THE SALMON EXPERIMENT.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 2565, 25 March 1869, Page 3

THE SALMON EXPERIMENT.

TO TUB EDITOR OF THE LTTTELTON TIMES. Sir,—l have read with some interest a letter under this head, reprinted by you from the Hohart Town Mercury, in which the writer suggests the advisability of introducing minnows and various descriptions of flies as food for salmon and trout. Believing such introductions to be unnecessary, our requirements in these particulars being abundantly supplied, perhaps a few observations on the subject may interest your readers at the present time, when the expected daily arrival of a second consignment of salmon ova from England lends additional charm to matters connected with the fish. From past experience, I had come to the conclusion that minnows were only useful in running water, and that even then their advantages were questionable—in lakes and ponds positively injurious. Seeing, however, a letter, about three years ago, advocating the introduction of these fish, evidently emanating from the same judicial pen, I communicated with parties in England respecting the advisability of their introduction here, amongst whom was Mr M. Stoddart, who kiudly made every inquiry amongst his piscicultural friends, resulting in the unanimous condemnation of these fish, as not answering the desired purpose; probably to be accounted for by the fact of the minnow devouring the same description of insect food as the trout.

Our streams are already stocked both here and in Tasmania with a'little native fish, for which the trout have shown a great partiality, and being of sluggish habits, and devoid of teeth, probably in some respects superior,,to the minnow.

In addition to other varieties, peculiar to the New Zealand waters, we possess a small description of smelt breeding at the mouths of rivers, the young fry working their way up stream in countless shoals, and stocking every little ditch and watercourse, and affording a delicious delicacy under the title of whitebait, the value of which our Tasmanian friends will ere long be also able to appreciate. The society have recently forwarded to Hobart Town upwards of 150 whitebait, which, thanks to the judicious care of Capt. Thompson, have been successfully landed. As to insect food our waters, where suitable to their development, are literally teeming with insect life, and include the varieties named by the writer, as the most valuable —the ephemera aud thephryganea:. Hitherto, however, I have not been able to meet with the little water insect, the fresh-water pulex or screw, so valuable for fish food.

The value of Crustacea for fish-food appears to pose the writer, who has only to dissect the stomach of a few fish to perceive one of the important parts that water-snails supply in the economy of nature; our freshwater varieties are similar, though much smaller than those found in England, but appear to make up in abundance what they lack in size.

What we do need in our rivers to make tliem better adapted for the future home of the salmon and trout, is not the introduction of new food, but facilitating those conditions under which suitable food can be developed, a result readiest attained by the planting of trees along the shelterless banks of our streams, and providing still water-pools as accessaries to our rapid rivers. Your obedient servant, A. M. JOIINSOX, Curator. Acclimatization Gardens, Christchurch.