El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-04-05
Oyster Planting Season Starts
Along the Gulf of Mexico Coast
Government Experts Instruct Oyster Growers Culture
Of the Bivalves.

are not Influenced by a religious sig
nificance eat more fish during this
period than at other times, because
there are larger quantities and more
varieties on sale in the market
This increase in the demand is be-
ing more than met by the increase in
production of most kinds of fish. While
the supply of one or two varieties is
decreasing, the increase of other. spec
les more than equalizes this loss. A
mackerel investigation carried on dur
ing the past year at the special re-
quest of the board of trade and Mas
ter Mariners association of Glouces-
ter, Massachusetts,, occupied a period
of six months. 1t resulted in much
valuable information concerning the
habits of this fish, their movements,
food supply and their length of run
The mackerel crop was small last year
owing, it is believed, to unusual wealth
er conditions and other changing cir.
cumstarces.
Experiments with Goldfish.
An interesting experiment in fish
culture has recently been completed
in the study of the life and habits of
Goldfish along the New England coast
Over 1000 Goldfish were caught at vari-
Gus times during a period covering
four years. They were released, after
being tagged with a little numbered
copper disc about ,three-fourths of an
inch in length and less than half that
much in width. A small hole was
punched in one end and a thin. copper
wire passed through for attaching the
tag to the fish. The average weight
of the tag was about equal to silver
dime. Most of them were placed in
the upper part of the tail where the
rays were thickest and the tag less
likely to be torn out. The weight,
length, and sex of each fish was re-
corded with its number before it was
released.
Circulars were printed asking that
any person coming into possession Of a
tag would forward it to the bureau of
fisheries with the following informa-
ton concerning the fish bearing 1t:
The date when caught; in what place
taken; total length from end of nose
TO tip of tail; sex; whether eggs were
ripe; large but not ripe, or immature.
The tagging took place during the
middle of the winter. Most of the
fish recaptured were taken within the
following six months. Their range was
shown to extend from the coast Of
Maine TO New Jersey and much valu-
able information was secured.
The work of the bureau of fisheries
also includes supplying, as far as pos
sible. Individual requests for, fish eggs
and small fish for stocking public or
private waters in any locality where
they can be raised successfully. Last
year 1868 requests of this kind were
made, an increase Of 523 over the year
before. To furnish these eggs and fish
the bureau has tablished 50 per-
manent stations and Sc field and col
lecting stations located in 80 states.
The distribution Of eggs and fishes last
year from these hatcheries or stations
amounted to 1888, 392.572. Most of
these were delivered through the state
fish commissions in this country, al
though 100000 eggs of salmon and
trout were shipped to foreign lands.
There were PSI, 326.O00 shad eggs and
fish distributed for cultivation last
year which was gratifying to the bu-
reau because there has been a notice
able falling of in the supply OF these
fish.
Tomorrow-Child Welfare Congress.