SALMON.

Press, Volume II, Issue 44, 15 March 1862, Page 2

SALMON.

In another part of our paper will be found extracts from * the journal of Mr. A. Black, under whose auspices au attempt was made two years ago to introduce salmon ' into Australia. Upon the importance of this subject ' to New Zealand, as well as to the other Australasian colonies, it is unnecessary to dwell: every one | must be sensible of the advantage it would he to the colony to have our rivers, now so bare of fish, well stocked with the most profitable and productive of the finny tribe. The rapidity with which, under ' favorable circumstances, salmon will increase, may ' be estimated from the fact that tho female fish yields about a thousand eggs for each pound of her weight; and even in the mother country, where the young fry arc at every stage of their career surrouuded by watchful enemies, this fish is a very important source ; of wealth to the districts in which it is found. In New Zealand rivers, where it would bo freed from ' many of the destructive influences which in those of Great Britain aud Scotland affect its increase, salmon would, if once naturalized, doubtless multiply at a rate that would soon admit of its constituting an important item in the food of the population of the colony. The experiment of which Mr. Black's journal affords an interesting account, was made at the cost and trouble of some Australian colonists and other gentlemen in London, mostly members of the committee of the Australian and New Zealand Association: the most active promoters of the - undertaking were Mr. Youl of Tasmania, and i Mr. T. Wilson of Melbourne. These gentlemen not 1 only underwent much labor and trouble in organizing *' the expedition, but actually put their hands°in their ! pockets to pay for it. to the extent of £600. The i result, although not successful, is very encouraging. £ It seems that, in spite of defective machinery, ' inseparable from a first experiment; of exceedingly r boisterous and trying weather; of want of co*- J operation on the part of the master of the vessel; ' and, most important of all, in spite of a very c insufficient quantity of ice, the salmon ova were t carried safely through, the most trying part of their journey, and had actually crossed the tropics o

of when the failure in the supply 0 to the experiment: the ova died* H ar hours after the ice was expended, a f "* f(% re would have taken them into cold weath iy an end to all doubt as to their being l! /'_ rs Melbourne. The issue of this first a t -11 far from discouraging its spirited project, *" ty their instrumentality chiefly, the I^]^' s, of the Australasian Colonies have V f tWo s. deal with this question of the re salmon, as one of public concern, and to aff ? ° f st that assistance from the public pur «c of w!T h " n, well worthy. The Legislative Assembly ie has voted £500 towards the cost of a s 3e pedition, while that of Tasmania has set *' m a sum than £3,000 for this purpose, and has en* - us expenditure to the Committee of the A *, « and New Zealand Association in London * tunately the intelligence of these liberal* P " i. the sinews of war did not reach London hti 2t enable them to be made available dur^th P >- of 18G0; it was decided therefore to a further steps until November or December In' rt year. The interval has beeu wisely it the persons to whose management the undertake y entrusted, in collecting valuable information as toft' J,, nature and habits of salmon, and in ne-ff*'-;- ■" ■l machinery by which success is hoped to be ensured \ a- great amount of valuable assistance has becnfui_i«y d to them by the Societe d'Acclimatisation in ]Vi s V whose fish breeding ponds arc v.-c-ll known, and unifo n whose auspices the fresh water,; of France have been c replenished, through the system of artificial hatehiu, V with fish of the greatest value. c We have little doubt therefore that, furnished with i- ample means and enlarged experience, the expedition which was to leave England towards the close oi'tk last: year will establish the practicability of landing .salmon fry alive in Australia. Unfortunately th„ will not settle the question of the acclimatization u f y salmon in that country. It is well known that t salmon will not remain in rivers the water of y which at any time of the year is above a certain rate , of temperature ; and scientific men have doubted { whether it will not, for this reason, be useless to , place in any river of the Australian continent the , young fish which may be expected to arrive in Mel- [ bourne during the present month. At any rate it k , we believe, intended that they should he sent on to Hobart Town, where the first attempt to rear them in the southern hemisphere can be completed under more favorable circumstances than at Melbourne. It will doubtless occur, to man)' of our readers that there are rivers in the Middle Island of New Zealand, as well, if not better adapted for the propagation of salmon than any iv Tasmania, and they will joiu with us in hoping that the matter may not be overlooked by the Government of this colony. A great variety of birds and beasts (many of them of little use) have, we understand, been ordered to be sent out at the public cost; and we trust that the comparatively moderate expense required for the attainment of a far more important object will not be grudgingly withheld. In the meantime we heartily wish that the spirit and enterprise of the Australian colonists may be crowned with tbe success Avhich ifc deserves.