Fish Culturists' Associate 



on. 



For Executive Committee— H. J. Reedek, Fred. Mather, 

 Alex. Kent, W. F. Whitchee, Seth Green. 



After the election of officers, Prof. Milner of the Smithso- 

 nian Institute, Washington, I). C, entertained the Association 

 with an account of the work accomplished by the United States 

 Fish Commission, which was quite interesting. 



II. H.« Thomas offered a resolution fixing the price of 

 Trout Eggs, which upon a vote of the Society was lost. 



Mr. Eugene G. Blackford then offered a resolution for the 

 consideration of the Society, which he prefaced with the fol- 

 lowing remarks : 



I beg to call the attention of the gentlemen present to a 

 subject of great interest. As the topics treated by the Fish 

 Culturists' Association have augmented in number, so has the 

 interest increased. If we have developed a scientific inquiry 

 into the natural history of the subjects treated by the Society, 

 the practical aims of fish culture have certainly been strength- 

 ened thereby. I am desirous of introducing before you a prac- 

 tical subject, one of figures, at which you must not be afraid. 

 It is even something worse than figures, it is statistics. Now 

 we are all of us as yet, working very much in the dark. Let 

 us take the subject of Trout raised by our fish culturists. What 

 do we know about the number of them produced ? It is impos- 

 sible that we should see clearly what we are driving at, unless 

 we start with that which must be the foundation on which we 

 must build. Suppose this was a live stock association, given 

 to the raising of horses or cows. The first thing they would 

 do, being practical people, would be to get some positive data 

 as to production ; once production noted, consumption could 

 be readily deduced. It would be of great importance for the 

 Association to know how many Trout were artificially produced, 

 and sold in the various markets of the country. Starting from 

 this point, I should be even desirous of going further. If the 



