers. reach there in excellent condition.
 ana are butchered as beeves are in our country. l believe the time will come
 when we shall have attained that de-
 gree Of civilization which will make
 fashionable the eating of sharks. skates
 ana similar fishes now generally dis
 carded. Meanwhile many of us will be content to eat the so-called fresh
 nsh Of our markets, albeit days and
 weeks old. reeking with putrefactiv"
 bacteria and kept fresh" by contact with melting ice when not exposed to
 the air of a dirty stall
 , Some of the factors which underlie
 Japan's prominence as a fishing nation
 have already been indicated. The
 geographical position and the physical character of the country have of course
 been potent in developing the fisheries The extension of the empire diagonal
 ly through 35 degrees of latitude and
 Ss degrees of longitude, the shape of the archipelago, the thousands of is)- ands, and the great length of the coast 1 line (estimated at 10000 miles) within easy reach of the sea. To these is to be added a wonderful variety of water life, upwards of one thousand species of fishes being already known and oth- CT classes being correspondingly well represented. Furthermore, there Is a remarkable abundance of the most use ful animals-some fresh water or dromous species, some peculiar to the lnshore waters, others high-sea forms which come close to the coast in im- mense numbers and are perpetually re-
 newed. water several thousand fath- oms deep being within a very few miles of the main islands.
 Government Fosters Fisheries.
 The attitude of the imperial govern ment has had a powerful influence in the growth of the fisheries. Since the restoration the control of the industsy has been vested largely in the central government, by which everything has been done that the most enlightened civilization could require to promote the interests of the fishermen and in sure the prosperity of the fisheries. Long ago the imperial fisheries bureau was organized, as a branch of the de- partment of agriculture and commerce. and Is splendidly equipped and ably ad- ministered by specialists in fish culture, biology, economic fisheries and fishery law. It's work Is conducted on broad modern lines, with great stress laid on scientific investigation as the basis for Legislation and promotion. With char acteristic progressiveness, the govern ment has sent representatives to Amer ica and Europe to study fisheries and fish culture, and the best practices of foreign lands have been adapted by the Japanese to their own special require ments. In each of the numerous pre- lectures there Is a department of fish cries, and the local governments, not less~ than the central government, ap- preciate the value of experimental and biological work in connection with the fisheries. and have established many stations and laboratories, which are rendering excellent servIce.
 Imperial Fisheries School.
 The imperial fisheries school, located in the outskirts of Tokio, is an institu- ton which the Japanese may be par doned for regarding with great pride for in no other country does there ex- ist a similar establishment which can compare with this in comprehensive ness of curriculum. completeness of equipment, and thoroughness of in struction. The last week of my sojourn in Japan l was invited to speak before the faculty and students of this school on the fishery work of the United States Government. After I had been shown about the place and had seen some thing of the methods and equipment l felt exceedingly doubtful of my ability to impart any information. The insti- tuition aims to equip young men for ca reers of usefulness in connection with positions in the government service, and in fishing, fish curing, and fish cul- tural establishments. There are three departments of study. each with three years course. with provision for post graduate work. There is a full corps of able professors. instructors and as- sistants, some of whom have taken de- grees abroad. English is a required study in each course. The department of fishing includes in its regulat cur riculum such subjects as methods of fishing. navigation, seamanship. ship building. meteorology, oceanography. applied mechanics, applied zoology. applied botany. mathematics. law. eco monies. bookkeeping and elementary fisheries technology. The department of fisheries technology has special in- struction in marine food products, ma rine industrial products. bactereology, applied mechanics. chemistry analysis. applied zoology, applied botany. law. economics and bookkeeping. In the department of pisciculture the subjects are fresh water culture, salt water cul- ture, protection of fish. embryology. bacteriology. oceanography chemistry. applied zoology, applied botany. law. economies and bookkeeping. The in stitute has an annual income from the government amounting to $70,000, and several minor funds.