Fish-culture : a practical guide to the modern system of breeding and rearing fish ..

Front matter

FISH-CULTURE.

See pages 58, 59, and 63.

A PRACTICAL GUIDE

Preface

vii

teem in every pool of water and running brook, if this science I point to were brought out as it should be. I believe water — neglected, illused water — if properly applied, to be much more valuable than land, through its greater productive powers ; 1 and where the best species of fish, as salmon and trout, can be cultivated, capable of yielding a revenue very far exceeding that of land.

Water requires few or none of those expenses demanded on land. Left to itself, it produces and reproduces to a degree which, computing by acreage, very far transcends the land. What would our rivers and streams be worth if brought back only to a state of nature, if man had not (instead of cultivating them) almost destroyed them ? But ought we to be satisfied to restore our streams to their natural state, and content to leave them so ? Is water-culture so

1 What edible animal is there that exists on land, which possesses the capability of reproducing 9,000 of its own size in a period little exceeding eighteen months? This can, however, he performed by a grilse of eight or nine pounds’ weight. A grilse of this size will deposit, say, 9,000 ova in about fifteen or sixteen months ; the fry from this ova go down to the sea, and in two or three months more they have been known to come back to the river as grilse of from five to ten pounds’ weight.

PREFACE.

viii

difficult a study, so recondite in its secrets, so partial and uncertain in its results, that it should not vie, by the means of study and experiment, with agriculture ? Surely the small results already obtained do not tell us so ; much rather do they encourage us to pursue our inquiries, that we may win from Nature her secrets and profit thereby. We know something of the science, but the main secrets remain to be explored.

People are apt to consider the hatching of fishova a very difficult, astonishing, and precarious operation. It is natural that they should do so, as the process is new to them. But there is no real difficulty in the matter ; any one can compass it. The appliances are of the simplest kind. Indeed, I would undertake to hatch a hundred young salmon with the aid of a cheeseplate and a tumbler of water. But the point chiefly to be considered is, how are fish to be fed and fattened when they are hatched ; what suits them, and what does not ? We often hear of the fish in certain waters dying off wuthout being able to discover the cause. Some weed, or insect, or other matter which is very

PREFACE.

IX prejudicial to fish, may have become mixed with the water; and we ought to be able to detect the cause at once, and with certainty. We ought to know how such things are to be prevented, and what the diseases of fish spring from. But do we ?

The agriculturist knows to a head or two what amount of stock his farm will carry. He knows what kinds of roots are best suited, not only for stock to feed on, but for his various fields to grow. The cold land suits one thing — the dry land another. This will grow swedes and that corn, this grass or what not. He knows what species of food, and what variety of it, will fatten his stock the quickest. He knows what roots and cereals are the most productive and pay best, and in what order they should be planted. He knows what breeds of stock suit his farm, and where to put them, and when it is most profitable to him to get rid of them. He would never think of putting a Southdown sheep on a Highland sheepwalk, nor a Welsh runt on a Hereford pasture, &c. As a breeder and feeder, he knows how to crossbreed and feed his stock, so as even to change

X

PREFACE.

the very frames and carcasses of his cattle into the shape most favourable to his interests ; and how has he arrived at all this, but by study and experiment ?

Contrast our knowledge of water-culture with that of agriculture, and the result is simply degrading. We should know what kind of food suits our various fish best, and what conditions best produce that food, and how those conditions are best to be cultivated, so that such food may he self -producing . Hence it will be seen that the habits of all the insects and plants found in water, and their correlative agreements and dependence upon each other, must be studied. Going lower still, the conditions that suit these conditions, even to their chemical and microscopical analysis, peep out, and a grand scheme of a new science, a new phase qf creation, is, as I have said, dimly foreshadowed, in which the food of man is the dependent consideration.

Were we to study to understand the position in creation which every insect fills, the great secret would not be to us the jumble which it is, and we should begin to appreciate the beauty

PREFACE.

XI and harmony of the works of the Creator, and to see the wickedness and absurdity of interfering to disarrange them. The aquarium has hitherto been an interesting scientific trifle ; henceforth it should be a link in this great chain of observation. It will be seen, by the few remarks I have made, that this science requires to be, and is capable of being, widely popularized. I shall touch further on these matters in the body of my work as I find occasion.

