758 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



When tlie proposition of the Fish-Culturists' Association was presented 

 to Congress, it met with great favor. He found scarcely any one who 

 objected to it at all. All with whom he had conversed agreed that it 

 was iniportant, and realized that State aid could not accomplish the 

 object, and that the General Government must come iu to assist; espe- 

 cially as the waters to be stocked belonged to many States, and it was 

 not the interest of one State to provide fish for the others, inasmuch as 

 "what one State might sow the others might reap. 



When this measure was first brought up in the House of Representa- 

 tives, it was objected to because it was not in accordance with any pre- 

 existing law, it being insisted that nothing shall be inserted in the regular 

 appropriation-bills not intended to carry out some previous law, and a 

 single objection can kill any such item. The matter, however, was only 

 laid aside temporarily, and by presenting it to some Senators, especially 

 Senator Edmunds, of Vermont, it was brought forward again, and he is 

 perhaps entitled to the credit of having it put into the Senate bill, and 

 a sum of $15,000 instead of $10,000 appropriated. 



The idea of having shad introduced into the waters of the Mississippi 

 Ei ver was specially favored by the members from the valley of the Missis- 

 sippi, from Alabama and other Southern States. They all felt the ne- 

 cessity of increasing the number of fish, and wished every elfort used to 

 add to their supplies from this source; and the shad question was one 

 which seemed practicable, because partial experiments in the Mississippi 

 Valley have been made with great success. Two rivers in Alabama, one 

 •the Alabama, and the other the Escambia, have been stocked by pri- 

 vate enterprise, and they are now catching the shad there. The fish were 

 taken from the Alabama River some years ago ; and from the Escambia 

 so many have been taken during the past season as to have become quite 

 an article of traffic. On this account, in part, the members of Congress 

 from the Southern States were very much interested; and should even 

 a partial success attend the present eflbrt, it is likely hereafter to receive 

 a strong support. 



Of course, all thought that the most important fishes that can now be 

 introduced into the waters were the shad and the salmon. The question in 

 regard to the salmon is how and when the experiment can best be tried. 

 If impregnated salmon-eggs are best for the purpose, where shall these 

 be obtaiaed ? Can we get plenty of them in our own waters from the 

 west coast, or shall we go to Europe ? In regard to the western salmon, 

 there are several difficulties in the way. In the first place, there are 

 six, eight, or ten so-called species, probably six well-defined kinds. 

 One serious objection has been made to the salmon of the west coast ; 

 and that is, they are said not to take the fly in fresh water. If this be 

 true, shall we introduce fish that will not give sport to the angler? 

 Nevertheless, it has lately been ascertained that they will take the fly 

 outside of the mouths of the rivers. The Columbia River salmon will 



