406 ANNUAL RECORD OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. 



the water, and their fecundity is so great that the supply of 

 food furnished by them can be rendered almost unlimited. 

 The New England States especially abound in ponds admira- 

 bly suited for hatching and sustaining these fishes, which, in- 

 deed, are themselves quite valuable articles of food. 



That the smelt will live and thrive in fresh water through- 

 out the year has been repeatedly shown both in the United 

 States and Europe ; but whether the alewife will do this or 

 not, the young can be penned up, for the greater part of the 

 year at least, in fresh waters ; and even if they will not sur- 

 vive to attain maturity, the expense of introducing a fresh 

 supply of spawning fish every spring would be but trifling. 

 In this way ponds far removed from the sea, or into which 

 there is no practicable passage by water from the ocean, may 

 be stocked for the purpose in question. Report* 



PRIZES OF THE MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY FOR 



FISH CULTURE. 



The Massachusetts Society for Promoting Agriculture will 

 award on the 1st of March next two prizes of $300 and $200 

 respectively to the two best establishments in the state for 

 the culture of fishes for food, all competitors for which must 

 send in their names and addresses to the secretary of the so- 

 ciety, Edward N.Perkins, 42 Court Street, Boston. The com- 

 mittee of award will consider the number of species of fishes 

 cultivated ; the number of individuals, and their size and con- 

 dition ; the number of eggs hatched in the establishment, 

 and of young reared from them; the neatness and economy 

 of the establishment, and the excellence of the fixtures. 

 Springfield Republican, November 24, 1871. 



ALABAMA FISH COMMISSIONERS. 



The interest in the subject of pisciculture continues to grow 

 in the United States, and we take great pleasure in chron- 

 icling the appointment by the Governor of Alabama of three 

 commissioners, whose duty it is to report to the Legislature 

 upon the best methods of increasing the fish supply. In the 

 preliminary report before us reference is made to the efforts 

 of Colonel William Penn Yonge in the raising offish since 

 1854, his pond at the present time being stocked w r ith the 

 finest varieties, including "trout, suckers, and perch," some 



