72 With Rod and Gun in New England 



there were hatched last year, in addition to other species, 70,500,000 eggs 

 of the cod, and 71,000,000 of the lobster. 



The returns from the artificial propagation of the salmon in a money 

 point of view are very great. In the Penobscot river — a stream that had 

 become almost depleted — there are now taken in the weirs of the river 

 and bay over 12,000 salmon annually, which are sold at prices ranging 

 from 25 cents to $1 per pound. The yield is even greater than this 

 on some of the Canadian rivers, the number of fish handled at Newcastle 

 and Chatham on the Miramichi being on the average not far from 600 per 

 day throughout the fishing season. In Europe the outcome has been even 

 more remarkable. Streams that had been rendered absolutely unproduc- 

 tive by overfishing, have been artificially restocked and maintained, and 

 now yield handsome returns. 



The little river Spey, in Scotland, which, prior to 1854, contained no 

 salmon, is now so abundantly stocked that a single fishing station on it 

 yields to the Duke of Richmond an annual income of upwards of $60,000, 

 and the aggregate product of the other rivers of Scotland and Ireland now 

 gives a revenue of over $7,000,000. In Continental Europe, also, great 

 attention is paid to fish culture. 



" The French have taken the lead in fish culture," said the Judge. 

 " Some of the work they have done is wonderful. In fact, it is to that 

 country that the modern methods of artificial propagation owe their exist- 

 ence, the great government hatchery and ponds of seventy acres in 

 extent at Huningue, near Basle, which were established in 1852, being the 

 first of the kind in the world. So valuable has been the work done at 

 this hatchery that the annual increase in the product of the fresh-water 

 fisheries is now estimated by some French statisticians as being worth at 

 least $4,000,000, while others place it at even higher figures. 



" The salmon that is chiefly propagated on the continent is different 

 from the sea salmon of Great Britain and this country. It is called the 

 Hucho, or Danube, salmon, and is much prized on account of its great 

 size and fine flavor. It attains a weight of upwards of 200 pounds without 

 visiting the sea, will accommodate itself to any circumstances, will even 

 flourish in a reservoir, and it grows and fattens with the greatest rapidity. 



" It is by many considered one of the most valuable of fresh-water 

 food fishes, and the wonder is that it was not long ago transplanted to this 

 country. The eggs are easy to be obtained, and may be safely brought to 

 this country, salmon eggs having been successfully carried from England to 

 Australia and Van Dieman's Land, and there is absolutely no obstacle in 

 the way of introducing it here. 



" Surely no better investment could be made by our National and 

 State commissioners than in a few thousand of these eggs every year; the 



