FOREST AND STREAM 
THE WHITBY SMACK. 
^ ^ QJHE ought to he in, she ought to be in,, 
iOH-ere’s another moon begun; 
She sailed last Friday was a week, 
And it is but a few days 1 run. 
*Tve left our Jane at home, 
She'll nor sleep, nor bite, poor lass; 
Just toss her wedding clothes about, 
And stare at the falling glass. 
“The banns were out last week, you see; 
And to-day—alack, alack, 
Young George lias other gear to mind, 
Out there, out there in the smack 1 
“I bade her dry her tears, 
Or share them with another, 
And go down yonder court and try 
To comfort Willie’s mother. 
“The poor old widow’d soul, 
Laid helpless in her bed; 
She prays for the touch of her one son’s hand, 
The sound of his cheery tread. 
“She ought to be in, her timbers were stout; 
She would ride through the roughest gale, 
Well found and maim’d—but the hours drag on; 
It is but a four days’ sail.” 
I 
Gravely and sadly the sailor spoke, 
Out on the great Ker head; 
Sudden a bronz’d old fishwife turn’d, 
From the anxious group, and said: 
“Jenny will find her lovers anew, 
And Anne has one foot in the grave; 
We’ve lived together twenty year, 
I and my poor old Dave. 
“I’ve a runlet of whiskey fresh for him 
And ’bacca again he comes back. 
He said he’d bide this winter ashore, 
After the trip in the smack. 
“We have neither chick nor child of us, 
Our John were drowned last year; 
There is nothing on earth but Dave for me. 
Why there’s naught in the wind to fear. 
“He’s been out in many a coarser sea. 
I’ll set the fire alight; 
We said ‘Our Father’ before he went; 
The smack will be in to-night.” 
And just as down in the westward 
The light rose, pale and thin, 
With her bulwarks stove, and her foresail gone, 
The smack came staggering in. 
With one worn face at her rudder, 
And another beside her mast; 
But George and Willie and staunch old Dave? 
Why, ask the waves and the blast. 
Ask the sea that broke aboard her, 
Just as she swung her round; 
Ask the squall that swept above her, 
With death in its ominous sound. 
“The master saw,” the sailor said, 
“A face past the gunwale go;” 
And Jack heard “Jane!” ring shrill through the roar; 
And that is all we know. 
I can’t tell. Parson says grief is wrong, 
And pining is willful sin; 
Hut I’d like to hear how those two died, 
Before the smack came in. 
Well, this morning the flags fly half-mast head, 
In beautiful Whitby Bay; 
Tnat’s all we shall know till the roll is read, 
On the last great Muster-day .—All the Year Bound. 
This Journal is the Official Organ of the Fish Cultur- 
ists ? Association. 
PISCICULTURE AND THE FISHERIES. 
BY SPEXCER F. BAIRD. 
Read before the American Fish Cidturisls’ Association , 
Held in JSew York , Feb. 10, 1874. 
W E are indebted to Professor Baird, U. S. Commis¬ 
sioner of Fisheries, for the advance sheets of the 
general summary to he prefixed to the Record of Scientific 
and Industrial progress for the year 1873, now in press of 
Harper Brothers. This admirable and comprehensive 
paper embraces the Communication read by Professor 
Baird at the meeting of the American Fish Culturists’ Asso¬ 
ciation, held on the 10th of February:— 
The subject of fish-culture and the fisheries continues to 
increase in importance, and in view of the economical value 
of the products of the sea and the interior waters, and in 
the amount of capital and effort directed toward their acqui¬ 
sition, this interest is amply justified. 
Several exhibitions during 1873 have been made of fish¬ 
ery products and interests, the most important beiug that at 
Vienna during the past summer. Legislation has also been 
initiated or continued looking toward the judicial determi¬ 
nation of the rights of the general public and of the indi¬ 
vidual, the most important step in this direction being the 
decision of the United (States (Supreme Court in reference 
to the obligation of the corporation controlling.the dam 
across the Connecticut River at Holyoke to construct a 
suitable fish-way. This river in former years abounded in 
shad and salmon from its mouth to its sources, and furnish¬ 
ed a vast amount of excellent food to a large population. 