It may be urged that, in the succeeding pages, I have taken somewhat too wide a range of subjects into the study of Pisciculture. I cannot think so, however, if this science is to become as popular among us and as beneficial to us as it should be. The mere hatching and rearing of small fish appears to me to be but an integral part of Pisciculture ; and it will not be denied that considerations as to the best kinds of fish to encourage, and how to encourage them, with the best methods of producing suitable food for them, are necessarily points of as much importance as that of bringing them into the world.

Contents

INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER.

PAGE

The Origin and Progress of Pisciculture. ..... 1

CHAPTER I. 0 R Inland Fisheries 16

The Salmon and its Scarcity ib.

Natural History of the Salmon 18

Exportation of Foul Fish to France 20

Peculiarity of Salmon in American Lakes 21

The Salmon in the Egg and Smolt State 22

The Enemies of the Ova and Fry 25

The Advantages of Artificial Incubation 27

Piscicultural Operations in Great Britain 28

Vermin found in Gravel, &e. ... 29

Alluvial Deposits 30

Grayling Spawn 31

XIV

CONTENTS.

Chapter II. Page

On the Artificial Hatching of Spawn ....... 32

Operations of tlie Thames Angling Preservation Society . How to utilize a small Stream for Hatching Purposes . .

Plan of Hatching Box . .

How to distribute the Ova

Plan for Greenhouse Apparatus

Construction of Cistern

Arrangement of Troughs

Advisability of Filtration .

Various Plans for the Deposition of Ova

Deposits and Confervee

Putrefaction

Use of certain Insects as Scavengers considered. . . .

Reception of various kinds of Ova from France and elsewhere

Temperature of Water considered .

Best way of carrying freshly-taken Ova ......

Causes of Addling or Infertility of Ova

Period of Incubation in Salmon .........

„ » » Grayling . .

How to detect the Fish’s readiness to Spawn . . . . .

Method of expressing and preparing Spawn

Another Method

Apparatus for taking up Ova for Examination ....

Progress of Incubation

Period of Quickening

Time of Hatching

Appearance of newly-hatched Fish under the Microscope

The Process of Hatching

The Absorption of the Vesicle

Accommodation for the Fry

The Necessity of Rearing Ponds considered

On feeding the Fry

Varieties of Food ib.

ib.

59 62

68 69

CHAPTER III. On the Transport of Ova and Fry 76

Method of Transport adopted at Huningue ib.

On the Transport of Salmon to Australia 77

CONTENTS.

XV

PAGE

Shocks objectionable to Ova before the Embryo has

quickened 78

Difficulty of transporting large Fish ....... 83

Mr. Eyre’s Fish-carrier ib.

Air-pump for Bait-carrier ........... 84

Drawing-room Apparatus 85

Floating Apparatus ............. 88

CHAPTER IV. On the Food of Fish and its Production ...... 90

Omnivorousness of Fish ib.

Difference displayed in Breeds of Trout ...... 91

Experiments in Feeding . 92

The Fish of the Chess and Wick compared and considered 93 Fresh-water Pulex : its Excellence as Food for Fish . . 95

The Cause of Fish not rising well to the Fly in some Lakes 97 The Value of Weed in Lakes .......... 98

Feed for Trout in Loch Leven 99

The Introduction of new Plants into Lakes . . . . . 101

The Production of Fish Food, &c. a new Science . . . 103

Minnows not advantageous in Trout Lakes ..... 1 05

CHAPTER V. On the Crossing of Breeds of Fish ........ 106

The Size of Fish in various Rivers ib.

Comparison to the Breeds of Cattle ........ 107

Little known with respect to Hybrids ....... 108

CHAPTER VI Considerations on the Best Kinds of Fish for Rivers. 109

The best fresh-water Fish ib.

The Sea Trout 110

The Eriox ib.

TheCharr Ill

The Scandinavian Charr ......112

The Iceland Charr ..113

The Grayling ib.

The Burbot .114

The Lamprey ..115

XVI

CONTENTS.

PAGE

The Perch 118

The Eel 119

The Flounder 121

The Gudgeon ib.

White-Fish and Mixed Rivers ..........123

Chub, Barbel, Dace, and Roach 124

Jack and Tench ib.

