[19] 



FISHERIES OF THE UNITED STATES. 



yet elapsed to warrant a statement regarding the success or failure or 

 the experiment. 



The most satisfactory results thus far in acclimatization have been 

 obtained from the introduction of German carp. A desirable food-fish 

 was needed for the inland waters of our Western and Southern States, 

 and the German carp was found to meet this want. The first carp 

 were imported into this country by the United States Fish Commis- 

 sion iu 1877, ponds being prepared for them at Baltimore and Wash- 

 ington. In 1880, the distribution of fry began, and by January 1, 1883 ? 

 they had been planted in not less than 17,860 localities, covering nearly 

 every State and Territory. They proved to be especially adapted to 

 our waters, and in some localities grew with surprising rapidity reach- 

 ing more than twice the weight attained in the same time in German 

 waters. An instance is cited where a carp 4 inches long placed in the 

 waters of Texas was found to have increased to 20J inches in length 

 in eleven months, at which time it weighed 4 pounds 11 ounces. Ar- 

 rangements are being made by the Fish Commission to continue the 

 distribution of carp upon a larger scale than heretofore. 



Owing to the existence of so many private fish-cultural establishments, 

 aod the fact that the statistics of the work of some of the State com- 

 missions are inaccessible, it is hardly practicable to attempt to furnish 

 statistics of the extent of fish-culture within the United States. The 

 following table, however, shows the statistics for the six principal spe- 

 cies hatched by the United States Fish Commission, from its origin to 

 the present time: 



Table of the principal hatching operations of the United States Fish Commission from 1872 



to 1883.* 





Number of young fish hatched and planted in open waters. 





Tear. 



Shad. 



California 

 salmon. 



Schoodic 

 salmon. 



Penobscot 

 salmon. 



WMtefish. 



California 

 trout. 



Total. 



1872 



859, 000 



3, 003, 000 



3, 561, 000 



12, 055, 550 



6, 330, 400 



11, 183, 300 



16, 165, 500 



15, 589, 500 



28, 626, 000 



170,035,000 



% 50, 000, 000 



6,000 

 1,511,230 



2, 531, 500 

 4, 538, 039 

 4, 663, 031 

 5, 127, 875 

 7, 821, 057 

 4, 558, 576 

 3, 165, 652 



3, 650, 000 

 14,000,000 





10, 000 



437, 797 



1, 174, 918 



955, 900 



765, 000 



97, 500 



25, 000 

 25, 000 





900 000 



1873 



4,000 



7,250 



731, 000 



341, 950 



1, 295, 925 



1, 304, 278 

 525, 300 



2, 068, 500 



teeo, ooo 



tl, 496, 000 





4, 981 027 



1 874 





7, 274, 668 

 18, 491, 089 

 14, 470, 381 

 18, CO 4, COO 



1875 



120, 000 

 2, 370, 000 



300, 000 





1876 





1877 





1878 





25, 290, 835 

 21, 348, 950 



1879 



20, 574 



81,729 



12,611,000 



•12,100,000 



655, 000 



200, 000 



119, 500, 000 



150,000,000 





1880 

 1881 

 1882 



44, 002 

 1261, 000 

 1337,500 



34, 1S5, 883 

 96, 917, 000 

 107, 933, 50O 



Total. 



217, 408, 250 



41, 572, 960 



8,634,803 I 8,254,418 



73, 195, 000 



642, 502 



349, 707, 933 



* Other species havebeen hatched for distribution, but only, in limited numbers, no organized and 

 continuous efforts having been made for the propagation of any except those named. 



t Including both those produced at the local hatchery and eggs sent to other hatching establishments 

 to be hatched there. 



X Estimated. 



