I50 



Col. McDonald illustrated the scope and purpose of the 

 enquiry as now conducted, by reference to three investi- 

 gations now in progit^^^s. First of these he named that on 

 the Pacific Coast by the Steamer Albatross, stationed 

 there in the winter of 1887-8. He next spoke of the 

 oyster investigation in Rhode Island, Connecticut and 

 New York. The oyster beds of New England and the 

 middle states are subject to the attacks of drills and star- 

 fishes, which do several thousand dollars' worth of damage 

 every year. 



For three years the Schooner Grampus has been investi- 

 gating the temperature relations between the cold Labra- 

 dor current and the warm waters of the Gulf Stream. 



In conclusion, the speaker related the successful efforts 

 that had been made in the artificial propagation of cod 

 and shad. 



At this time several gentlemen in the audience com- 

 menced to ask questions of Col. McDonald, who answered 

 all, and in that wa}'" a general discussion followed until 

 adjournment for dinner. 



AFTERNOON MEETING. 



In the afternoon the subject for discussion was " Fish as 

 a Fertilizer," opened by William H. Bowker, well-known as 

 the manufacturer of Bowker's fertilizer. Mr. Bowker spoke 

 from a business point of view, believing in catching all the 

 fish you could or where you could, whether for food or fer- 

 tilizer. The first great by product for plant food is stable 

 manure, and another is bone — the latter being sold to fer-^ 

 tilizer manufacturers or directly to the farmers. Mr. 

 Bowker stated that experience had proved the value of fish 

 as fertilizers, and quoted Prof. Trumbull as saying that tlie 

 Indian names of menhaden and porgie signified ''fertilizer," 

 and that the Indians were accustomed to use this species, 

 together with herring and alewives, to enrich their corn 

 fields. Fish is no better source of plant food than many 

 other substances. It is the source of plant food because it 



