SALMON AND TROUT OVA FROM BRITAIN.

Southland Times, Issue 1120, 8 March 1869, Page 3

SALMON AND TROUT OVA FROM BRITAIN.

The Panama Mail has brought intelligence that the Mindora sailed from Grraveaend on the 29th December, having on board the second shipment of Salmon and Trout Ova, for the Provincial Government. The Mindora, it appears, had put on board of her, under the superintendence of Mr James A. Youl, 212 boxes, containing 160,000 ova — 110,000 being of Salmon, and 5,000 of Sea Trout. This is only about one-half the total number of ova which were on board the Celestial Queen, last year ; but there are many reasons why it may very fairly be hoped that a much greater number of the smaller consignment of ova will bo successfully hatched, than was the case with the larger consignment. The whole story, of this second Salmon venture to Otago is tersely and moat interestingly told by Mr Youl, in a letter, to the I^ondoa 'Times/ and which' wait

published in that paper of the 30th December. Mr Youl writes: — "Sir, — Ti.u imcr.-r so genenlly evinced in the aUi.MUi.us m:\do during the last few years to naturalise the salmon in tHe waters of Tasmmia. and NTew Zealand induces me to hope that the following account of a recent shipment of ova to Otago, New Zealand, m iy be admitted to your <:olumns. " From the large number of ova (300,000) conveyed to New Zealand last; year, not more than 500 fry were produced. But this comparative failure was evidently due to conditions which mightbe in part avoided, and in part were unlikely, to recur. So the Provincial Grovernment of Otago patriotically determined to renew the attempt this ye i-r. It was decided in the first place to despatch the ova a mouth earlier than on che last occasion, for many thousands of ova were then destroyed after surviving the'trials of the sea voyoge by the freezing coldness of the water in which they were placed, and by the fine mud brought down in some heavy floods, which, passing through the filter, was deposited on the eggs in the breeding troughs — a condition well known to be fatal to the life of the ovum. A fine vessel, the Mindora, appointed to sail on the 2 1st December, was chosen, and an icehouse, occupying a space equal to 59 tons, was built iv her hold. The nest being prepared, the eggs must next be obtained werewith fco fill it; and here we were met by unusual difficulties. The conservators of the Severn, of the Tyue, and of the Tweed fisheries having generously accorded the permission to fish for spawning salmon, Mr W. Ramsbottom was despatched to the first, aud Mr Thomas Johnson to the two latter | rivers. But, unforttaately, heavy rains setting in a day or two before their ar- | rival gave rise to such extensive floods, that at the end of a week's fishing, not one spawning fish fit for our purpose had bee:i paired. Time was now fast gliding away, and it was to be feared that after all the indora would have to sail with the ice', use vacant. An application made to Messrs Shaw, Saville, and Co., the owners of the Mindora, for permission to delay the sailing of the vessel one week was met with a kind and ready assent. I then started off to Mr Frank Buckland, in the hope that his peculiar tact and energy in such matters might help me over the difficulty. He was debarred by the duties of his office from giving any personal assistance, but placed at my disposal the services of Mr Neville, who has charge of the fish-breeding establishment of the Horticultural Gardens. Mr Neville proceeded forthwith to Herefordshire, with a letter to Mr John Lloyd, .jun., of Hmtington-court, who, entering heartily into the undertaking, started with Neville and a party of fishermen to one of the tributaries of the Usk. Matters were no well managed by them that in two days at least 40,000 salmou ova were obtained and were brought up by Neville in the fiucst condition on the morning of the 19th instant. They were at once packed in their little moss filled boxes, and were before night carefully stowed away under 4ft. of ice iv the hold of the Mindora — a wonderful relief to my anxiety, and a foretaste of what was to follow. For, after this, fresh con tingents of ova were poured in day by day, till a satisfactory muster was obtained. First, a most satisfactory and acceptable contribution was made by Major Horsfall, to whose kindness I owed much on a former occasion. He having already" employed Mr Jiamsbottom, sen., to lay ' down a large nnmber of salmon ova in breeding boxes in connection with his fisheries? at Screeb, in Oral way, gave instructions to Mr Karasbottom when my difficulties became kuown to place at my disposal, and so convey to me across the Channel, as a preseut from him to the Otago Government, the very ova which he had collected for private use. This generous order was skilfully carried out by Mr liamsbottom, who arrived at the ship on Monday morning, the 21st inst., with about 38,000 ova in beautiful order, They were packed and put to rest before the night by the side of their brothers and sisters from the Usk. Later in the same day came in a troop of about 15,000 from the Severn, and another of 12,000 from the Tyne. On the 23rd Mr Johnson arrived with about 8,000 from the Tweed. And last, but not least, on Christinas eve, just as we were filling in the ice and preparing to close | the house, down came Mr Frank Buckj land with a present of 5,000 beautiful sea-trout ova, which he had himself manipulated. There was but little room left for this most acceptable contribution, but it was packed and enclosed with ice, though not in so good a position as might have been desired ; and Mr Buckland, after getting into the icehouse and witnessing the safe stowage of his pets, had the satisfaction of seeing the door closed and sealed, and all made snug and ready for sea before he left. " During all this week the weathe was, as you observe in one of your leaders, as unlike traditional Christmas weather as it could be, yet, alternately exposed to cold in our icehouse and to the heavy rain outside, we were nearer than most people to the realisation of the ideal climate, and when our work was done were not slow to accept Capt. Cameron's invitation to adjourn to the cabin and " take a little something," just to keep us from catching cold, and to wish at the same time to our little friends in the icehouse a safe and pleasant voyage to the Antipodes. " The shipment comprised 212 bores, containing in all about 110,000 salmon ova and 5,000 sea-trout ova, derived from the. fine. rivers Severn,. Tyne, Tweed, U_sk,. and Screeb, so that England, Scotland and Ireland have all united in this work of fish colonisation. In returning thanks to those who Have

