The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-10-29

are found to futtcn and grow, but they
do not have any young. the water be-
Ing too cold for them to breed. These
oysters retain the flavor of the East
ern oysters and bring high prices In
the markets.
number Of companies arc now en-
gagged in bringing one and two-year-old
oysters from the Atlantic, and trans
planting them in San Francisco Bay.
They grow rapidly and are ready for
market in one or two years after
planting. These oysters arc taken
West in refrigerator cars holdIpg about
two hundred bhrreisi each. They arc
planted inside stockades which keep
out the poachcrs and certain fish enc
mics OF the oyster, and the plantations
are also overlooked by watch houses
on piles.
The ordinary oyster or our North
ern Pacific is small and 1t has cop
perry taste. A better oyster is grown
In japan. and especially In the cold
waters along IIokkaido, which is the
northern island OF that country. The
government is now importing some OF
these oysters, which will be planted
along Puget Sound and In San Fran
cisco Bay. They are accustomed to a
colder water than that OF our Atlantic
oysters and It Is believed that they
will thrive.
Our Great Fishing Grounds.
During my talk with DR.. Smith /
asked him where were the chief fish
ing grounds OF the United States He
replied:
Roughly speaking, there arc three.
First We have the coasts and the estu-
aries OF the rivers; second, the inter
Tor streams and lakes, and third. the
nigh seas One OF our greatest fish
ing grounds Is the banks OF Sewfound-
land and another is the high seas OF
the Alaskan waters. Both OF these
places are subject to somewhat the
Same conditions They have food tor
fishes brought In by great ocean cur
rents. On the hanks OF Newfoundland
this food comes largely from the
Gulf Stream and a cold Arctic
current. and in Alaska II comes from
an Arctic current and other currents.
The result is that the fish are found
there in great numbers. They move
over the banks seeking the hest feed
ing grounds. 1t is strange to think
OF fish out ut pasture, but that Is the
condition on these banks.
The Alaskan banks are about 100
miles or more long. They have con-
siderable width and are Inhabited by
millions of cod and halibut have a
photogra phi OF a catch OF cod and hall
but which our mon took n twenty
minutes on the Alaskan banks. These
fish are so plentiful HAT the catching
OF them will some day be very great
industry"
Our AInsiSnn Fisheries.
Give me some idea of the Alaskan
hsheries?'
They are of enormous value In
GLIDING the seal we have already got
ten about sls0.00O,00O out OF Alaskan
FISH products. The salmon has Melted
over Sl06.00N,000. which Is more than
fourteen times what we paid for the
territory. We are now receiving mp
ward of s10.G00.Oo0 year out of Alas
kan salmon alone.
I'm addition to that there is the
Alaskan herring" DIR. Smith continued
There are so many OF them that they
are caught and sold as fertilizer. They
should supply the United states and
take the place OF those which we are
importing.
The cod and halibut are likely 10
yield Il great deal. The halibut is now
being caught In Alaska and taken down
to Seattle ana Vancouver and shipped
.Ntlantic halibut. and they are 80 album
dant that it is possible to carry them
this long distance and sell them
at n lower cost In the markets OF Bos-
ton. When the Grand Trunk Pacific
Railway is completed these fish viii 30
to Prince Rupert and thence to all
parts of the United states and Can.
ada"
Are the Alaskan fisheries well man
agod?"
Yes; they are under the United
states government and the fish com
mission controls the planting and
catching. AZ a result the fisheries are
being preserved. ana they will give MS
salmon for nj l,imc to come We are
now regulating the methods of catch
ing and marketing and have our agents
on the ground to see that our regula-
tons are respected. We require license
taxes. but omit them upon all fisheries
or nshing companies which return IL
600 young salmon to the streams for
every ten cases 81 salmon they can.
Some OF the canning interests have pri-
yate hatcheries and are planting mill
lions OF young fish, The government
has It's hateheries. There Is one at
Yes Hay which during the past two
years has let free $1,000, 600 salmon"
Are you planting nav varieties of
fish In different parts of the United
States?"
Yes. we have imported fish OF vari-
Gus kinds, and some hay1aproved yaiu-
able. ] have already ,ken OF the
carp. This was brougfs> n from Ger
many, II Is an excellent tish for pri-
yate culture and home consumption.