Carp in Rivers 125

The Bream 126

The Whitebait ib.

The Bleak 128

The Shad — Twaite and Allice . . 129

The Sturgeon 130

The Cray Fish 131

The Pearl Muscle 133

Leech Culture .134

CHAPTER VII. On Fish to be Acclimatized ........... 135

The Huchen ib.

The Ide 136

The Black Bass ib.

The Mountain Mullet .....137

CHAPTER VIII. Salmon and Sea Trout Lakes ib

Trout Lakes 140

The Introduction of Jack to Trout Lakes ib.

Salmo Ferox 141

Best-sized Trout for Lakes 143

The Absence of middle-sized Fish in some Lakes . . . 146

The Ombre Chevalier 148

The Lucio Perea 150

The Coregoni 152

The Powan ib.

The Pollan and Vendace 153

The Gwyniad 154

The White Fish, or Coregonus Albus . . . . . . . 155

The Maskionge 156

The Silurus Glanis 157

CONTENTS.

XVII

Chapter IX. Page

The filthy State of our Fish Ponds .160

The Use of Weeds in Ponds 161

How Ponds should be Fished 162

On the Formation of Ponds .......... 163

The best Fish and their Proportions for Ponds . . . . 164

The Growth of Fish in Mr. Maltby’s Ponds 165

Roach objectionable in Carp Ponds .167

Eels objectionable in Ponds .......... 169

The Destructiveness of Swans . 170

Their ravenous Taste for Fish Spawn . . . . . . . 172

The Perch in Ponds 173

The Spiegel Carp 174

Pike in Ponds and Lakes ........... 175

Bream in Ponds and Lakes ..176

Salmon Fry and Smolts in Ponds . . . . . . . , 177

CHAPTER X. Bounties on Herrings, and their Advantage ibo

Absence of Information with regard to Sea Fisheries . . 180

The case of the Newfoundland Fisheries . . . . . . 181

Depression of the Irish Fisheries . 188

The Encouragement afforded to the French Fisheries . . 191

The Rockall Fishing Station .......... 192

The Herring Fishery 202

Statistics of the Herring Fishery .203

The Scotch Fishery Board and Glasgow Merchants . . 204

Difference between Sprats and Herrings 208

Interest felt by other Nations in their Fisheries . . . 209

Injury to Fisheries from Shrimp Nets 210

Trawling Boundaries in Ireland ......... 212

Encroachments of French Fishermen . . . . . . . 215

Practice of the French towards our Fishing Boats . . . 217

Formation of Oyster Beds 220

American Oysters, Clams, &c 222

Cultivation of other Crustaceae 223

The Lagune of Commachio 223

The Lucrine Lake and Lake Fusaro 224

Proceedings of the French at the lie de R£ 226

b

CONTENTS.

Chapter XI. Page

On the Cooking op Fish 228

Ignorance of the English Labourer on Cooking . . * . 229

Injurious Effects of such Ignorance 230

Fish Soups 233

Appendix

I. Reasons for the Decrease op Salmon ..... 239

II. The Stocking of the Clyde with Grayling . . . 250

III. The Stormontfield Operations 253

IV. Mr. Ashworth’s Undertakings at Galway . . . 256

V. Mr. Cooper’s Experiment at Ballisodare. . . . 258

.VI. Salmon Stairs 264

VII. Coregonus Lavaretus and Fera ....... 266

FISH CULTURE.

INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER.

THE ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF PISCICULTURE.

Pisciculture is said to have been originally discovered by the Chinese, those barbarians to whom civilization owes so large a debt, even for its silk and its tea, and many most ingenious and useful inventions. The art was practised by the Chinese from time immemorial, and the scale upon which they have employed it is far larger, and more comprehensive, than has been since adopted. Planting in suitable places in their rivers large posts, to which a framework was attached, they placed thereon faggots and hurdles for the fish to spawn on. That operation completed, they removed the hurdles, &c., collected the eggs, and either hatched them under their own immediate supervision, or stocked other streams with them. By this simple but effective

B process, the rivers of China have come to abound with fish, to such an extent, that it forms the staple of food amongst the lower classes.

