SALMON AND WHITEFISH.

Evening Post, Volume LXX, Issue 34, 9 August 1905, Page 6

SALMON AND WHITEFISH.

WHAT THE GOVERNMENT IS DOING. In the course of his annual report, tlie Minister for Marine says: — Several fish believed to be salmon have been caught at the mouth of the Wuitaki River. A gentleman, recently from Scotland, status that lie caught one of the fish, which weighed 4£lb., and that it was undoubtedly a salmon in appearance and taste. Although the taste was not so pronounced as that of Scotch tahnon, still the flavour was fine and quite different from that of trout. During the year the following salmon have been liberated from the ponds at the Hakataramea hatchery, viz.: 448 four-year-old quinnat, 1273 three-year-old sockeye, 2626 two-year-old Atlantic salmon, 224,252 eight-month-old quinnat, 12,000 one-year-old quinnat, and 162,613 three-month-old quinnat. Prior to the Ist April, 1904. 135,600 quinnat, 113,161 sockeye, and 42,806 Atlantic salmon were liberated, lno-king the total number liberated to date 692,779. At tho end'of March the following fish were in the ponds, viz.: 100 four-year-old quinnat, 216 three-year-old sockeye, 230 two-year-old Atlantic, 13,000 one-year-old quinnat,\ and 75,000 three-month-old quinnat salmon. It would be, advisable to continue to import salmon and whitefish ova for at least two or three years more, by which time it should be proved whether the fish can be successfully acclimatised in the colony or not, if the attempt to introduce and acclimatise them is successful, they will, as a source of food-supply, be of very great value. I It is proposed next season to import 500,000 ailmon-ova and 2,000,000 white-fish-ova, instead of 300,000 and 1,000,000, the quantities imported during each of the last two seasons. As we have the salmon-hatchery and the whitefish-hatoh-ing sheds, which will provide space for tho larger numbers with very little alteration, tho cost will only be about £50 more that the cost of introducing and hatching the smaller numbers. A vote was taken last session to defray the cost of collecting rainbow-trout ova ■ for distribution amongst acclimatisation 'societies requiring them, and arrangements were made to erect an eyeingstation at Rotorua, but owing to a difficulty about the site, which is native land, it is found to be necessary to take it under the Public Works, Act, which will prevent the collection of ova 'this season.

St Paul's Pro-Cathedral was decorated with flowers and evergreens this afternoon on tho occasion of the wedding of Mr Howard Reid, 'thh-d son of Mr. Nicholas Pieid, to Miss Alice Maud Hennah, eldest daughter of Captain Hennah. The ceremony was performed by tho Rcv< T. 11. Sprott, M.A., in the presence of a large gathering of relatives and friends of the contracting parties. The bride, who was given away by her father, was attended by Miss Elsie Hennah (her sister), Miss Rubi Seddon (cousin), and Miss y Lulu Dyer (second cousin). Mr. W. G. Reid and Mr. M. G. Reid, brothers of the bridegroom, acted as bebt man and groomsman respectively. Tho "Wedding March" was played on the organ a.s the bridal party left the church. A reception, which was largely attended, was held at the residence of the bride's parents in Featherslon-street. Amongst tho guests were the Premier and" Mrs. Seddon (uncls and aunt of the bride),, and tho Minister for Public Works (Hon. W. Hall-Jones) and Mrs. Hall-Jones. The bridegroom's presents to the bridesmaids were a gold watch to Miss Elsie Hennah, and gold bangles to Miss Rubi Seddon and Miss Lulu Dyer. The honeyjnoon k lo be spent at Rotorua. This morning the Workshops' staff of the Public Works Department presented Captain Hennah ' with a handsomelyframed mirror aa a wedding gift to hifl