384 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



tion, and in giving up all hope of a favorable result for the future. The 

 aristocratic and learned members of the Berlin committee are probably 

 not all practical men in every respect; all they could do was to give a 

 more general impetus to fish-culture; and whenever the carrying out 

 of their theories, especially the placing of young fish, was not based on 

 a thoughtful and persevering observation of nature and her laws, the 

 results could, of course, not be very great. At the same time it cannot 

 be denied — and in this respect the professor's information has been 

 defective — that wherever practical men have taken the matter in 

 hand, as in Schleswig-Holstein, where people go slow but sure, and with- 

 out making a great noise about their achievements, highly favorable 

 and unquestionable results have to be chronicled. The strong impetus 

 which has been given by the committee of the German Fishery Associa- 

 tion has most assuredly been beneficial. Eesults "will come in time, 

 and, as more practical experience has been gained, people will only make 

 efforts when they are tolerably sure of success, and theoretical experi- 

 ments, which lead to nothing, will be abandoned. Thousands of young 

 fish will not be placed in waters which have the full quota of fish to 

 which their quantity of food entitles them, unless the number of fish 

 has previously been considerably diminished by fishing. Expensive 

 young fish will not be placed in waters where, during the first few weeks, 

 they must be destroyed by other fish; but the young fish will, for a year 

 at least, be assigned some water where they are protected from their 

 enemies, and where they will live till they have reached a sufficient age 

 to be beyond many of the dangers which threaten them in their infancy. 

 Young fish will only be placed in waters where, according to reliable 

 calculations, observations, and experience, they will grow and flourish. 

 The young fish needed will be raised artificially, and an income will be 

 secured thereby ; the results will come at last. We should endeavor to 

 learn and gather new experience as we go on. No one will ever cease 

 to learn — neither the committee, nor we, nor Professor Malmgren. And 

 in order to learn this wholesome truth, a lack of recognition and a harsh 

 criticism are what we need. We are confident that, in spite of many 

 mistakes made by the committee (especially in the matter of legislation), 

 and in spite of future mistakes which doubtless will be made, the self- 

 sacrificing and disinterested activity of the committee will ultimately 

 prove a benefit to our German fisheries. It is not only Germany which 

 is thus severely criticised in the professor's report, but, in his opinion, 

 fish-culture has been absolutely without results in France, Austria, 

 Norway, and Sweden. Only as regards America and England, the pro- 

 fessor confines himself to a statement of what has been done, without 

 saying anything about the results, probably because unfavorable reports 

 have reached him from these countries. 



Professor Malmgren's pamphlet will — unless treated with silent con- 

 tempt — make a considerable stir in Germany and Austria, and any 

 country which has numerous hatcheries. Even at this early stage of 



