Fish Culturists' Association. 7 



and any reasonable appropriation could be secured to plant all rivers 

 in that State. These first essays of the general government are to 

 be regarded as tentative, and preparing the way for the completed 

 work in which every State will have a share. Fish breeders may 

 have no doubt of eventual success in planting shad in the upper 

 waters of the Mississippi valley, but the people have no such firm 

 faith and must see to believe. 



The rapid spread of shad from the Alabama, where they were 

 planted in small numbers in 1848, both eastward into the Escambia 

 and its tributaries and westward into the Mississippi and into the 

 tributaries of the Red and Arkansas rivers, is conclusive evidence 

 that the fish have taken kindly to these muddy waters and will 

 eventually populate them. Shad were first taken at the falls of the 

 Wicheta, near Hot Springs, Ark., in 1860, only nine years after they 

 were first captured in the Alabama. They are now caught by the 

 cart-load, and for five weeks in spring furnish the main supply of 

 animal food in the village market. 



It is not improbable that many other streams nearer the gulf are 

 already stocked with shad by natural methods, and that they have 

 not been captured because there are no falls to obstruct their passage 

 and no fishermen to drop lines for them. But even if the spread of 

 this fish is going forward securely by natural methods, the people do 

 not want to wait fifty j^ears for an event which may just as well come 

 in five years by artificial means. We want the fishes as well as the 

 loaves in the great valley, at the earliest day and at any reasonable 

 cost. 



Something has also been done to increase the supply of white-fish 

 in the great lakes. The destruction of this fish has gone on so 

 rapidly that it has almost disappeared from many lakes where it was 

 once abundant. Prof. Baird has about three-fourths of a million of 

 eggs, in charge of Mr. N. W. Clarke, at Clarkston, Mich. It is pro- 

 posed to send a large per cent of these to the fish commissioners of 

 California, for the purpose of introducing them into Pacific rivers, 

 and to take measures, another year, to multiply them largely in the 

 great lakes. 



The introduction of the Rhine salmon to our waters is another 

 noteworthy event. Prof. Baird found a ready response to his 

 inquiries for the spawn of this fish. He was promptly informed 

 that, desirous of showing their appreciation of the American people, 

 the German government would present the United States with 250,000. 



