228 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
BY E0BT5BT, LORD LYTTOfff- (OWEN MEREDITH.) 
T HE green grass blades aquiver 
With joy at the dawn of day 
(For the most inquisitive ever 
Of the flowers of the field are they). 
Lisp’d it low to their lazy 
Neighbors that flat on the ground, 
Dandelion and daisy. 
Lay still in slumber sound; 
But soon, as a ripple of shadow 
Runs over the whisperous wheat, 
The rumor ran over the meadow 
With its numberless fluttering feet; 
It was told by the water-cresses 
To the brooklet that, in and out 
Of his garrulous green recesses, 
For gossip was gadding about; 
And the brooklet, full of the matter 
Spread it abroad with pride; 
But he stopp’d to gossip and chatter, 
And turn’d so often aside 
That his news got there before him 
Ere his journey down was done; 
And young leaves in the vale laughed o’er him, 
“We know it! The snow is gone! 11 
The snow is gone! but ye only 
Know how good dotn that good news sound, 
Whose hearts, long buried and lonely, 
Have been waiting, winter-bound, 
For the voice of the wakening angel 
To utter the welcome evangel, 
“The snow is gone; re-arise, 
And blossom as heretofore, 
Hopes, imaginings, memories, 
And joys of the days of yore! 11 
What are the tree-tops saying, swaying 
This way altogether? 
“The winter is past! the south wind at last 
Is come and the sunny weather!” 
The trees! there is no mistaking them, 
For the trees they never mistake; 
And you may tell, by the way of the stem, 
What the way is the wind doth take. 
So, if the free-tops nod this way, 
It is the south wind that is come; 
And if to the other side nod they, 
Go. clothe ye warm, or bide at home! 
The flowers all kn^iv what the free-tops say; 
They are no more deaf than the trees are dumb. 
And they do not wait to hear it twice said 
If the news be good; but, discreet and gay, 
The awaked buds dance from their downy bed, 
With pursed-up mouth, and with peeping head 
By many a grim dim winding way. 
# 4 §nU m[B, 
This Journal is the Official Organ of the Fish Cultur- 
ists’ Association. 
PRACTICAL FISH CULTURE. 
y 
. THE GRAYLING. 
S INCE the publication of the trip to the An Sable for 
this fish and their successful removal to my trout 
ponds, dozens of letters have been received concerning them, 
some of which were answered by mail, and the remainder 
given a postal promise to answer through Forest and 
Stream, which will now be redeemed, together with such 
other notes regarding them as may occur. Those in the 
ponds have not yet spawned, (May 9th,) they are in a pond 
fifty feet long by ten wide, and from three to five feet deep, 
with a spawning race at the upper end; the pond is built of 
stone with a muddy bottom, except a deep hole in the 
middle, which is stone, and which fish usually keep clean 
from sediment as they huddle in it when alarmed. 
The Ainsworth screens and race covers were put in 1st of 
May, but the fish have kept in the lower end of the pond 
until yesterday, when they took a position at the mouth of 
the race. The removal of these fish so near the spawning 
time has probably checked the development of the ova, and 
it has been a mooted question whether they would spawn 
or not, but the movement yesterday is encouraging. 
The grayling does not appear to show as strong signs of 
ripeness as the trout does; its abdominal cavity is smaller 
in proportion and the belly is thicker and harder; this fish, 
whether equal to the trout for the table or not, most cer¬ 
tainly does not deteriorate as much when gravid, its flesh 
remains firm. They have been rising at flies on the pond 
for some days but have only just begun feeding on what we 
can offer. They will take pieces of liver, if small enough, 
but cannot 3wailo\v as large a piece as a trout will; neither 
are they as wild as a trout, either in their native waters or 
in confinement; their eye is more prominent, which enables 
them to take food from the bottom readily; a proceeding 
that seems to be awkward and unhandy for a trout, as he 
lias to elevate his tail in order to see it, but the grayling 
keeps an even keel and catches it on the run very grace¬ 
fully. 
The first examination of a grayling shows that it is an 
insect feeder; for its one little row of teeth, which are 
almost microscopic, could never hold a fish, and its thick 
stomach is especially adapted to grinding the cases of the 
caddis worm. 