The Eomans followed the Chinese in their practice of pisciculture. During the republic, the art was employed to supply the wants of the nation ; under the empire it was extended and improved by the luxurious nobles, until it became a hobby upon which the ambitious gourmand lavished his treasure to an extent which, even in the present age, would be regarded with wonder. Speaking of the achievements of Lucullus, M. Jourdier (one of the French pisciculturists, who has written an interesting work upon the culture of fish, leeches, &c. &c.), quoting M. Guezon Duval, says that, “ at his house at Tusculum, on the borders of the Gulf of Naples, he dug large trenches, or canals, running from his fishponds to the sea. Into these canals the fresh-water streams were conducted, and a pure running water thus kept up. Many of the sea fish, which spawn in fresh water, entered these canals and stocked the ponds with their fry, and, on their return to the sea, flood-gates were placed at the entrance of the canals, closing the passage, and while their posterity was growing, the fish themselves furnished the market.”

These proceedings on the part of Lucullus were

ITS ORIGIN AND PROGRESS.

imitated by the Roman patricians, at their villas, on the borders of the Gulfs of Baise and Naples ; and at a later date, we have almost fabulous stories of the cultivation of lampreys, and the prices realized by red mullet of large size, and other fish. M. Jourdier further adds a note, to the effect that this process is carried on at the present time, in much the same manner, on the rivers of the Basin of Arcachon, “MM. Javal, Borsnere, and several large river proprietors, having there immense reservoirs, whence they and their farmers draw very large revenues.” This may have been very ingenious on the part of Lucullus, and is no doubt profitable to MM. Javal and Borsnere, but if they only supplied the market with the spent fish, which are on their descent to the sea, I do not respect the taste of the purchasers.

Continuing his remarks upon the pisciculture of the ancients, M. Jourdier speaks of the oysters of Lake Lucrin, their cultivation having been originated by Sergius Orata, in the time of Crassus. These oysters were brought from Brindisi, and Sergius Orata led the public to believe that the flavour of the oysters was greatly improved by their residence in Lake Lucrin. Hence they became shortly so popular, that he covered Lake Lucrin with contrivances destined for the breeding of oysters. The Lake of B 2

FISH CTJLTUKE :

Pusaro, a salt lake between the ruins of Cumae and the promontory of Misenum (the Avernus of the ancients; the Acheron of Virgil) and of which I may speak hereafter, furnishes another proof of the skill which the ancient Romans brought to bear upon this favoured art. As regards the practice of pisciculture later on and during the middle ages, we have abundant evidences of the high estimation in which it was held by the monks. Indeed, it became a matter of serious importance to them, from the supposed requirements of their religion, and the natural difficulties which often presented themselves to the providing of a supply of fish at all adequate to the wants imposed by the fasts they observed M. Jourdier attributes to Dom Pinchon, a monk of the Abbey of Reome, who lived in the fourteenth century, the discovery of the method of breeding and rearing fish by means of w^ooden boxes. The ends of these boxes were of wicker-work, and in the bottom of them sand was deposited ; excavations were made in the sand, and the eggs of the fish deposited therein, a gentle stream of water being then turned on, and run through the boxes. As far as I can understand this method, which seems very simple, there is little difference between it and the plan at present adopted.

Subsequently to this, but more than a century ago,

ITS ORIGIN AND PROGRESS.

we find another discoverer who appears to have practised the artificial hatching of fish, and in a very complete and simple manner. This was Lieutenant Jacobi, a German gentleman. His mode of proceeding is detailed in a series of papers published in the Hanover Magazine , in 1763-4 and 5. This gentleman appears to have experimented upon various kinds of fresh-water fish, and to have been successful with all of them. The plan he adopted for hatching salmon and trout was to construct a long oaken box, with fine gratings at the top and ends ; to fill it partially with gravel, and, having procured the ripe spawn from a female fish, and fecundated it by mixing it with the milt of the male, to deposit it in the gravel in the box ; and having then placed the box in a clear running stream of a suitable depth, he left the task of incubation to nature. And this plan, with little alteration, is in use in the present day. But the art, from some cause, for a long series of years, fell into disuse, and was well-nigh forgotten, when it was again revived in our own time by two French fishermen of Bresse, in the department of Yosges. It is to the genius and perseverance of these two men, Messrs. Gehin and Bemy, that we owe the re-discovery of this most interesting and useful science. In their case the revival was really an invention, since neither had ever heard of the labours of Mr. Jacobi ; and, so far, they are entitled to all the merit of the benefits arising from this invention. Gehin and Eemy were poor but intelligent fishermen ; and having, by watching the trout during the spawning season, day and night, carefully noted the whole process of depositing the spawn, it occurred to them that this process might be carried out artificially, and, thereby, vast quantities of ova, then yearly sacrificed (the fish being taken in the spawning season), having been properly fecundated, and planted in the river, might be saved, and little comparative damage would be done to the fisheries by the practices unfortunately so much in vogue.

