Centennial Meeting. 13 



sorts of fish were tried, from the bony fish of our coast to the 

 pork livers of the West, and innumerable matters of detail were 

 changed for the better, while many doubtful questions were 

 settled. 



In Europe, all that had been effected up to that time — and 

 there has not been much advance since — was the cultivation of 

 trout and salmon, and the building of salmon-passes. The latter 

 has been of vast importance to them ; and with no other aid than 

 proper legislation has restored many rivers which had been 

 ruined by artificial obstructions, and greatly improved the yield 

 of others where there had always been natural obstructions. The 

 yield of any river, other things being equal, is dependent upon 

 the extent of the spawning-ground, and the more that can be 

 enlarged the greater will be the supply. It often happens that 

 a single fall bars the salmon from the upper waters, and when 

 this is overcome, hundreds of miles may be added to the range 

 of the fish. Our rivers are probably more generally obstructed 

 by artificial dams than those of Europe, so much that in some 

 States — I may instance that of New York — little attention has 

 been devoted to the erection of fish-passes. In the New England 

 States, however, much energy, skill, and ingenuity has been 

 displayed in giving salmon, shad, and herring an easy and 

 convenient method of overcoming obstructions which man or 

 nature had placed in their way. Good has already resulted, but 

 greater benefit is to be expected when time shall have accustomed 

 the fish to their new habitat. One incidental benefit has been 

 derived from this work : the inhabitants along the banks of the 

 inland streams are beginning to understand their rights, and 

 appreciate the damage and wrong which were done them when 

 an impassible barrier was placed between them and a supply of 

 food which had hitherto, unsought, presented itself at their very 

 doors. I find it exceedingly difficult to obtain reliable statistics 



