KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



139 



ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE. 



Artificial Production of Fish. — As you are, no 

 doubt, aware, Mr. Editor, the artificial mode of 

 keeping up the breed of fishes is " old as the 

 hills." Our forefathers practised it, and left their 

 doings on record. Strange to say, however, 

 this seems to have been lost sight of; and some 

 London wise- acres are declaring the art to be 

 " an invention " of their own I Capital inventors 

 they are — of an unblushing falsehood! Some 

 very interesting experiments with the manipula- 

 tion of the roe and milt of fishes, have been 

 going on for some time in France. There, it 

 seems the discovery, as it is called, was the 

 result of careful study. The account given 

 of the operations may be abridged as follows. — 

 Some years ago, two fishermen, named Gehin, 

 and Remy, of La Bresse, in the department of the 

 Vosges, found that from various causes the stock 

 of trout, for which the rivers and lakes of that 

 department are famous, greatly declined ; and 

 they attentively studied the habits of the male 

 and female trout at spawning time, with the 

 view, if possible, of discovering the means of 

 checking the evil. After long and patient ob- 

 servation, they found that one in a hundred of 

 the eggs deposited by the female in the bed of 

 rivers, and fecundated by the milt of the male, 

 came to maturity — the rest being devoured by 

 other fish, washed away, or destroyed by mud. 

 They found also that of the fish which had 

 become excluded or hatched, the greater part 

 were destroyed by the larger fish of their own or 

 different species. It then struck them that if 

 they were to collect the eggs and apply the milt 

 themselves, instead of leaving the fish to do it, 

 and afterwards to secure the young fish from the 

 voracity of the larger ones, they would in the 

 course of a few years obtain an inexhaustible 

 supply. Accordingly, they seized a female trout 

 just as they perceived she was about to spawn, 

 and by pressure, caused her to deposit her eggs 

 in a vessel containing fresh water. They after- 

 wards took a male, and by pressing him in the 

 same way, caused his milt to spurt on the eggs. 

 It is by pressure that the female and male always 

 relieve themselves at spawning time. These 

 two men, then, in imitation of the fish, placed 

 the eggs on a layer of gravel, which they depo- 

 sited in a box full of holes. This box they fixed 

 in the bed of a flowing stream, and covered it 

 with pebbles. The fish themselves, in the natural 

 way, cover the eggs with pebbles and leave them. 

 In due time the eggs excluded, and almost every 

 one was found to be good. They thus ob- 

 tained from one female several hundred fish. They 

 took precautions for keeping the little creatures 

 in water where they were out of danger, and 

 supplied them with fitting food. Applying this 

 operation the year after, to a great number 

 of fish, they obtained several thousand trout; 

 and in a year or two more the number had 

 literally increased to millions. After they had 

 stocked all the rivers and streams of the Vosges, 

 and some in the Mosselle and the Haut and Bas- 

 Bhin, Dr. Haxo, Secretary of the Societe d' 'Emu- 

 lation des Vosges, drew the attention of the 

 Academy of Sciences and of the Government to 

 the discovery. The Academy declared that it 



was of immense national importance. The 

 Government, on its part, saw that the applica- 

 tion of it to the rivers and streams of France 

 would not only afford employment to a vast 

 number of persons, but would enable an immense 

 addition to be made, at scarcely any expense, to 

 the people's food. It accordingly took the two 

 men into its service, and made them apply the 

 system to different waters. They have done so 

 with the most singular success ; rivers and lakes 

 in which there were no fish are now teeming 

 with them. Nor have they confined their opera- 

 tions to trout alone, but have extended them to 

 salmon, carp, pike, tench, and perch, and in each 

 case with complete success. Indeed, their 

 system is applicable to all sorts of fresh-water 

 fish, and to those which, after spawning in rivers, 

 descend to the sea. In addition to the breeding 

 of fish in enormous quantities, it enables fish of 

 different species to be naturalised in strange 

 'waters, or removed from river to river. So great 

 is the importance which the Government attaches 

 to the plan, that it has nominated a commission 

 of eminent scientific men to superintend the 

 operations of Gehin and Bemy. M. Milne 

 Edwards, and M. Coste, both members of the 

 Institute, have been directed to make investiga- 

 tions between Cherbourg and Granville, and the 

 environs of Trouville. — Is it not curious, Mr. 

 Editor, to observe how each man claims for 

 himself what he is not at all entitled to ? How- 

 ver, it is " well " that the subject has been 

 revived. It will lead to beneficial results. — J. W. 

 [This so called " discovery," is indeed " old 

 as the hills." We have read of it in old books 

 many years ago; and wondered why it was not 

 sooner brought into operation. It is an inter- 

 esting process; and deserves chronicling in our 

 pages nevertheless. Thanks.] 



Early Rising. — I have taken the resolution, 

 Mr. Editor, in consequence of what you said 

 some time since, to get up early, and walk out 

 before breakfast. You were right when you 

 said it would improve the health. I can assure 

 you I am in every respect improved since I acted 

 upon your advice; and I write to thank you 

 sincerely for the hint. I would join my voice 

 with yours, in again enforcing the salutary 

 practice of rising betimes ; and so enjoying the 

 sweetness of the morning. — Bosb. 



[Thank you, little Bosebud. It does our 

 heart good to know that we have been of service 

 to you. Persevere. One step in the right direction, 

 leads to another. The sweetness of the morning 

 is perhaps its least charm. It is the renewed 

 vigor which it implants in all around th3t 

 affects us — man, animals, vegetation, flowers. 

 Befreshed and soothed with sleep, man opens his 

 heart. He is alive to nature, and nature's God, 

 and his mind is more intelligent, because more 

 fresh. He seems to drink of the dew, like the 

 flowers ; and feels the same reviving effect. We 

 shall look for more little notes from you, Bose; 

 for we are able to judge that you will be a 

 valuable correspondent. Write fearlessly.] 



Shrubby Pceonies. — I observe, Mr. Editor, a 

 very interesting question raised in a late number 

 of the Gardeners' Chronicle, about hybridising 



