VALUE OF NORWEGIAN LAKES FOR FISH CULTURE. 595 



The i)rice of the kind of fish which I have chiefl}^ in view here, the trout, 

 was, even thirty or forty years ago, 2.7 cents per mark — which equals one- 

 fourth of a kilogram — in the mountain regions. In the towns it is now 

 considerably higher, especially at certain times of the year, and for fresh 

 fish ; I will, however, place it at 2.7 cents for one-fourth kilogram, which 

 equals 11 cents per kilogram, notwithstanding that this article has 

 something near the same nourishment as flesh, and the price of flesh 

 must be placed at at least double. The value of the mean profit of three 

 liectares of icater, about 2,500 lilograms, is thus calculated to be $275 an- 

 mtally, and for each hectare also over $82.50 gross. 



If one estimates that the careful cultivation of the water area men- 

 tioned will demand the same outlay for labor, buildings, and implements 

 of all kinds as the cultivation of a corresponding area of land, which 

 ought to be iilacing it more than high enough ; and if one considers, 

 moreover, that the profit of the first year's harvesting of the water's 

 natural culture covers the labor necessary for the hatching, rearing, and 

 care, then Avill, from the fifth year, the proportion between the yield 

 from fish cultivation and agriculture stand as follows: 



In Dr. O. J. Broch's previously-quoted work, "The Kingdom of Nor- 

 way," which at present may be truly regarded as the most trustworthy 

 statistical work, the area of the cultivated land is given as 2,700 square 

 kilometers, or 270,000 hectares, and the value of the products of the 

 land for the year 18G5 at $13,750,000, or not quite $55 per hectare on 

 the average. According to what experienced farmers in the most fertile 

 tracts of our country have stated, this average profit must be consid- 

 ered a little higher than in reality is the average i^rofit from land of 

 all qualities ; while, on the other hand, the estimate upon the yield from 

 fish culture places it lower than it, at all events in many places, may be 

 made. The proportion between agriculture and fish culture, also, should 

 be as 2 to 3 in equal areas. But even if it must be admitted that this 

 estimate is too high, and that some reduction ought to be made, so 

 much, however, should be considered established, that fish culture will 

 yield a profit lohich fully equals that from agriculture over equal areas. 



As previously stated, nature has allotted to us an area covered with 

 fresh water, more or less adapted to fish culture, of 7,G00 square kilom- 

 eters, which equals 700,000 hectares, which, besides, we have it in our 

 power, with comparatively little expense, to increase considerably, by 

 overflowing with water, districts which are and always will be worthless 

 except in so far as they are put to such use. With the estimated yield 

 per hectare of cultivated water should also — if some time in the per- 

 haps not too distant future fish culture shall be prosecuted with the 

 same perseverance and care which are now vainly bestowed on utterly 

 poor and ungrateful soil, and in the entire extent whereto nature gives 

 the opportunity — the total profit reach as much as $55,000,000 yearly 

 and upwards, if the example chosen can be regarded as a proper rep- 

 resentative of the average yield of lakes at different elevations and in 