helped, I should be very ungrateful if I omitt-rd the mines of l\£r Edward Glynn. ,ii Xi:wviistli.--o;i-Tync, and Mr H. Greor^e, of Worcester, who persevered in afFmlino; their personal aid under the most discouraging circumstances of floods and muddy waters, till at last their efforts were crowned by obtaining the muchcoveted ripe fish. " And, if a fair contributor will pardon my mention of her name, I am anxious fco thank fche lady through whoso means one very essential ueco.ssary, a supply of good healthy moss, was obtained. " In the process of packing the ova are sprinkled upon moss, lightly placed in perforated wooden boxes. .411 the accounts hitherto received indicate that the healthy life of the moss is neces-ary to the life of the ova. Where the moss is found at the opening of the boxes, brown and dead, the ova are also dead, and vice versa. It was therefore very de- : sirable that ou this occasion, profiting j by experience, \\\i shoul 1 use soft fresh- ; gathered moss, with plenty of roots. j " Lady Tancred, of Pangbourne, having heard of the importance of this matter, collected and sent to me a large quantity — three sacks full of moss admirably adapted for the purpose. " In relation to this point I had the opportunity of examining, just before the ice was finally packed, some of the boxes which had already been deposited several days, and found, to my great satisfaction, that the moss was greener than when first used, looking as though it would grow, and thtU- the ova were in capital order. " The Mindora was towed out of the doi-iis to Graveseud on Monday, the 29th Dec, on her way to ' Otago." in writing to the Grovernment, Mr Youl makes some remarks with vespect to the Brown Trout, which are of special importance to Otngo at the present time. " May I beg of y<»u, on no account to permit the Brown Trout to be introduced into the Molyneux, or any of its tributaries, until you have got the Salmon fairly established in them. They are the greatest enemies the Balmou can haye — i can compare them to nothing but wolves in a flock of sheep. Again and again, I have warned Dr Officer, of Tasmania, of the danger of admitting these voracious fish into any stream suitable for Salmon, before the Salmon are established therein. " I am sorry to observe that so many of the Provinces of New Zealand have introduced these Brown Trout into their rivers, before they have got th^ Salmon. Depend upon it, for every £10 spent by tbose Pro vines in this way, they will, in those rivers were they have placed them, have to spend £1000 to successfully in troduce the King of Fishes. Bear in mind that, after all, the Trout only affords some amount of sport to anglers ; while the Salmon, in addition to this, as an article of food and commerce — if the rivers of New Zealand are thoroughly well stocked — will produce annually from £50,J00 to £ ' '0,000 sterling. What a boon to give v the Colony ! As to the Sea Trout, the matter is altogether different — their presence in a river with Salmon, is wholly unobjectionable, from the first. After giving details as to the placing of 16 boxes ot Tweed Salmon Ova, at the top of the ice, Mr Yoni adds— _ • " My plans in this respect were a little disorganised, by Mr Frank Bucklaud's arrival at the last moment, with a present of about 5,00J Sea Trout Ova. My first impression was, io refuse to put them into the ice-house, fearing they would disturb my 16 boxes. 1 at last consented, hoping my fears may not be realised, althougu I have still some doubt that I acted wrongly. They are, howe.er, such beautiful fish, and afford such capital sport to the angler — and are not enemies, but friends, to the Salmon, with the same sea-going habits — that it would have been churlish, to refuse my energetic friend room lor his pets, the parents of which hs had himself caught and manipulated." It is probable that the Mindora got quickly out of the English Channel — where, it will be remembered, the Celestial Queen got very much knocked about and delayed. Mr Youl writes, " Messrs Shaw, Saville, and Co., in order to shorten the passage as much as possible, have induced the Captain to take steam I down the Channel." By the end of March then, we may expect the arrival of the Mindora, for she will then have been about 100 days from Grravesend.