Ainerican Fisheries Society. 171* 



All men jjiize the fruit, but he understood that the tree will 

 soon be barren if Ave visit it only at the harvest; that we must 

 dig about it and water it, and cherish the blossoms and the gi-een 

 leaves, else there .will soon be no fruit to be gathered. 



But I have no thought of coming before you today as a cham- 

 pion of pure science ; nor do the people of America need to be 

 informed that it is the fountain head from which all the arts 

 that enrich our civilization are supplied. So I ask your leave to 

 devote the rest of my time to the examination of a criticism 

 which has been made of the practical work of the Fish Commis- 

 sion — an objection which, because of its plausibility, and be- 

 cause of the eminence of the authority who has been its most 

 prominent advocate, has had great weight with many of the 

 thoughtful and reflective, and has received the endorsement of 

 many naturalists. 



You all know that Huxley believed, and took many public 

 occasions to declare, that marine fishes like the cod and the 

 mackerel inhabit the ocean in such innumerable multitudes, and 

 are so prolific, that the utmost eiforts of man can have no practi- 

 cal effect upon their numbers, because they are exposed to the 

 ravages of so many natural enemies that the destruction caused 

 bv man is not worthy of consideration in comparison. He is 

 therefore led to believe that efforts to maintain them in their 

 natural abundance or to add to their numbers by artificial propa- 

 gation are misdirected and useless. Respect for Huxley's expe- 

 rience and good sense and sound judgment has led many to 

 think that this opinion is sound and well warranted and when 

 we reflect that innumerable millions of young mackerel and cod 

 are born in a state of nature for each one that can be reared arti- 

 ficially, and that millions are bom for each one that lives 

 through the perils of infancy and survives to maturity, there 

 does seem to be reason for doubting whether the efforts of man 

 to affect the supply of marine fishes by artificial means can hav-^ 

 any effect ; for man's addition to their numbers is only as a drop 

 of water in the ocean, and the chances of survival of any young 

 fishes that are hatched by human aid and then cast into the 

 ocean to share the perils of those that are born naturally can 

 only be as one in millions. 



Yet, with all deference to Huxley. I venture to assert that it 