Having by experiments found that their plan was perfectly feasible, they commenced their operations in 1842, although it was not until 1848 that their claims to public consideration were acknowledged. From that time, however, they successfully carried on their process in various streams, both in France and in Germany. About this time M. Coste, Professor of Embry ogenie in the College of France, took up the subject, having been attracted to it by his experiments on the embryos of fish ; and hearing of what Gehin and Eemy were doing, he represented the matter to the Minister of Agriculture and Commerce. The

ITS ORIGIN AND PROGRESS.

i attention of the Government was arrested. The subject was considered, and finally it was determined that a grant of 30,000 francs (1,250?.) should be made, to create the establishment which subsequently arose at Huningue. A brief description of the piscicultural establishment at Huningue may not, perhaps, be altogether out of place here.

This establishment is situated at no great distance from the Ehine, near the Ehine and Ehone Canal, and in the neighbourhood of some large springs, the water from which is used for the partial hatching of the ova — for a comparatively small portion of ova is really hatched at Huningue, the ova being sent away to all parts of France, and even Europe, when it is so far vitalized that the eyes of the embryo within can be discerned. These eggs are then placed in receptacles prepared for them, and the process of incubation is completed.

The space covered by the establishment at Huningue is about thirty-six hectares (about seventy acres), and on this handsome buildings of considerable size are erected, with suitable offices for the manager and the attendants ; these buildings being disposed in the form of a square, the middle or chief one containing the offices. This is forty-eight metres long by eleven metres wide. The buildings which stand at right angles to it are two sheds, each sixty metres long by nine wide the other side of the square being composed of two guard-houses. In the centre is a court, with shrubs and two small basins or reservoirs. In the principal building, on the ground floor, is a pavilion, in wThich experiments which require particular care are conducted : over this are the offices. The grounds are laid out and interspersed with fish-ponds, ornamental plants, flowers, &c. These ponds are fed partly by the Ehine water, and partly by the little rivulet of L’Augraben, which traverses the grounds. The spring water is conducted to the buildings in which all the operations are carried on by pipes entering the building in three brick trenches, this water is then raised to the proper height by means of pumps worked by turbines, these turbines being driven by the water of the Ehine. In case of any failure of the supply of spring water, the water of the Ehine, which has been previously carefully filtered, can be turned on to the apparatus. Eows of cisterns, about a yard in height, extend through the whole length of the buildings. These cisterns are each about ten or twelve yards long, a yard in width, and eight inches deep. The ova is placed upon a glass grille, a species of gridiron composed of hollow glass bars or

1 A metre equals about 39 § inches.

ITS ORIGIN AND PROGRESS.

tubes, placed closely together, the ends being confined in a sort of rack, made of wood. Each grille is placed in a small earthenware trough, glazed on the inside, this being the best preventive to the growth of confervee. The troughs are placed crosswise in the cistern, and are about six inches wide and four or five deep. A tap at the head of each cistern permits the water to flow slowly over the range of troughs throughout the cistern. It will he seen that these troughs can, therefore, easily he removed separately for examination. In the building on the left operations requiring care are carried on. This building also contains brick basins for rearing. All these processes are carried on within the buildings, and thus extreme frost, or glare and heat of the sun is avoided.

The ova formerly was collected, by men who made a business of it, principally from the Rhine, the

Danube, and the lakes and rivers of Switzerland and Germany. The tariff for collecting these eggs was about two francs per thousand ; but it was found that immature eggs were sometimes sent, and a difficulty of proper carriage resulted ; and now the plan adopted is as follows : The establishment is in correspondence with all the principal fishermen at the above places. When any of these fishermen have collected together a large number of fish in a spawning state, they send notice of it to Huningue, and one of the manipulators, of whom three or four are kept upon the establishment, is sent to take the spawn, and bring it to Huningue; a certain fixed sum being paid per thousand for the various species of ova to the fishermen, who then sell the spent fish for food. The eggs which are the most difficult to obtain are those of the Ombre Chevalier; they cost the establishment nearly one penny each. All the best kinds of fish which we have in England, and some which we have not, as the Fera, the Huchen, and the Ombre Chevalier, are included in their list of operations.

