ACCLIMATISATION OF CALIFORNIAN SALMON.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4198, 3 September 1874, Page 3

ACCLIMATISATION OF CALIFORNIAN SALMON.

Forest and Stream, a New York journal, in its issue of May 21 publishes the following with reference to the' proposed , acclimatisation of the Californian salmon in Australia : Mr. Francis has just concluded in the Field a series of letters of undoubted merit, giving a most interesting account of Tasmanian pisciculture. The palm of antipodal fish culture must be awarded to New Zealand. While New South Wales was talking "about jt, New Zealand ha 3 successfully carried out her plans. In re-' gard to salmon, it struck us that our ■ Californian fish, the Scllmo quinnat,- would 'succeed far better in Australian, waters than the Scotch fish.. ; To transport the ova from California to New South Wales would present no possible difficulty. Writing to Professor Baird, we find that this question has been already 'anticipated' by the fish commissioner, as may be seen from the following interesting letter : .... .'.'.United States Commission,' Fish and Fisheries, ':" Editor Forest and 'Stream, •. ; "''■■' ; .",1 have ■on > various" occasions,'.in articles written ioir Harper's Weekly and other journals,'' suggested the, importation of the,'Californian' salmon into-Australia in preference to the European variety, and I am under the impression i that the same Idea" lias" occurred to our antipodal 'friends!;-; I.f you', will refer.to my. 'Annual Record of Science and Industry for. '1873,' I you will find oneof 'the notices referred tor-reproduced, on .page'-HO. The saving of. time' and distance in, the'journey is a matter'of piime importance, and.l am inclined to believe, that a Pacific Ocean ; salmbn .will be'more likely to thrive permanently there than one. that belongs to the waters of the Atlantic.— ,Very truly yours, . •,, .'■",,'■; ■. '..•': ; '.' Spknpeb F. Baiiid, 1 Commissioner." • :The remark' made by Pro*fess6i:;.Baird in "Annual Record of Science,"is'as follows :" It is not a little remarkable that'the'gentlemen who .have charge of the'experiment of stocking,- the waters'of" Australia and New'Zealand with salmon have not turned their attention to California, whose salmon are to be found much better; fitted for the temperature of Australia' than the European species. .The Australian line of steamers'from San Francisco could 1 transport these eggs and deliver them in about thirty; days, *ahd with the almost absolute cer-" tainty; of a successful result." :., .;;>. ; ;j ; In reply to a question of the same character sent by us to':Mr. Livingstone .Stone,- that gentleman has sent us the following reply : ," United States Fish Commission,' Charleston, ..'-- i . ".-N.H.,May!-11, 1874:" ■ - ■ •'•> ',, ''Editor Forest -and Stream:- ■:<■'■ ■■■■'■ .V, ''Yours of May 4 is received. It has been my' opinion for a long time that the Californian salmon were better adapted to the Australian wators than the British salmon, and I have no doubt that the Californian salmon will he some time] introduced there. :-The trip by steamer is only thirty days from San Francisco, which gives a margin of several" months over the time required from Great Britain.—Very truly yours,- . '■ -J- ! ■'-•■■ •' , /.-'.-,' :'t"EIViNGSTONB SIONE."