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ing from rents to anglers, who use the fly only, was, in one year, $4,685 from thirty-four streams. The money value of the Canadian fisheries in 1873 was reported to be $10,754,998; in 1874 it was $11,681,886. This increase of nearly $1,000,000 in one year was put down to the credit chiefly of artificial propagation through the Government hatcheries. Numberless instances might be adduced to prove that it pays to cultivate the water and protect the fish. France, with her perfected system of artificial propagation, now derives from her fisheries annually about $18,000,000; Russia over $17,000,000; and Norway $16,000,000. England, Ireand, Scotland, and Wales-all together not making a larger area than a single State of our Union-market of one kind of fish to the value of $4,500,000. Is there any reason why our American rivers should not be made as productive as these of Europe? Or must our peoplo go to Canada, Nova Scotia, and other foreign countries to level up our fish supply? In a single year there were imported into Massachusetts from the Canadian provinces 83,000 barrels of salmon, 50,000 barrels of shad, 18,000 barrels of trout, and 270,000 barrels of alewives. From 1874 to 1878 there were imported from British North America into the United States 26,462 barrels of pickled salmon, 145,687 pounds of smoked salmon, 1,560,962 boxes of dried and smoked herring, and 36,000,000 pounds of other fish "smoked and dried."

It is less than thirty years since the artificial propagation of fish was commenced in Europe; now it is as firmly established and as important an industry as the growing of grapes or grain. In these densely settled States, had not the ingenuity of man devised some means to save and artificially propagate the finny tribe, their inland lakes and ponds and rivers would long since have been depleted of their inhabitants. While this system of artificial propagation is comparatively new to our so called higher civilization, we, however loth to do so, are forced to admit that the heathen and barbarous nations of the world, and among them notably the Chinese, have for centuries sustained their people largely upon fish reared in aid of nature. In China an acre of water is made to net a far greater profit than an acre of land.

A few days ago the lower House of Congress passed a bill appropriating $20,000 to enable the United States to be represented in the International Fishery Exhibition in Berlin, in April next. In advocating the bill, Representative Morton, of New York, said:

It is estimated that about 45,000,000 of Chinese live almost entirely on fish. France had turned nearly all her waste waters into fish nests.

He gave the following figures, showing the comparative production and consumption of fish by the leading nations of the world:

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The United States exported, in 1874, about $2,200,000 worth. Mr. Morton then entered into argument in favor of making our fisheries more important. He quoted from the fisheries report to show that, in the Connecticut, shad are more plenty than they were before the white man began to catch them. He said that our exports of fish might be a thousand times greater than they are, giving employment to thousands of men.

The hatching of cod, mackeral, sea herring, and indeed any of the fish of our coast, becomes perfectly practicable.

Not only can the old off-shore and other grounds be increased in their productiveness, but new stations can be established. It is especially anticipated that productive cod fisheries can be developed as far south as the Chesapeake Bay, or even Cape Hatteras, thus giving lucrative occupation to a large class of the community in the winter season, when the cod would be on the coast, and when other fishing would be intermitted.

It is hoped to transfer the general seat of the cod and of the mackerel fisheries from the distant banks and the Gulf of St. Lawrence to the coast of the United States, thus settling some very serious international fishery questions, and making the American cod fisheries especially similar to those of Norway, where 25,000 men are employed for four months of the year in fishing in open boats, going out in the morning and returning at night.

It is scarcely necessary for us to formulate in this report the well. known fact, that whatever tends to diminish the food-producing resources of the State, will enhance the price of labor without corresponding increase of profit to the laborer. When the table of the laborer is supplied with fish, an equivalent lesser amount of flesh meat is called for at the market. The butcher who now sells his beef at fifteen cents per pound, makes no greater profit than when, in the olden time, he received only eight cents. As our resources of fish fail us, we make up for the absence of the ration of fish by substituting a ration of fresh meat. As the cost of nearly all of the necessaries of life depends upon the price of labor, so does the price of labor chiefly depend upon the price of food. It is practically demonstrated in various countries, that the cheapest food is fish, and it is owing to the abundant supply of fish that the cost of living is

so little. Not that the people subsist solely on fish, but because the abundance and cheapness of one principal article of food tends to cheapen other food, and thus every ordinary necessity of life may be obtained at a proportionately less eost. During the last half dozen years, much has been said about the lack of employment, and the consequent effects upon a portion of our people. Whatever of truth or error these statements may have contained, it is evident that the increasing population demands that every resource within our means should be carefully and fully developed.

If the chief object of fish culture was to afford sport to the angler, or an occasional meal to a lazy man, or pleasant recreation to those who might need and enjoy it, it might be questioned whether it deserved the fostering care of the State; but the increase of population, and the greater scarcity and cost of flesh food per capita now than formerly presents a problem which may well arrest the attention of intelligent individuals and governments. Wise legislation, looking to the future, will make such provision as is in its power, to render available all its resources for the cheap and plentiful supply of healthy food, to all the people who are or may come into the State.