Mr. Green seems to think that this fish will prove a sub¬ 
stitute for trout in streams where the latter will not live; 
he has not given any reasons for this, and if he argues so 
because the grayling is a spring spawner and hatches in 
less time and so escapes destruction in streams infested 
with dace where the trout egg lies seventy days and the 
embryo is helpless for forty more, I agree with him; but 
as to this fish being suited to water that trout wont live in, 
I beg leave to differ. Its limited distribution is one strong 
argument against it, and the clear cold water that it inhabits 
where it is found is another. I wish to add a little to the 
description given in my former article as a little longer ac¬ 
quaintance lias developed new beauties; the eye of the 
grayling is large and full with a beautiful yellow iris, and 
when I wrote “the tail is forked and plain,” I had not ob¬ 
served its pinkish edge, nor the changeable metallic green 
lustre that it shows in some lights, which is more like that 
seen in silk. A glint of the same is also observable on the 
second dorsal. Many letters have asked the question: “Is 
this fish as handsome as the trout?” And in answer I will 
say yes, to some eyes, while to others it may not be. Seen 
from above it does not appear so, as the pink and white of 
the trout fins are more showy. The form of the grayling 
is more graceful than the trout’s, and the head is beautiful, 
while the side of the trout and its lower fins are more 
gorgous than those of the grayling. The trout has not a 
handsome head to my eye; the lines are hard, and there is 
an expression of savageness in the jaws. The greatest ob¬ 
stacle in the artificial rearing of trout is their shyness the 
first year; many die because they will not leave the sides of 
the rearing box to take food, and there.is a chance that as 
the adult grayling is tamer than the trout the young may 
have this quality also. 
As to their hardiness and adaptation to New York waters, 
I can say they are lively and apparently contented in their 
new home; some have died, mostly from fungus, though I 
can kill it now; many were too far gone before the right 
thing was found. This fungus appeared in the shape of 
finger marks where the scales w T ere injured or perhaps 
loosened by too tight a grip, or by dryness of the hand; this 
fish will not be?«r as rough handling as the trout on account 
of its large scale, which comes off very easily. One author, 
Mr. Stone, says that fungus is caused by an insect which 
burrows into a wound and the woolly matter that glows 
from it is generated from its excretia,and that a bath of salt 
and water will kill it. I tried this and my fish kept dying; 
in despair I tried every thing handy that we could think of, 
among others, spirits of turpentine, magnetic ointment and 
saleratus—not with any clear idea as to their possible effect, 
but as passing straws that might effect a rescue from certain 
death. The last thing tried was a bowl full of salt and a 
tea-cup full of cream-of-tartar in half a tub of water. One 
dozen grayling have been kept in this all day by simply 
pouring the water with a pail once in an hour, while one 
trout that had the same complaint only lived a short time 
alone in it. 
There are many fish in the pond now with a white scar 
where the fungus has been, which is now healed over. Out 
of 160 fish brought home, apparently all right, at least one 
hundred began to show fungus in from one to two weeks 
after arrival, and about fifty have died from it. Some 
specimens were sent to Prof. Baird for models for casts to 
be placed in the Smithsonian Institute, and we hope to get 
a live one there to paint from, as the colors fade so soon 
after death. 
I have a hasty opinion from an eminent scientist that this 
ftmgus is of an entirely vegetable origin, and a promise 
from him of further investigation. Those that have been 
dissected by me show a soft bruised appearance in the fun- 
gussy spots after the skin is removed, which looks red and 
sore. The grayling have been honored by many distin¬ 
guished fish culturists’ and anglers, among whom I may 
mention Seth Green and Hon. Stephen H. Ainsworth. Mr. 
Green watched them closely for several hours and then 
started for the Au Sabir.. Mr. Ainsworth was greatly pleased 
and several times remarked: ‘ ‘I had no idea that they were 
such a beautiful fish.” 
