THE FISHERY INTERESTS OF AUSTRIA. 587 



miles of not navigable rivers and streams ; and more than 4,600 miles of 

 lakes and ponds. The navigable rivers and canals belong to the gov- 

 ernment, and are leased to private individuals. In order to avoid all 

 trouble, the sheets of water are carefully measured and accurately- 

 marked on special maps, so that every one knows the exact limits of his 

 watery domain, within which he can fish with nets for an annual rent 

 of $4.50 to $22.50. French statisticians compute the annual gain from 

 the fresh-water fisheries at $4,000,000, and the average annual rent of 

 every hectare (1 hectare=2.47 acres) of water at $15. The fisheries, 

 however, are not yet able to supply the home demand. * 



Germany. — Compared with the gratifying results in England, Scot- 

 land, and America, those obtained by the German fisheries can only be 

 considered as small beginnings, and the complaints of the various hin- 

 derances to success are no less loud and numerous than in Austria, 

 although it must be owned that of late years Germany has made con- 

 siderable progress. 



In Munich, the city-fisherman, Kuffer carries on fish-breeding, and 

 has, according to a report published some years ago, during the last 

 eight years impregnated about 300,000 eggs of the Bavarian salmon per 

 aunum, partly for the Bavarian waters, and partly for Switzerland, 

 Austria, France, Italy, Bussia, Denmark, and Prussia. During the last 

 few years, he has shipped about half a million per annum. The estab- 

 lishment is well conducted, its location and the quality of the water are 

 excellent. Kuffer has therefore often been commissioned to organize 

 such enterprises in other countries, as for instance in Austria. 



TViirteniberg only possesses some small breeding-establishments, 

 which owe their existence and success chiefly to the efforts of the royal 

 agricultural department, (Konigllche Gentralstelle fur Landwirthschaft.) 

 This department, since 1861, has endeavored to encourage pisciculture 

 among small proprietors by offering prizes for hatching-houses in con- 

 nection with ponds ; to persons who stock open waters with fish ; for a 

 rational system of pond-fisheries; for the union of small fishing districts 

 Tvith a view to carrying on the fisheries in a more systematic manner. 

 Information is freely given to all who desire it, as well as impregnated 

 and hatched trout-eggs. 



A report, made in the year 1871, shows that nearly all these organi- 

 zations were in a flourishing condition. 



In Baden, a joint-stock company was formed in 1865 with a capital of 

 $20,000. In the neighborhood of Freiburg, the seat of this company, 

 a breeding-establishment has been founded, which annually produces 

 about half a million young fish. All of their fish which were placed in 

 open waters, were flourishing. The company possesses several trout- 

 brooks, which they lease for an annual sum of $600. 



The joint-stock fishery-company at Wiesbaden, besides raising fish in 

 closed waters to sell, has also set itself the praiseworthy task to re- 



* Beta, op. cit. pp. 46, 50. 



