VALUE OF NORWEGIAN LAKES FOR FISH CULTURE. 603 



The necessary freezing and storing for a long time, and tlie refriger- 

 ating dnring transportation to places much more distant with the means 

 of conveyance of the futnre, cannot in any way cause a remarkable in- 

 crease of price of the product. 



There is just as little probability that the increase of the i)opulation 

 prevaihng in the last decade will in the future become stationary, or in a 

 remarkable degree decline, as there probably is that the prices of the 

 necessaries of life in coming time will decline in any especially consider- 

 able degree in the markets of Europe. But even if such a decline should 

 take place, even if it, on the average, and for this article especially, should 

 go down to the half of what may be considered at the i:)resent a low esti- 

 mate, or from 82J cents to 41^ cents per kilogram, the product in ques- 

 tion must find a sure sale, since, it with an enormous x>rofit against it, 

 as was previously brought into consideration, can be sold far below 

 this price, and thus, as a delicacy of the first class, must become sought 

 in preference to articles of food of inferior account. In order that the 

 product which is here in view may lose its rank and value as a delicacy 

 it must become common every-day fare — that is, be able to be sold at 

 such a price and in such quantities that the great x)ublic may have the 

 means and the opportunity to eat it four or five times a week. If one 

 takes into consideration only a small portion of the population of North 

 Europe, say 15,000,000 of people, and assumes that these, on the average, 

 when the article is to be had as cheaply as here estimated, will consume 

 one-half kilogram twice a week, which is by no means improbable if the 

 price becomes as stated — less than half the cost of the commonest kind 

 of meat — for this small fraction of the population of Korth Europe will 

 be required annually 780,000,000 kilograms at least j that is, one-half 

 MORE THAN THE WHOLE ESTIMATED PRODUCTION. There is thus Cer- 

 tainly no reason to fear that the enterprise will fail from want of sale of 

 the portion of the product which we may be able to offer for sale. The 

 probability is, on the contrary, that many times the quantity will find 

 sale at considerably higher iirices than those pre^dously brought to notice, 

 and this so much more surely since there is every reason to suppose that 

 at the same time when an increased fish production may be secured 

 there will be an increase of the population which may be counted on as 

 consumers on nearlj' the same scale as in recent past time. 



With full conviction that the labor bestowed upon the cultivation of 

 the water will pay well, I advise every one who may have the opportu- 

 nity, to take hold of this cultivation, and that with full energy; because, 

 let it be remembered, half or quarter of the work, according to plans 

 hitherto emjiloyed, and universal Norwegian customs, will give just as 

 little profit as importance in this as in other directions. Moreover, I 

 must recommend that this enterprise, with the intervention of legal 

 provisions, be hedged around just as carefully as any other pursuit of 

 similar importance — agriculture, grazing, or cultivation of the woods. 

 So long as the hitherto mentioned license can go on uncensured and un- 