There is another point of difference between the trout, and 
the grayling, which may as well be mentioned—that is, al¬ 
though the latter have been without food since the first of 
April they seem to be in good order, while the trout would 
have perceptibly fallen off in flesh. I also think that the 
grayling does not require as much oxygen ns the trout and 
can therefore live with less flow, or can be transported in 
less water. There is a point to which I would ask the at¬ 
tention of scientific men. I have a collection of dorsal fins 
from the grayling which differ greatly in shape; some of 
them are shorter—that is, the last rays are shorter and the 
fin stands higher and is nearer square, while others have 
the few last rays very long, and the fin in life hangs over on 
one side of the back like the mane of a horse; the rays vary 
in number from eighteen to twenty-three. Can it be pos¬ 
sible that there are two varieties in Michigan? and that the 
last mentioned is the noble standard bearer, Ihymailus 
signifer? or, as the long, fins are from larger fish, is it the 
case that the fin grows and assumes a different outline with 
age? I have .sent several specimens of fins to different 
parties and intended to keep these; but if they will be of use 
to science they will be sent. 
To . save correspondence, I will say in conclusion, that 
those fish now in my ponds cannot be bought, and present 
engagements prevent another trip for at least five months; 
neither will any spawn be sold this season should I be for¬ 
tunate, enough to get any; also, that it is impossible to ad¬ 
vise parties whether the fish will live and thrive in their 
waters or not. The only test of this is actual experiment, for 
I did not know that they would live an hour in my own 
ponds until it was tried. Fred. Mather. 
. ^ I ^ - - 
For Forest and Stream. 
FISH CULTURE IN ILLINOIS. 
I N accordance with a call, united in by prominent gentle. 
men representing many of the counties of the State, a 
convention was held at Elgin, Illinois, May 6th, which 
eventuated in the organization of a long needed institution. 
The men 'who composed the gathering were earnest men, 
who had long viewed the subject of fish culture as one in 
which State aid, in the form of proper statutes, should be 
exercised in order to arrest the murderous means which 
have led to the extinction of the finest food fish on this con¬ 
tinent. The following delegates were present:—Colonel K. 
K. Jones, Quincy, Illinois; Nahum E. Ballou, Sandwich, 
Illinois; Dr. W. A, Pratt, H. Gifford and D. S. Hammond, 
Elgin, Illinois; S. M. Church, C. J. Horsman, Rockford, 
Illinois; Charles H. Atkins and James M. Hyatt, Chicago, 
Illinois; D. G. Bean, M. J. B. Hawkins and D. H. Denny, 
Kan KaKee, Illinois; G. H. Steward,Plano, Illinois; Joseph 
Jackson, Millington, Illinois; S. W. Raymond, Ottawa, 
Illinois;, Homer Wattles, McHenry, Illinois; William'Le 
Barron, M. D., State Entomologist, Geneva, Illinois; and 
Lewis Elsworth, Naperville, Illinois. 
A temporary organization being effected, and a constitu¬ 
tion adopted,. the “Illinois State Fish Culturists’ Associa¬ 
tion” was born, of the necessities and wants of the times, and 
must be regarded as the parent piscatorial institution of the 
State, taking its plan, as other institutions have done in 
other industries, as the guardian of Fish Culture in Illinois, 
which all its friends hope may evoke something from o 
law-making power by which individual interests of fish 
turists’ may be protected, and means employed whereby 0 
barren streams and waters generally may be restocked with 
such food fish as have become nearly extinct; and su h 
foreign fish as may be found adapted to our waters. ' 
The officers of the Association areColonel K. K j on 
President; W. A. Pratt, Vice President, and sixothers’ 
Nahum E. Ballou, Secretary; and George H. Steward 
Treasurer. 1 
The constitution provides f«r semi-annual meetings tk 
first of which will be held at Peoria, Illinois, during th* 
State Fair, on Thursday evening of the Fair week. 
State Fair will be held in September, from the 14th to 19th 
inclusive. 
