FISH CULTURE, 



IKTEODUCTOEY CHAPTER. 



THE ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF PISCICULTURE. 



PISCICULTURE is said to have been originally dis- 

 covered by the Chinese, those barbarians to whom 

 civilization owes so large a debt, even for its silk and 

 its tea, and many most ingenious and useful inven- 

 tions. The art was practised by the Chinese from 

 time immemorial, and the scale upon which they 

 have employed it is far larger, and more comprehen- 

 sive, than has been since adopted. Planting in 

 suitable places in their rivers large posts, to which 

 a framework was attached, they placed thereon 

 faggots and hurdles for the fish to spawn on. That 

 operation completed, they removed the hurdles, &c., 

 collected the eggs, and either hatched them under 

 their own immediate supervision, or stocked other 

 streams with them. By this simple but effective 



B 



