PISCICULTURE IN WAIKATO.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 2007, 19 May 1885, Page 3

PISCICULTURE IN WAIKATO.

Oui Kilnkiln eniiespnndent vviites :— The eh urmen of the v uious 100 l bodies have leceived ciieulus fiom Mr Gelling, of Hamilton, asking f 11 their co opeiation and assistance in money towards the introduction lit fish into our sti earns and lheis. A small sum fioni e>ch boaid would be sufficients foi tlic |mi|)n>e, and if fish .suitable to the various stienms wore successfully intioduced, the mu ill outlay would be well repaid. The idei i«, [ believe, to stock the Mangapiko, Mangaohoi and Punni with trout. I do not think more .suitable streams than the Puniu and some of its tributaries could be found foi tiout, l>nt the Mangipiko is must unsnitible foi thifish. It is fed putuely by swanip-, and the decayed v etretablu matter with which it is impregnated would be fatal to such fish. Perch might do \pry well in it, and no doubt there are some other spocies of fish which would thrive in such water. The Mangaohoi is a better stream, but it is not so suitable as etheis, as there is a certain amount of decayed vegetable matter in it also, but not neaily so much as in the other. The water of this stream iscleai, and the bottom can easily be seen at almost any depth, while that of the Manga nikn is as dark ns stiong colfee. Perch would do remarkably well in the Mangaohoi ; it is just the stieam !m them. The great enemies of v>ung s h in these stieams arc the eels and shags. The latter may in some measuie be kept down by shooting, but T do not know what can be done to guard against the foimer, except to liberate the fry in such numbers that some will bo sure to escape. The best tiout stream [ have seen is the Mangutntu. It 1 ises in the ranges behind the Korakanui settlement, through which it flows, thence down a valley for seven or eight miles, and th^n empties itself into the Puniu. Brook trout would do well to a certainty in this stieam, and trout fiom the Puniu would be certain to spawn in it. It has a gravelly bod, with just enough sand to make it perfect as a spawning ground, as there are still poolb m it at intervals all the way to the ranges, places over which an angler would go into ecstacies. Apart from sport to ba derived from the stocking of our streams with fish, thcie is the food supply. Their value in this respect can hardly be estimated. One raiely seea fresh fish in this part of Waikato. Occasionally a fishmonger comes round, but that is a iare occui ranee, and larei utill since the present time-table was introduced. When the tiain camu in at three o'clock or a little latei, the man could sell most of his stock befoie night, but now he must hold over till next day, when most of the fish are found to be unfit for food The introduction of fish would thoiefme be a inattei of gieit impoitonce to the district. Besides the streams 1 have mentioned, theie are others i mining fiom Pirongia into the Waipa, which could be stocked to advantage, which are cnunentl} suit ible for trout. Some yeais ago a few salmon fry (* tiout) were turned out into the Puniu, but they disappeared. It was said that the natives caught (Hie about six inches long in one of their eel baskets, but nothing fuithci was evei heaid of them. We need nevei hope to see salmon in these rners. If they lived to go down the Waipa on their way to the sea, they would never face it again to get back to the stream in which they woie 1 eared. I hope the loe il boaids will see fit to assist with a little money in this nutter. The few pounds thu« spent would peihapx h ive the effect of blinging into the distnct an article of food, the value of which would be incalculable.

Aicohoi te FviLiit — The chronic debauchee fr> Is th.it he positiw ly r innot exist without his alcoholic stimul ition ]» quit drinking or to cortinue the liabi' brines dc itli nil the same Su< h amin cm find in /Nmincun Co's Hop Bitters proper)) used, .1 prrfect panacea for the drunkard's curt- Xi id