-It is hoped, and the officials of the Association have been 
somewhat encouraged therein, that inducements will be 
offered whereby fish culturists’ may represent their different 
farms by aquaria containing trout in all stages of growth 
which'will be certainly an interesting feature of the State 
Fair andfa source of encouragement to fish-breeders. Rl aris 
will probably be matured through which the Association 
can be made acquainted with the condition of the waters 
of the State by districting the State and appointing active 
committees over each district through whom we may learn 
what measures are necessary for restocking the rivers and 
streams. Nature in her munificence has bestowed upon us 
as a State, resources for an immense industry in the cultiva¬ 
tion of fish. It would only be within the limits of truth to 
say that within the borders of our commonwealth is an area 
of water equaling 500,000 acres. This, if thoroughly culti¬ 
vated and made as fruitful as water may be through modern 
fish culture, would be equal in value to 2,000,000 acres of 
land. This is not an exaggeration. For the art of fish cul¬ 
ture, as modernly practiced, has reached wonderful results 
in a pecuniary aspect. If a shad, {Alosa praestabilis,) is 
capable of producing 60,000 ova, a salmon, (Salmo salar,) 
10,000, and a brook trout, {Salmo fontinalis,) 8,000 ova, and 
the application of modern skill results in hatching ninety- 
five per cent, of them into vigorous small fry, and each of 
these becoming a new factor of increase, the augmentation 
is wonderful and the rapid evolution of values a natural 
and inevitable consequence. At Elgin, Kane county, 
Illinois, are two trout farms, one of which is four years old. 
Dr. W. A. Pratt has an area of forty acres enclosed, which 
contains springs equivalent to filling a pipe fourteen inches 
in diameter, which have been utilized in supplying some 
twenty-five ponds where he has now many thousands of 
healthy sprightly trout disporting themselves as gaily as 
their progenitors were wont to do in the forest streams. 
His first parent fish were obtained at Boscobel, Wis., and 
some ova from Seth Green at Rochester, N. Y. The Dr. 
finds trout-breeding as remunerative as those who have long 
been engaged in this industry,and finds it extremely difficult 
to keep a supply adequate to the demand for stocking new 
farms. Associated with fish culture the Dr. has a dairy 
of fifty cows and a nursery, all of which ought to make him t 
happy. D. S. Hammond, near the city of Elgin, has a trout 
farm, with water facilities sufficient to extend the business 
of fish culture to the breeding of millions. He also is a 
dairyman, and these men have been sagacious enough to 
enlist and embark their capital in two of the best paying in 
dustries in Northern Illinois. N. E. Ballou. 
SHAD IN ALLEGHANY RIVER. 
at 
T HE following letter of inquiry with its answers prop¬ 
erly belongs to our Correspondent’s column, but we 
deem it of such especial interest that we place it in the depart¬ 
ment of Fish Culture. We are indebted to Seth Green and 
A. S. Collins, of the State Hatch House, for our ability to 
answer the queries advisedly:— 
Olean, N. Y., May 5, 1874. 
Editor Forest and Stream:— 
Having taken, considerable interest in the stocking of Al¬ 
leghany river with shad and watching for the fruits of same, 
I am pleased to state that on 2d instant I saw the first sliad 
at this point, which I discovered as follows;—Looking for 
my little boys, who had gone angling foy suckers in the 
creek which empties into the Alleghany River here, I dis¬ 
covered that they had two small shad, one of winch 
measured eight and a half inches in length and weighed 
four and a half ounces, the other about half as large. On 
exhibiting them I was told that the boys of the village had 
caught considerable numbers of them, calling them “silver 
shiners.” Now for a few questions.— 
1. What size should the shad planted at Salamanca two 
years ago by the Fish Commissioners be now? 
2. Is it probable that those caught here are the ones 
planted; or are they the offspring of those? 
3. When will we probably be able to take full grown 
shad from that planting, and what time of year? We aie 
about twenty miles above Salamanca, the place of planting 
the young fry. . 
A reply to the above queries through the columns of tn 
Forest and Stream, together with such other information 
as you may give, will much oblige 
Yours, M. A. Blakeslee. . 
Answer. —1. Shad stay in the river the first two years, and 
do not go to sea. At one year old they are five inches long, 
and at two years from eight to ten inches. They are one 
and two years’old fish. , • 
2. They are the fish that were planted by the Commis 
sioners in 1872? Shad do not breed until they are three 
years old. 
3. In three years; in May and June. 
_Tlio rrva vrl l n rr 
