1152 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF PlStt AND FISHERIES. [14] 



There are, however, iDaiiy modes of preparations which can be made 

 use of to meet the wants of new markets, and thus enter more effi- 

 ciently into competition with European nations for European trade, as 

 well as for that of the West Indies and Central America. A great ad- 

 vance has already been made toward this desired improvement since 

 the Centennial Exhibition of 187G, where many methods of curing and 

 putting up fish were shown in the foreign sections that were almost en- 

 tirely unknown in America. Notably among these were the prepara- 

 tion of sardines and other species of herring in oil as well as in spiced 

 sauces. Quite recently this industry has been well established in 

 Maine, amounting to a value of millions of dollars, and there are many 

 other parts of the country where the same work can be done with other 

 kinds of fish." 



The fisheries exhibitions o/" iierlin and London greatly promoted this 

 department of the work. An extensive export trade with the continent 

 was inaugurated at the close of the Berlin exhibition, but was not con- 

 tinned, because of the iudilierence of our fish merchants to the advan- 

 tages of aforeign market, their entire capacity being required to manage 

 to supply the home demand. The members of the American staff at 

 these exhibitions ha\ o prepared an elaborate rejiort upon the methods 

 of preparing fish for European markets and the opportunity for extend 

 ing our commerce in this direction. 



7. THE SCOPE AND PROVINCE OF ARTIFICIAL PROPAGATION. 



Here the fish culturist comes in with the proposition "that it is 

 cheaper to make fish so i)lenty by artificial means, that every fisherman 

 may take all he can catch, than to enforce a code of protection laws." 



The salmon rivers of the Pacific slope and the shad rivers of the East 

 and the whitefish fisheries of the lakes are now so thoroughly under con- 

 trol by the fish-culturist that it is doubtful if any one will venture to 

 contradict his assertion. The question now is whether he can extend 

 his domain to other species. 



Fish culture in its more restricted sense, or fish breeding, must sooner 

 or later be resorted to in all densely populated countries, for with the 

 utmost protection nature, unaided, can do but little to meet the natural 

 demand for fish to eat. Pond culture, Teiclnvirthschaft, has been prac- 

 ticed for many centuries, and the carp and the goldfish have become 

 domesticated like poultry and kine. The culture of carp is an important 

 industry in China and in Germany, though perhaps not more so than it 

 was in England three and four centuries ago; the remains of ancient 

 fish stews may be seen uj^on almost every large estate in England, and 

 ])articularly in the vicinity of old monasteries. Strangely enough not 

 a single well-conducted carp-pond exists in England to-day to perpetu- 

 ate the memory of the tens of thousands which were formerly sustained, 

 and the carp escaping from cultivation have reverted to a feral state, 

 and are of little value. Carp culture can never be made to succeed in 



