SALMON IN NEW ZEALAND.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4124, 9 June 1874, Page 3

SALMON IN NEW ZEALAND.

Interesting reports are published as ..to the progress of acclimatising the salmon in New Zealand. The Daily Times of the Ist June says ; —lt will be of interest to many of our readers, no doubt, to learn how the young salmon in Southland are getting on. It is just about a year since the Oberon arrived at Port Chalmers, bringing as part of, her cargo 120,000 salmon eggs. Of these, 100,000 were sent to the Makerewa Ponds near Invercargill, and the remaining 20,000 were despatched to Christchurch, where they were handed over to the local Acclimatisation Society. Whether the latter lot are now represented by live smolts we are unable to say. As regards the ova, however, which were sent to Southland, we believe the great mass of them turned out bad, but some fish were hatched out, and these have remained until lately at the Makerewa Ponds, under the vigilant care of Mr. Howard. It seems, however, that not long ago it was observed in one of the Southland streams that certain small native fish were in the habit of devouring the trout fry which had been liberated there. This led to apprehension that a similar fate might be in store for the young salmon. A small pond therefore was constructed in the bend of a very nice little brook running into the Aparima ; and on Monday last, the 25th ult., the Hon. Mr. Nurse and Mr. Howard conveyed the fish to their new quarters—a distance of about twenty miles. The salmon, when brought together, only mustered 95—a small number out of 100,000 eggs which were shipped by the Oberon, but at the same time, when all the circumstances of the passage of that vessel are borne in mind, a sufficiently large number to bear testimony to the skill and the unremitting attention which were bestowed upon the young fish by Mr. Howard. AVe fear that no great results can be expected from tbe little lot of salmon which Mr. Howard has now under his charge, but we hope that the General Government will see their way to obtain a shipment of sabnon eggs from the Clyde before the next winter passes over, if for no other reason than that the same skill and attention which are being given to the few smolts that are now in the ponds will serve for the supervision of many' thousands. The following particulars are supplied by the same paper regarding the “ cultivation” of trout at the fish-breeding establishment at Palmerston, on the property, and under the management of Mr. AV. A. Young, who is enthusiastic and largely experienced in this particular line. By a simple expedient, Mr. Young, when requiring the ova, can obtain it without much trouble, by diverting the water of tbe mill dam from its usual course, and the trout beiug subjected to a simple process, and the vivifying element applied, the ova are placed in boxes containing gravel, a rill of water continually passing through. In a few weeks the eggs begin to exhibit signs of life, and shortly afterwards, the living trout appears. The young fish are immediately transferred to another pond, where every attention for rearing them Is given. After they attain the size of an inch or two inches they are liberated in streams and rivers, to become the progeny of a future fishy generation. Last season in Shag river alone Mr. Young liberated 9500 young trout; Hi,Gsl trout were sent to other streams and rivers. It is an extraordinary circumstance connected with pisciculture, showing the fecundity of the trout reared in that district, that Mr. Young last season stripped from three fish 20,000 eggs, and hatched 97 per cent out of that number, being without a doubt one of the most successful experiments in hatching that has yet taken place in the Province, or even in the Home country. But what is most surprising, the same fish were subjected to a similar process with equally successful results, and under various circumstances, without the slightest injury to them. The system adopted by Mr. Y oung is the Russian dry process. Of every day’s transactions he keeps a record, notingjevery peculiarity in connection with breeding. In Shag River, close to the mill, we saw a sight w-ell worthy to go a distance to see—a number of trout, from a few inches to a foot in length, sporting in their native clement, bred on the farm at Shag Valley. Mr. Young, after ample experience, states that with a few healthy trout he could supply our lakes and rivers in a few years, and is confident that salt-water fish could be operated upon in a similar manner.