The erection of dams along its course obstructed the up¬ 
ward movement of the anadromous fish, with tiie result of 
finally exterminating the salmon, and of reducing the sup¬ 
ply of shad to a minimum. The most considerable of these 
obstructions, and tffe first met with above tide-water, was 
the great dam at Holyoke. An Act of the Massachusetts 
Legislature, - authorizing the Fish Commissioners of that 
State to require the construction of a fish-way over this 
dam, was resisted by the company, and the case carried 
successively to the Supreme Courts of Massachusetts and of 
the "United States, judgment being given by both tribunals 
against the company, which was thus obliged to yield. A 
fish-way was constructed during 1873 upon the plan of Mr. 
E. A. Brackett, of Massachusetts, which, it is hoped, will 
answer the purpose in view. 
In no country, however, has the subject of the fisheries 
and tlieir legaUrelations been more thoroughly considered 
than in Germany; and a very elaborate system of regula^ 
tions is now under discussion, which, it is expected, will be 
the most complete in existence. 
The number of States having Fish Commissioners for the 
improvement and regulation of the fisheries within their 
borders has been increased during the year by the addition 
of Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Michigan; so that at the pres 
ent time all the New England and Middle States except 
Delaware, and all the States bordering on the great lakes 
with the exception of Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and 
Minnesota, are provided with these important State officers. 
Movements are in progress, however, which it is probable 
will result during 1874 in the appointment of'Commission¬ 
ers in Minnesota, Illinois, Maryland, Virginia, North Caro¬ 
lina, and possibly Iowa. 
Numerous statistical publications in reference to the fish¬ 
eries of the Old World and the New have made tlieir ap¬ 
pearance, although mostly relating to 1872. We have also 
a very elaborate communication from Dr. Francis Day on 
the fresh-water fisheries of India, and another by the Min¬ 
ister of Marine and the Fisheries of Canada. It is to be re¬ 
gretted that no provision is made by the United States gov¬ 
ernment for the collection and publication of accurate and 
exhaustive details on this branch of industry, so ably 
worked up by France, Norway, and other foreign nations. 
The special fisheries of the world have been prosecuted 
with their average success. The herring lias furnished 
provision and employment for immense numbers of people 
both in Europe and America. The Astraclian herring 
(Alosa caspica ,) a species probably like our fresh-water 
herring or alewife, which was, up to the years 1854 
and 1855, only used in extracting the oil, has taken a prom¬ 
inent place as a food fish since that time. The Russian 
name, bescheuka (the furious fish,) seems to have incited a 
prejudice against it; but through the efforts of Mr. Baer, 
and a board of commissioners appointed to investigate the 
fisheries of Russia, the prejudice was largely overcome, 
and, under the name of herring, as a salted fish it has be¬ 
come an important element in the Caspian fisheries. In 
1858 there were salted in the rivers of Astraclian 43,000,000 
of this fish. The number in 1871 was 140,000,000; and 
in 1872, 1(30,000,000; while in 1872 only 30,000 were used 
for oil. 
The cod fisheries of both the Atlantic and Pacific have 
also been abundantly worked. The occurrence of cod in 
immense numbers in the Pacific is a fact of recent apprecia¬ 
tion; and it is satisfactory to know that, should the supply 
from the Atlantic be at all seriously impaired, the deficiency 
can be made up from the Pacific. According to a ban 
Francisco journal, 583,000 cod-fish were taken by seven 
vessels olf the coast of Alaska in the summer of 1873. No 
estimate cau at present be formed of the captures off the 
Banks of Newfoundland and the coast of Norway. New 
cod banks have lately been discovered off the coast of 
Spitzbergen. 
The trade in frozen herring off the coast of Maine and in 
the Bay of Fundy continues to be of great importance. 
This comparatively new interest lias been increasing gra¬ 
dually for many years, and now employs a large force dur¬ 
ing the winter season. The fish are taken in gill-nets and 
immediately frozen, and then shipped to the western 
markets of Portland, Boston, New Turk, etc. The Bay of 
Fundy is particularly favorable for this trade; and the re¬ 
cent establishment of a signal station at Eastport has been 
of great moment, by enabling those engaged in the business 
to anticipate the occurrence of a period of hot or cold 
weather in time to take measures to protect themselves 
from loss. The application of the signal telegraph in the 
service of the fisheries in the United (States is comparatively 
recent, and promises to be of great benefit by communica- 
tin<>' information of the occurrence of schools of fish along 
tlie°coast, and of their movements, to those interested in 
their capture* 
Another application of the signal telegraph is made by 
the dealers in fish both on the lakes and the sea-board, who 
regulate their orders and shipments of fresh fish by the 
knowledge thus obtained of impending atmospheric con¬ 
ditions. 
