98 EEPOET OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



iu the fresh state for a loug time; also, for ourselves, I think it wiil uot 

 require a long time before great advantage will be found in using ice for 

 our great fisheries, even to a greater degree than is now common iu 

 America. I think, also, that our fat-herring fisheries will find a valuable 

 adjunct in ice-using, when, for instance, the fishing occurs far from a 

 salting-station, and it is important to preserve herring in summer until 

 salt, barrels, and suflflcient help can be secured. In America they freeze 

 whole cargoes of herring. Bait, too, for the cod and coal-fish fishery 

 might be preserved by the proper amount of ice where now it is wasted 

 or cannot be had. 



The matter is first brought into practical operation for the salt-water 

 fisheries, so we should next investigate how far our numerous rivers, 

 lakes, and fiords, well adapted for fishing, ought to derive advantage 

 from the use of ice, and be made to furnish a great quantity of goods 

 for sending abroad. As matters now stand, our inland and fresh-water 

 fisheries rank rather low, and the yield can scarcely be conveyed to 

 market, except in a half- spoiled condition, iu suumier. The experiments, 

 the experience in the practical business itself, which one acquires with 

 reference to this fishery in America, have brought me to believe that 

 much might be accomplished by us. 



The fresh-water fisheries of the Americans, inland and on the great 

 lakes, are prosecuted so largely by using ice and storing frozen fish, that 

 the traffic in these fish-j^roducts is a comparatively great business. On 

 this I shall venture to communicate more detailed information. 



YIII. 

 FEESH-WATEE FISHEEIES IX AMEEICA. 



That the fresh-water fisheries have an entirely different signification 

 for America from that in other countries was shown in the Exhibition 

 in many ways. While the fishery-division of most countries consisted 

 mainly of fishery -products from the sea-fishery, and onlj^ occasionally 

 had some fine implements for lake-fishery, or a portion of the products 

 of the fresh-water fishery, the main strength of the American division 

 lay in this dii-ection. One noticed instantly that this branch was the 

 object of special iiartiality on' the part of the American functionaries 

 concerned. 



In Agricultural Hall there was a series of aquaria in which various 

 fishes disported themselves, surrounded by all the comforts which belong 

 to a happy domestic life in fresh-water depths ; the handsome, sprightly 

 aquarium-tenants were not only well fed, but were also shown all other 

 attentions which fish delight in; their home was furnished with beauti- 

 ful sea-weeds, shells, corals, and muscles ; in shady grottoes of curious 

 stones reposed friendly-disposed sea-creatures and crabs of exquisite 

 beauty; fresh water l)ub1>led forth continuouslj' and diffused an agree- 

 able coolness which the outside spectators certainly envied them in the 



