PISCICULTURE IN WAIKATO.

Waikato Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2059, 17 September 1885, Page 2

PISCICULTURE IN WAIKATO.

A m vi'\.\ of Ainoric.in lake fish was leceived by the domain board on Tm'-diy last fioin Auckland, Mi T. R. Hill and the curator of the Auckland Yccliiii.itmtinn Society having foiwaided a small barrel by the mid day tiain. The cattish, as they .we called, foi want of pioper attendance on the journey were, on .inival at the Hamilton West station, found to be m .a very sickly condition, but the secierary of the hoard levived them considerably by the aid of ii pan of bellow*, the tank tap at the station being allowed to run ovei the top of the keg in the meantime.. A tiap was ]nocuied, and siiaru water carried, but the jolting of thu vehicle tossed and wasted the water .so much tli.it at the schoolhouse mnit* vessels and water were obtained, and the hsli divided into bucket*. To a\oid losing the watiM they weie cairied to Co\'s lake, and successfully hbeiated. To test then condition the buckets were immersed about nine inches in the lake, and the gieat bulk of the h-*h (theie were 3~i m all) seemed fully alive to the situation, and availed themselves of their new home by gliding rapidly over the edge of the vessel, and dis.ippcaung from view, seven or eight nnly showing signs of exhaustion, and vvob I »1 mx about on their side until emptied out. The ti-^h were fiom si\ to nine inches long. lUs just possible the sickly few may re covei, but in any case it may be considered .1 successful consignment. The thanks of the Waik.ito community aie due to Messrs Hill and Cheeseman foi the inteiest and trouble they tike in our welfare m pwcatoiial m itters. The catfish aie nuiueiou-* in the Aineucm lakes, and aie a really good fi.od Mipply, .lltliough their eppear.>iice and n ime do not seem mv itiiH,. They h i\ e vpiy lar^u hoads and wide mouths, but the body is plump and him nnd white, they tfiow to n large si/e. The stocking of the NV.uk.ito wateis with h-h moimiis neir at hand, as consideiablo inep.irations have lx>en lately made by the H imiltou Domain Hoard for permanent operations in future. Thi< j'ear 3000 trout have been hatched out without any poiceptible loss. About 4000 more are now on the way per U.S.S. Compmy's steamship Penguin, and a hatch <>f perch are daily expected fiom NY. S. C. Farr, Chiistcl.uich. M-sms Hill and Cheeseman will, if possible, forw.ud a supply of brook trout, a very h irdy sjiecies able to live in any creek at all. Tho doniiin boaid have also applied to the Government for a portion of the supplies of fish ova expected from tho American (Jo\eminent, who graciously grant them by the million to any Aculiinatiiation Society, if application is made through tholJovernoi to ensnie pioper attention. Piscicultuie has m ule a good stait in the Uppei NV.u kato, and it will be to the inteiest of every resident to aid it m eveiy and any possible way. In the Ijovvet Waikato, at Tuikui, as we pointed out the other day, the tmut introduced have now commenced to sptvvn.