INDUSTRIAL PROGRESS DURING THE YEAR 1874. c lxix 



analyses above referred to show an improvement in the qual- 

 ity of the fertilizers over that of former years, they still con- 

 firm the results of experience, as decisive as it is costly, in 

 Europe and in the United States, that the only means for 

 regulating the trade in commercial fertilizers, and prevent- 

 ing immense frauds, is that the buyers know the quality of 

 the goods they purchase, and that this cau be determined 

 only by chemical analysis. 



FISHERIES. 



Under the head of Pisciculture and the Fisheries we have 

 to record continued and satisfactory progress in the efforts 

 made to increase the food supply for the United States and 

 elsewhere, the combined action of several of the states and 

 of the general government having produced most gratifying 

 results. Owing to the late period at which the Congressional 

 appropriation for the purpose was made, the hatching and dis- 

 tribution of shad on the part of the United States could not 

 be begun until the end of June, when, of course, the South- 

 ern stations were unavailable for the purpose. Arrangements 

 were made, however, with the Fish Commissioners of New 

 York and Connecticut to furnish a supply of young shad 

 from the Hudson and the Connecticut rivers, and the labor 

 of transfer was continued until the middle of August. Sev- 

 eral millions of young fish were successfully transferred to re- 

 mote points, in one instance as far as Texas, while Minnesota, 

 Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Ohio, Kentucky, Vermont, and Maine 

 shared in the results. 



The fish are usually placed in the head- waters of the 

 streams, where they remain for a certain period, and then pass 

 down to the sea. On their return, the states bordering on 

 the rivers along the entire line of their route have an equal 

 chance to participate in the benefits of their introduction. 



As a return for the courtesy extended by the German 

 government two years ago in presenting 250,000 salmon-eggs 

 to the United States, the attempt was made to send a num- 

 ber of young shad to that country. Messrs. Mather & An- 

 derson, experienced fish-cultnrists, were placed in charge of 

 3 00,000 fish, and free passage and freight furnished by the 

 North German Lloyds, on the steamer Rhine. Unfortunate- 

 ly, the fish did not survive the eleventh day out, having 



