362 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FiSH C0MML'?SI05?. 



ten. During all the years from 1854 to 18G0, inclusive, fish were very 

 abundant, veitli the exception of 1857, when there were scarcely any, 

 and the fishermen lost heavily. From 1854 to 1800 we caught an aver- 

 age each year of 1,500,000 herring and 30,000 shad, with the excep- 

 tion of 1857, when there were no fish. In 1861, '02, '03, '04, '05, and 

 '00 there was no fishing on the Virginia side as low down the river as 

 Stafford County, near Aquia Creek, and I suppose very little anywhere 

 on the Potomac. 1877 and 1878 were good seasons, the catch amount- 

 ing to from 800,000 to 1,000,000 herring and 15,000 shad. In 1879 there 

 were scarcely any fish. With a seine 1,200 fathoms long, and worked 

 with fifty men and seven horses, 1 caught only 150,000 herring and 4,000 

 shad during the season of thirty days. Since ihen there has been a 

 gradual increase, ranging from 300,000 to 400,000 herring and 8,000 shad, 

 which has scarcely paid exi)enses, and unless there is a change within 

 the next five years there will not be a large seine hauled on the Poto- 

 mac. Artificial hatching has not come up to my expectations, though 

 there is no telling how scarce fish would be but for the artificial propa- 

 gation. I think if the Government would rent the shores on four or five 

 creeks, which could be worked at the cost of building two small steam- 

 launches, and allow no fish to be taken out of these creeks, that it would 

 do more to restock the river with fish than the same amount of money 

 laid out in any other way. Take all the shores in Aquia Creek, for in- 

 stance, which could be rented for $500 to |800. Some other creeks 

 could be rented in the same way. This plan, together with the hatch- 

 ing, would, I think, give us a plentiful supjily offish. 



First breeding- of salmon and trout in Canada, — Breeding 

 salmon and trout by artificial process was first practiced in Canada by 

 Eichard Nettle, esq., then superintendent of fisheries, in 1858, in a Gov- 

 ernment hatchery at Quebec. The experiments were measurably suc- 

 cessful. Mr. Nettle was enabled to deposit vivified eggs in considerable 

 numbers and to hatch out and distribute a large proportion of living 

 healthy fry. He also transported im])regnated ova to Australia. This 

 enterprise was authorized by several ministers, the Hon. Mr. Cauchon, 

 Judge Sicotte, and the Hon. William MacDougall. It was not continued 

 by the latter because the means provided by the legislature were ab- 

 sorbed in controlling and improving the salmon rivers proper, all avail- 

 able resources being required to guard the streams against destructive 

 practices which had brought the salmon fishery in the province of Que- 

 bec to the verge of ruin. Mr. Nettle, however, succeeded single-handed, 

 and with a very meagre outfit, in proving thefeasibility of breedingsalmon 

 and trout by artificial means, and he deserves the credit of initiation 

 and perseverance involving severe exposure and strong personal enthu- 

 siam. Another successful instance of artificial salmon-hatching occurred 

 in 1807, under instructions from the Hon. P. Mitchell, on the Miramichi 

 River, New Brunswick, conducted by Messrs. Stone and Goodfellow, 