When the applicant is successful in obtaining a promise of spawn, printed lists are sent to him, one comprising the fish which breed during the winter months, and one of those which do not deposit

ITS ORIGIN AND PROGRESS.

their spawn until late in the spring. Thus, two distinct classes of operations are kept alternately in progress.

The establishment employs several men constantly, at some periods of the year, of course, to a larger extent than others. In the winter, from a dozen to twenty men are required to attend to the various branches of the work ; and, lately, even this number has been greatly increased, as the exportations of fecundated and partially incubated eggs since 1853 has increased from one million odd a year to sixteen millions. Save for the producing of food for the young fry, or as stock fish, or where new breeds or experiments are conducted, comparatively few fish are kept on the establishment.

The method of packing and exporting the ova will be explained in another portion of this work, so I need not further allude to it here.

Several millions of partially incubated ova of the various kinds of fish treated here are thus yearly sent to the various rivers of Trance. But large quantities of ova are also sent abroad to various parts of Europe, as the Trench Government are by no means selfish in respect to the benefits they desire from the art practised at Huningue.

The total cost of the buildings, &c. since 1853, has been 265,186 francs, or 10,607?. The yearly expenses in salaries, travelling, carriage, &c. are 2,200?., and it is calculated that Huningue produces twelve live fish for one penny.

Branch establishments are springing up all over France, under the patronage of that of Huningue. I think it is stated that there are already above a score of these.

Such is the first great piscicultural institution established in Europe ; and if it is creditable to France that she should take the lead in this department of science, it is, on the other hand, discreditable to ourselves. We cannot plead ignorance of the existence of the fact of artificial breeding of fish; for, if we might be supposed to have overlooked all traditions, and even the more recent Hanover Magazine and Jacobi, we could hardly overlook Sir Humphrey Davy, who clearly details the whole process and its advantages in his “ Salmonia.” Compare, too, the relative interests of the two countries in all things relating to fisheries, and we have still further cause to feel how discreditable it is to us to follow in such a matter. But a malignant genius appears to have presided over the destinies of our fisheries, both internal and external. As the first maritime power, nothing connected with the improvement of our sea

ITS ORIGIN AND PROGRESS.

fisheries should be neglected. As an isolated power, relying much upon trade and upon other countries for our food, nothing which can produce a large and ever-present stock of wholesome food should be overlooked, but rather should such valuable resources be cultivated and improved to the very fullest extent. Yet, to our shame be it said, we do not even follow France in the establishment of a national institution of pisciculture. Small and solitary undertakings have been made by various river proprietors for their own benefit — these, for the most part, will be found collected and described in the Appendix — but anything like a school of pisciculture has yet to be designed.

Now, the reasons why pisciculture is not generally practised in this country are as follows : — In the first place, I must premise that there are a large number of persons who would willingly practise it, if they knew how to set about it, and who would gladly re-stock their exhausted fisheries by this means ; but they know not where to obtain fish spawn, or how to deal with it when it is obtained ; nor can they find persons sufficiently instructed to take spawn from the fish, or to set up apparatus for them, because there are not probably a dozen people in this country who know how to do so. An establishment similar to that of Huningue is eminently required, not only as a school, but whence, upon application, eggs of fish, properly fecundated, might be obtained, and such further advice and assistance rendered, as might enable the applicant to carry out his desires, and re-stock his waters. I cannot but think that such an institution might almost be made, to some extent self-supporting, if once called into being ; and sure I am, that, if such an establishment existed, there is not a corner of these islands — indeed, we might almost say, of the British dominions — where pisciculture would not soon become a most favoured and profitable pursuit. It need not, of course, be organized or carried out upon such a large scale as Huningue, unless Government aid could be obtained. Without such an establishment, it can hardly be anything but a desultory practice, misunderstood, unappreciated, and carrying with it few lasting or notable results.