Year: 1871




boys and estuaries, it offers to the fnny
tribes safe and commodious resorts. In
early colonial days the rivers are represent
ed as swarmiug with valuable fish,. The
business of taking fish, shipping and curing
has grown during the last forty years till it
now employs many thousand men. A
large amount Of capital has been invested
in nets, boats, machinery. and buildings.
The demand for boo Zen and cured fish
has been ccnstantlyl keasing and is now
immense Virginia shad are found fresh
in all the markets Of the North and West,
even in Chicago and st. Louis.


But now, just as the business has become
fairly organized and remunerative, COM
plants come from all quarters Of the
failure in supply Of fish, In many locall-
ties, as on the Potomac, the diminution is
so serious as to render fishing perilous
and uncertain pursuit. Some of our largest
fisheries did not pay expenses last year.
Another such season would be ruinous to
many of the old establishments, aud tend
to break up most important industry at
time when we bitterly need every re-
source.


The causes Of this decline in the fish are
yariously stated. The extensive gill net,
sweeping the whole breadth of river chan
nels, the persistent use of seines by loca
fishermen too late in the season, and the
torrents of muddy water driving back the
| fish, or covering the spawn with its de-
structive deposits, each have their special
advocates. No doubt all these causes
combine to exert an injurious influence on
the fisheries of Virginia, and others may
be found quite as potent. Without dis
cussing these in detail, we desire to arouse
every body to the extent of the evil and to
the adoption Of a practicable remedy.
Fortunately it is one which rests on neutral
grounds where all parties to the contro-
versy now waging on our inland waters,
between the "gillers" and local fishermen,
| can stand


The one great remedy for the difficulty
| is, the artificial spawning of valuable fish
under such circumstances as shall secure
| the Matching of the eggs aud the protec-
ton of the young fish until they are
strong enough to reach the sea. The sue
cessful experiments made in Europe and on
our Northern rivers prove that this is
| feasible. Fish breeding is now carried on
with as much certainty and more profit
than the raising of domestic animals.


By beautiful law, intended apparently
for our benefit, the finest eatable fish of the
ocean seek sheltering places far up the lar
ger streams to deposit their spawn. The
young fish matches in these resorts, move
down the streams in shoals to the sea, grow
to maturity, and, guarded by some uner-
ring instinct, seek to return again to the
place where they were hatched. 1t is al
most incredible what obstacles they will
overcome in their attempts to fulfill this
law of their being. If not absolutely
driven back they will deposit their eggs
upon the same spawning ground. Not
more certain is the planet to return to any
given point on its path in the heavens,
than is the mature fish to seek to deposit
its eggs where its own life began.


Starting with this fundamental law, we
have only to secure the Matching of great
numbers of young fish, and provide
reasonably for the removal of obstructions
| to their return.


This is simpler than might be at first
thought. The first step is to find small
stream or sheltered cove where clear water
can be obtained. If it is desired to retain
the young fish for time, clear stream
not liable to flooding may be damned. The
female fish taken in the net are gently
pressed with the finger, and the spawn, if
ripe, drops into a pail of water The
male is then caught and treated in the same
way, imparting fluid which impregnates
the eggs.


| After few moments stirring, the i'm
pregnated eggs are scattered over the bot
tom of the pond and left to hatch. From
single she'll, with careful treatment,
| 100000 eggs should be hatched. Moth
ing more than this is necessary to provide
for the annual return to our streams of
valuable fish in numbers that defy compe-
tition. Let the Legislature at once pro-
vide, as those of other States have done,
for the restocking Of our rivers.


The outlay required is insignificant COM
pared with the vast benefits to follow.
Let the subject be thoroughly and careful
ly canvassed as its Importance deserves.


Of course provision must be made to
protect the fish from extermination before


they get up to their spawning grounds,
| by limiting the season of catching and


allowing intervals during the season. A
commissioner should be appointed with


ample means of enforcing the law. We


shall speak more of this at another time,


and invite brief contributions from all in


terested.