588 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



stock all the neighboring waters, which had been almost entirely de- 

 populated. Besides the numerous bodies of water owned by the com- 

 pany, about forty lakes and rivers have been leased by them on the 

 longest possible time; new trout-ponds have been made in shady forests ; 

 nor has the commercial portion of the enterprise been neglected, since 

 in addition to the model and experimenting branches, a flourishing busi- 

 ness has been started with a capital of $62,500 in shares. 



The fish-breeding establishment at Hameln, (Hanover,) originally 

 founded by the Agricultural Society of Zelle, but which in later years 

 has been taken and further enlargeed by the city of Zelle, has, during 

 the last twelve years, placed 316,000 artificially-raised young salmon 

 into the river Weser, and its revenue has been constantly on the increase. 

 Other Prussian organizations have, according to the report of the eco- 

 nomical department (Landes-Oelconomie- Collegium) for 1868, done well, 

 although, as the report says, the artificial breeding of fish is not appre- 

 ciated as much as it deserves, and there is as yet a great want of larger 

 piscicultural institutions. 



The fish-breeding companies in the Prussian province of Silesia have 

 have for four years made efforts to introduce the cultivation of salmon 

 into the Upper Oder and its tributaries, into which they placed no less 

 than 307,000 young ones during the year 1872. The eggs were provided 

 by the department of agriculture in Berlin, from the establishment 

 at Hiiningen, at the instigation of the Deutsche Fisherei-verein. 



In accordance with an order of the Prussian commissioner of agricul- 

 ture, dated January 23, 1871, the fish-breeding establishments in the 

 Bhine province are to be subsidized in the following manner: A cer- 

 tain number of Bhine salmon, salmon-trout, and brook-trout, which 

 must be at least five months old, shall be bought at a moderate price, 

 which is to be settled every year, and placed directly into the water. 

 A competent person shall be charged with buying the fish and placing 

 them in the water. As the method of raising fish in the several estab- 

 lishments and the manner of feeding the young has the greatest influ- 

 ence on their ability to keep alive after they have been placed in the 

 waters, the price of the fish bought will be regulated by the manner 

 in which they have been raised. 



The Deutsche Fischerei-verein, founded at Berlin in the year 1870, will 

 doubtless prove a great benefit to the craft in that country. Its object 

 is to further sea. and inland fisheries throughout the whole of Germany, 

 and to assist the several state governments in this direction. The 

 society has resolved itself into five committees: for facilitating the 

 transportation of stock; for the sea and inland fisheries; for the 

 artificial breeding and raising of fish; for fishery legislation ; and for the 

 culture of the crawfish. It will also direct its attention to scientific 

 investigations which will diffuse correct views regarding the true wants 

 of the sea and inland fisheries. 



The society intends to place itself in communication with piscicultur- 