The American salmon trade continues to increase, and 
the number of establishments engaged in canning and pre¬ 
paring them for market on the Columbia River and in 
Puiret Sound becomes larger every year. It would almost 
seem that the vast numbers taken for this purpose must 
soon bring about tlieir extermination, but as yet no percept¬ 
ible decrease is reported. Numbeis of these fish are 
brought fresh to the East in refrigerator cars to supply the 
market earlier than the period during which the eastern 
salmon can be taken. 
In view of the great increase of the halibut fisheries off 
the coast of the United States, the hardy fishermen of Cape 
Ann, who more especially carry on this branch of industry, 
are obliged to resort to distant seas to obtain a supply; and 
even Greenland is not too far for their efforts, llie coast 
of Iceland, too, has also been visited by a Gloucester vessel 
for this purpose; but, although the halibut were abundant, 
the stormy nature of the region and other impediments ren¬ 
dered it impracticable to continue the effort. 
A rapidly increasing trade is that connected with the 
menhaden, mossbunker, or pogy, (Brevoortia menhaden ), a 
large species of the herring family valuable for the oil and 
scrap—the refuse after extracting the oil from the boiled 
fbli, which is used in direct applications to the land, or in 
the manufacture of fertilizers. Some idea of the magnitude 
of the interest may be learned from the fact that in 1873 
sixty-two factories were in operation on the coast of New 
York and of New England, requiring the use of 383 sailing- 
vessels and 20 steamers, the factories and vessels employ¬ 
ing 2,306 men, with an investment of $2,388,000. The total 
catch of fish amounted to 1,103,100 barrels (250 fish to the 
barrel), yielding 2,214,800 gallons of oil, and 36,289 tons of 
guano. The oil is used principally in dressing lea.her, and 
to some extent in rope-making and for painting, but not as 
yet for lubricating. 
Another increasing fishery .in the United States is that re¬ 
lating to the sturgeon, which, though abundant, has been 
but little utilized, thousands annually taken in pursuit nf 
other fish having usually been thrown aside as worthless 
Now several dealers on the lakes, especially the Messrs 
Scliacht, of Sandusky, are entering into the trade ar i 
manufacture caviar, isinglass, and dried smoked meat in 
great quantities. n 
The demand for fish-sounds continues very great, and thp 
shores of New England and the provinces are careful]? 
gleaned of all air-bladders procurable of the cod family Of 
the species, the bladder of the hake is most sought after 
bringing about one dollar a pound, and is used chiefly i t U 
said, in the manufacture of gum-drops. 
The seal fishery during 1873 has also been very produo 
tive, the number taken at the Fur-Seal Islands in the Beh" 
ring Sea being up to the maximum—namely, 100,000. The 
seals resort by millions to these Elands, and it is’said that? 
considerably larger number might be cam.lit without anv 
detriment to the trade. The capture of the liair-seals otf 
the coasts cf Labrador and Newfoundland, although leS 
extensive than in 1872, has also been a source of very great 
profit. This business is now carried on entirely by steam 
ers, o* which not less than twenty belonging to Newfound¬ 
land were occupied, some of them getting two full cargoes" 
The largest catch of any vessel, it is believed, was about 
42,000; these having been taken in the course of a few 
weeks, and, from the skins and the oil, yielding an immense 
profit. 
The rapid decrease of lobsters on the coast of the United 
States, and the extent of the interest connected with can¬ 
ning them as an article of food, has induced a special effort 
to bring back the supply. The amount of this interest may 
be appreciated when we are told that during 1873 more 
than twenty thousand tons of canned lobsters were brought 
into the United States, or shipped elsewhere, from the 
shores of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia alone. An or¬ 
dinance has been issued by the Canadian authorities pro¬ 
hibiting, under severe penalties, the capture of any lobsters 
weighing less than a pound and a half; and Massachusetts 
will probably enact a law prescribing a limit of size—name¬ 
ly, a minimum of eleven inches in length. In Maine, the 
legislation anticipated is that of a close time of two or three 
months in the summer, when none shall be taken but 
imposing no restriction at other seasons as to size or weight. 
