Report of Fish Commissioners. 
469 
years it would be found that the harvesting of the waters would 
amply compensate for the trouble, besides furnishing skilled labor 
which is in great demand. Four of the universities of Virginia 
have added fish-culture as a branch of university-education, and 
other States, no doubt, will soon follow her example. Wisconsin, 
in this matter, ought not to be behind her sister States. 
When we consider how short a time fish-culture, as now prac¬ 
ticed, has been known, and how completely ignorant the world was 
of even their manner of impregnating the ova, we can but wonder 
at its success. Though an art long hidden, it is not a difficult one, 
and its practice is simply the bringing of man’s intelligence to 
assist blind nature. Naturally, the female fish discharges her 
spawn, and the male the milt, about the same time; if the spawn 
oomes in contact with the milt, which only a small portion is likely 
to, it becomes impregnated, and the unfertilized not only spoils, 
but becomes a putrid mass, spoiling the fecundated eggs near them. 
Nearly all fish are spawn-eaters, and many eat their own spawn. 
Most all water-fowl are fond of spawn, and some ducks will dive 
several feet to obtain it. Perhaps the greatest destroyer of spawn 
in our lakes is the water-lizard; it is often found gorged with the 
•eggs, and lives on them for months. Artificially, we do this thing 
better; we take the spawn of the female in a clean vessel, and 
spread over it the milt of the male. It is then put into a trough 
or box through which a gentle current of water flows, and nearly 
all are hatched, if intelligently done. 
We feel justified, although to some an old story, in rehearsing 
some of its successes, and what manner of men and nations are 
patronizing it. 
Fish-culture, as now practiced, with the exception of a few mere 
experiments, had its origin with the French nation, as they were 
the first to patronize and encourage it; although by the misfortune 
of war she lost her great breeding establishment at Huningen, she 
lost no time in establishing others on a more extended scale. In 
speaking of the importance of fish-culture, one of her ministers 
said in an address, “ that this industry, properly encouraged, would 
keep her people from asking for meat as well as bread.” 
Although the breeding establishment at Huningen was lost to 
France, it was not lost to the world. Here we quote from an ad¬ 
dress delivered by George Shepherd Page. He says, “ that up to 
