INDUSTRIAL PROGRESS DURING THE YEAR 1872. l v ii 



Aquiculture, or that which relates to the capture, protection, 

 management, increase, and marketing of the products of the 

 water, both fresh and salt, namely, Pisciculture and the Fish- 

 eries. Agriculture itself is scarcely superior in importance 

 to Aquiculture as a question of economy whether we con- 

 sider the extent of its products, its bearing upon the health 

 and vigor of the nation, or the very large yield from a small 

 investment, which, in most cases, is less that of capital than 

 of labor and skill. 



The increasing interest in this department is sufficient war- 

 rant for devoting some portion of our space to its elucida- 

 tion. The rivalries and jealousies between American fisher- 

 men and those of the British Provinces in North America, 

 which at one time threatened to brino- on serious collisions, 

 have been measurably removed by the establishment of a 

 treaty, which only requires a few formalities on the part of 

 the United States and of Canada to go into effect. These 

 have been, in fact, for the most part supplied ; and on the 1st 

 of July next the provisions of the treaty will be in actual 

 force. Under these the American fishermen will have a rigfht 

 in British waters equal to those of the natives of the prov- 

 inces, while the latter, on the other hand, will enjoy free fish- 

 ing on the coast of the United States nearly as far south as 

 Cape May. Indeed, although the treaty does not actually 

 become operative until July, it is understood that no obsta- 

 cle will be interposed by the Dominion authorities to Anier- 

 can fishermen entering British w T aters at any time during the 

 present season. 



The special fisheries on the American coast during the 

 year have been of average excellence. The catch of mack- 

 erel was inferior to that of other species, however, partly in 

 consequence of the scarcity of the fish, and partly because 

 the surplus from 1871 was so great as to render the market 

 inactive. It is expected that, with the removal by treaty of 

 any restrictions, the favorite fishing-grounds of the Gulf of 

 St. Lawrence and elsewhere will be occupied by large num- 

 bers of Americans ; and it is to be hoped that the catch may 

 be proportionally great. 



The American Herring fishery has been more productive 

 than usual, the w T aters of the Bay of Fundy having been per- 

 fectly alive with this fish during the fall and winter, so much 



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