SALMON.

Evening Star, Issue 3407, 22 January 1874, Page 3

SALMON.

By permission of the Provincial Government we print the following copy of a letter , .to Dr Bailer respecting tho means of securing ■ the return of salmon to the rivers in which , they were hatched , Salmon Fisheries Office, : . • 4, Old Palace Yard, "Westminster, S. W., , . r; ' 14th October ? Tß73. i My dear sir,—Since I had the pleasure of meeting you a few days ' ago, X have carefully considered the question'of the chances of the young salmon, when they arrive at the-/‘smolt’’ stage and descend to the sfea, .returning up the rivers as “grilse.” If Mr Buckland’s suggestion is adopted, and ! . a tho young fry, when about, six months-old, placedin a well-watched piece of. water best adapted for their growth, with a grating -or. other means adopted forpreventing their escape down stream, T shouldsuggest thiit ’they "should 'he ! Kept there ! foraanotherr r eighteen . months, ‘after which they should be.transferred ■ to the seashore; and placed hr a‘ similariy’protected spot in the sea. ; It might' be possible to carry out this arrangement; in some small arm of the seal where they could find sufficient fobd, where they Would be protected from predacious fish, And * where they would bewtae taature enough- to develop spawn,' However, the safer plan would ? be tp place the Aniolts in a large marine, aquar riuru, with a constant supply-of well, aerated water, and with: food such as shrimps,;' the infusoria naturally found in sea water, kc, In such-an aquarium the fish would thrive, and -become spmciently developed to produce! spawn; ’ when the. time came they might be transferred ; ' to the rivet, to’perform thbir nature I fimetiohi f ln the ordinary way, br the spawn might be . - artificially taken from them impregnated, .and ('treated in the same way as the eggs from which -the young .fish now living were produced... If . such ap experiment.were successfully, carried . , 'Out, thousands of ova would be at once available in Near Zealand, without the necessity of ship l , ping from England.l have hastily written this sketch of what I propose, and I should be glad ' v if, you would submit it to the authorities" in - New Zealand. I shall take an early opporth--nity of calling upon you and further explaining my idea. ■ -i: ; -•"'‘■li'-cannqfcj conclude without congratulating the authorities on tho partial "success, solar, of the experiment, and expressing my best wishes for the complete fulfilment of the desirable , object we have in view, viz., the permanent,in|troduction. of; salmon into New; Zealand.-4-I am, &'c., ‘ ; (Signed) Charles E. Fryer, i Dr. Buffer, &c., . ;