The Commissioners feel greatly encouraged in efforts to preserve and increase the food fish of Ohio, by the general interest taken by the people in this very interesting subject. In our efforts we have had ready aid, and in many cases gratuitous services from those with whom the operations of the Commissioners have brought them in contact. The tax-payers of the State, we believe, are willing to incur a moderate annual expenditure to fully develop this industsy. Time is required to introduce and perfect the successful propagation and acclimation of the foreign varieties of fish, which may be thought desirable to introduce into our waters. We have yet much to learn in regard to this subject, and haste and lavish expenditure are by no means the most certain way to success. We fancy that our operations in the introduction of the landlocked and California salmon, and the several plants of trout, have been prudently and economically conducted, and with a reasonable measure of success. Already, the results of our efforts with these species are beginning to exhibit. We feel that we have yet scarcely passed beyond the pioneer steps in fish culture in Ohio. The work is only begun, but a gratifying commencement is made. For its full fruition, time is as essential as the expenditure of money.

If it shall be the pleasure of the General Assembly to appropriate means to enable the Commissioners to carry forward the work contemplated in the statute under which it exists, it is our intention, the com

ing year, to introduce into Ohio waters species of food fishes new to us. It is our purpose to introduce the European carp, a fish highly commended by the United States Fish Commissioner, who has had experience in its artificial propagation at Washington, D. C.

Since it has been demonstrated that by artificial, hatching and after protection one hundred fish are raised from the spawn where one escapes from its enemies in the natural way, we confidently rely upon the hearty support and coöperation of the people of the State in any endeavors to re-stock its waters and restore their capabilities of food supply to what they were half a century ago. The scarcity of fish in the streams of populous countries has arisen from various

the pursuit and wanton destruction of all kinds and sizes of them, at all seasons, and by all means, fair or foul; the catching of females on their spawning beds; the wholesale destruction of their eggs by waterfowl, animals, insects, etc., and the imperfect impregnation of the eggs when naturally spawned. Observations made at the United States Hatching-House, on the McCloud River, in California, show that not more than eight per cent. of the eggs of salmon naturally spawned are fertile, or, in other words, become impregnated. From the California Fish Commissioner's Report for 1877 we reproduce one paragraph:

"In this connection a fact of much practical as well as scientific importance may be stated, as showing the advantages in numbers to be obtained by artificial hatching in comparison with the increase by natural methods. In 1876 Mr. Myron Green, foreman for Mr. Livingston Stone, United States Deputy Fish Commissioner at the McCloud River, having observed in the river a favorite gravel bed where many salmon were depositing their egges, carefully dug up the gravel and several thousand eggs. He separated the eggs from the gravel and placed the former, after counting them, in the hatching boxes. After twenty-four hours he found large numbers of these eggs turning white, showing that the milt had failed to come in contact with the eggs. After throwing out all the eggs found not to be fecund, there were left eight per cent. of the whole number gathered, which were found to be fertile. When the eggs and milt are artificially brought in contact out of the water, it would be carelessness or inexperience that would prevent ninety-five per cent. of the eggs from being fertilized."

Other observations have shown that not more than one in a thousand of those impregnated live to become full grown fish if hatched in the natural way. Water fowl, muskrats, otters, snakes, frogs, lizzards, fish of nearly all kinds, eagerly seek and devour the newly laid spawn, and in addition, many water insects prey upon it. Dr. Peard states that within his experience 70,000 salmon eggs, deposited in a beautiful, clear stream, were devoured in one season by the embryo of the dragon fly. The sediment held in solution by the water often settles upon and envelopes the eggs in such a way as to destroy their vitality. When these

manifold agencies of destruction at work, it is not surprising to know that of the twenty thousand eggs which a female white-fish may spawn, scarcely two hundred can be expected to survive and develop into grown fish.

The abundant supply of fish with which our streams were formerly supplied is not merely a matter of history, but of fact within the memory of men now living. We read with some degree of amusement that it was at one time a custom in England and Scotland for servants to stipulate that they should not be compelled to eat salmon more than twice a week. The laws of Connecticut even forbade masters to force them on their servants more than three times a week. This early-day abundance has passed away. Our rivers and ponds now scarcely afford sport for the angler, and no one relies upon them for a supply of food.

Complaints continue to reach us of the wholesale and often wanton destruction of some of our choice river and pond fishes. Probably there is enough law upon our statute books for their protection, if its provisions were faithfully enforced. In many localities the penalties for a violation of our fish and game laws have not deterred a sort of barbarian class from the lawless destruction of fish. It would seem as if human invention was taxed to its utmost in desire for the wholesale destruction of the best things that inhabit the water; and the reluctance which men generally feel about complaining against their neighbors renders it difficult to obtain the proper enforcement of the laws. The chief difficulty, we opine, is that there is no one found to see that the laws are executed. Something has been done in this direction by voluntary associations formed for the protection of fish and game. The Curvier Club, of Cincinnati, has been alert and efficient in this direction, and has done much to educate public opinion to an appreciation of the necessity of protective legislation both for fish and game, and to bring to punishment the law breakers.

There is a prevalent opinion throughout the State that it is the special duty of the Fish Commissioners to act as local police in each neighborhood, and prevent violations of the fishing laws. Much time is consumed in answering questions on this subject, and informing correspondents by letter that it is the duty of every citizen to see that the law is obeyed.

But no law, however good and beneficial in its results, can well be enforced without the sympathy, and interest, and aid of the masses of the people. The masses must assist, or our laws will never be obeyed; hence, they must be given an intelligent comprehension of the object and the importance of the observance of these laws. The people must be and

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