The oyster fisheries, as far as the canning interest is con¬ 
cerned, suffered a severe shock during the financial panic 
from which it has not yet recovered, although the consump¬ 
tion of the oyster while fresh is perhaps as great as usual. 
Vessels now carry entire cargoes from Maryland and Vir¬ 
ginia to England, where they are becoming an established 
article of trade. 
It will be of interest to announce that the United States 
Fish Commission is experimenting on a method of effect¬ 
ually freeing beds of planted oysters from the ravages of 
the starfish, so destructive to them. 
Much valuable information lias been obtained in refer¬ 
ence to the fishery statistics, and the conditions affecting 
the fislierit s generally,- by the labors of the United States 
Fish Commission, which continued its investigations under 
the direction of the Commissioner, Professor S. F. Baird, 
assisted by Professor Verrill, on the coast of Maine during 
the summer of 1873.. Detailed information was obtained in 
reference to the habits of the herring, cod, and other useful 
food fishes, which will have an important bearing on these 
interests. Numerous questions in reference to the preser¬ 
vation and reproduction of lobsters and oysters were also 
met. One result was the frequent capture of two-year-old 
shad in gillnets many'- miles out to sea. 
In connection with the subject of the fisheries, the mod¬ 
ern methods of preserving fish fresh for an indefinite period 
of time should not be lost sight of, especially as their intro¬ 
duction has imparted immense activity to the trade in fresh 
fish, and enables llie dealers to supply salmon, shad, Span¬ 
ish mackerel, bluefish, striped bass, etc., at all seasons of 
the year. 
Of these devices there are two principally in use, one 
consisting in placing the fish in sealed meial boxes in a 
mixture of ice and salt; and the other, much more con¬ 
venient, being the construction of a chamber inclosed 
within double walls, and filled with the same mixture. 
The fish are placed in the centre apartment, the tempera¬ 
ture of which can be readily maintained at from eighteen 
to twenty-five degrees above zero, and are preserved inde¬ 
finitely. It is only necessary to renew the supply of the 
mixture evey week or month, according to the mass, and 
the temperature above referred to can be kept up indefinite¬ 
ly. Borne establishments in New York and elsewhere keep 
many thousands of pounds of fish in this way, subject to 
call at any time. 
The various methods of increasing artificially the supply 
of fish and othei marine animals, technically known as Pis¬ 
ciculture, have been prosecuted with increasing vigor dur¬ 
ing the year 1873, the eailier experiences warranting the 
adoption of more enlarged plans for securing the desired 
result. Associations have been formed,and Btate commis¬ 
sioners appointed, while numerous private establishments 
have been erected. The most important action in this 
direction is that taken by the United States Fish Com¬ 
mission, established in 1871, which is now largely occu¬ 
pied with this work, in addition to special researches in 
reference to the condition of the fishing interest on the sea- 
coast and lakes. 
The measures adopted have had more special relation to 
the multiplication of shad, salmon, and whitefish; and in 
these operations the United States Commission was fortune 
ate in securing the assistance of Mr. Seth Green, Dr. J. H. 
Slack, Mr. Livingston Stone, and other fish-culturists Its 
operations have been conducted on a much larger scale 
than by any other nation, and with very gratifying success. 
With a view of securing a sufficient supply of the eggs 
of the California salmon, Mr. Livingston Slone, as in the 
previous year, was sent out to the Lnited States salmon- 
breeding camp on the McCloud River, near Mount Shasta, 
where he obtained about a million and a half of eggs which 
were shipped to the East (a portion to Utah), and about 
half of them successfully hatched out, at various State and 
private establishments, and placed in different streams in 
the Northern, Middle, and Western States. The more im¬ 
portant waters supplied are several streams in Maine and 
Massachusetts, the Connecticut, Hudson, Delaware, and 
Potomac rivers, Lake Champlain, Lake Ontario, Lake Erie, 
and Lake Michigan, and the Ohio River. 
During the year, also, the establishment at Bucksport, 
Maine, under Mr. Atkins, continued its operations,, on an 
enlarged scale and with very satisfactory success. While 
the salmon are seined when wanted on the McCluod, at 
this establishment they are purchased living from the fish¬ 
ermen, who capture them in w r eirs in the months of June 
