200 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



The fish bred in especially large quantities in America, such as whitefish, shad, and 

 pike perch, are nearly always let out as fry, in the stage when they begin to take in 

 food. During late years, however, Commissioner McDonald has tried keeping shad in 

 the ponds during the first year, and I think it would also be a great success if similar 

 trials were made with whitefish and pike-perch fry. In some parts of Europe whitefish 

 and pike perch are fed in large ponds until they reach a marketable size, and I can 

 not help thinking that if the fry were kept at least the first year in ponds the results 

 would be much better than those obtained by the present method in America. 



The breeding of trout and shad has no doubt been attended with excellent results 

 in many parts of that country, but as far as whitefish and pike perch are concerned 

 much yet remains to be proved. It would certainly seem very useful to hatch the 

 hundreds of million eggs (which otherwise would annually be lost) by catching the fish 

 in its spawning- time and planting the fry thus saved; but statistics do not show 

 that the supply of these particular kinds of fish is increased thereby. This may be 

 attributed to the large scale in which the fishing trade is carried on, and it may be 

 that, without hatching, these kinds of fish would have been exhausted, but all this is 

 in any case only an hypothesis. It can not yet be shown conclusively how large a 

 proportion of the whitefish and pike-perch fry that is planted attains the age of one 

 year, and still less how many fish reach a marketable size. 



We should doubtless be able to get nearer to the answers to these questions by 

 planting the fry in large ponds aud letting them remain there one or two years. But 

 I should like to go further still. The culture of fish can not make any real progress 

 by breeding only ; there must be in addition sound legislation founded on a proper 

 knowledge of the subject, and an effective enforcement of these laws. But how diffi- 

 cult it is to obtain a really thorough knowledge of the influence which the various 

 factors exercise ; what do we know as yet about the quantity of fish a certain water 

 can produce, and how large a yearly demand it can sustain? And how little do we 

 still know what tackle is at the same time the most advantageous for the fisherman 

 and the least destructive for the fishery. 



The only certain basis to go upon to judge of these and relative subjects is, I 

 believe, to found experimental fishing stations, with the exclusive right to control the 

 fishing in various lakes and streams for preference of different sizes and nature. 

 At these stations fish would be bred, trials made as to the effect of different tackle 

 and close times, artificial spawning beds laid down, water plants planted, and an 

 examination made of the food produced by these waters and the best means of 

 increasing the same, etc. In this way one would obtain a reliable account of the prac- 

 tical result of fish-breeding and a starting-point for fish legislation. A year ago I 

 founded such a station in Finland, but lacking means and not having sufficient time 

 now to devote myself to it as I should, it is not yet so organized as 1 would like it. 

 It is to be for fish-culture what experimental farms are for agriculture. 



There are yet many important problems to be solved in the breeding of fish, but 

 the United States have won so many triumphs, and more especially since the forma- 

 tion of the U. S. Fish Commission, which has not only devoloped at an amazing rate, 

 but has also done work of the most substantial value, that we must all hope for the 

 continuance of their grand work of improving the breeding of fish, in which America 

 is so much in advance of other civilized countries. 



