XXXI.-A REVIEW OF THE FAILURES AND SUCCESSES OF ARTI- 

 FICIAL FLSH-CULTURE.* 



By Von der Wengen. 



Professor MalniftTen, of Helsiiiiifors, rinland, in liis moniorial ad- 

 (Ircsscd to tlic Bureau of Agriculture of the Imperial Itussiau Senate 

 for Finland, recently published, t has spoken so strongly against the 

 introduction of artilicial iish-culture in Finland that it seems projjcr to 

 make this question the subject of a. thorough investigation. As Pro- 

 fessor IMiilmgren honored me by sending me among others his pamphlet, 

 1 feel justified in thus publicly discussing' it. 



With a view of familiarizing the reader with Professor Malmgren's 

 pamphlet I must give the following statements contained in it : 



When the Imiierial Senate began to consider the (juestion of intro- 

 ducing artificial fish-culture in Finland Professor Malmgren was com- 

 missioned to visit the Pussian Government fish-cultural establishnsent 

 at Nikolsk (in the southwestern part of the Government of Novgorod), 

 and to prepare a memorial on the subject. He went to Nikolsk in 

 Se])tember, 1S82, traveling by railroad from St. Petersburg to Waldaika 

 (a distance of 250 versts [107 miles], 1 verst being equal to about 1,007 

 meters or two- thirds of a mile), and from Waldaika to Nikolsk (52 miles) 

 by stage coach. Nikolsk is about 40 versts [27 miles] from Valdai, the 

 principal city of the district. 



The fish-cultural establishment of Nikolsk was founded in 1855 by 

 Mr. Wrassky, the owner of the estate, on the model of Huningen, in a 

 valley watered by a small brook. Everything was on a large scale. It 

 comprises thirteen large and small ponds, which are fed from the brook. 

 The hatching house is very conveniently arranged, and its apparatus 

 can contain 2,000,000 trout eggs. As the trout and the marane [a fish 

 of the gemis Corer/onus], the two kinds of fish which were to be raised 

 at Nikolsk, were not found in that neighborhood, the fish required for 

 propagation had to be brought from St. Petersburg, therefore over a 

 distance of about 330 versts [220 miles]. There are trout in waters 

 distant from Nikolsk p.bout 35 versts [24 miles], but it is only recently 



"Professor Malmgren nnd iiekUnstUclie Fischzucht. From the Deutsche Fisehei'ei-Zdiuvg, 

 Vol. VI, Nos. 44, 46, 47, 4 i, 49, and Vol. VII, Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4. Stettin, October, 188:5, to 

 January, 1884. Translat <1 from the Gorman by Hermax Jacobson. 

 t Translation in F. C. 7;ull,, 1883, pp. 303-381. 



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