Page:Architectural Review and American Builders' Journal, Volume 1, 1869.djvu/187

 1868.] Miscellaneous. 159 Artificial Fish Culture. — It is made the duty of man to repair, in so far as he can. the ravages of bis species, committed in the hurry of settlement or by continued and indiscreet use after- wards of nature's bounties. When we add to duty the gratification of pleas- urable instincts, and then couple with both of these a fair promise of profit, we have an incentive which will over- come all obstacles, and insure in any de- partment an entire success. In agricul- ture the farmer makes it a point to pre- serve his seeds and improve their quality by all the means in his power Experi- ments are called in to aid science and to make science, and the pride and profit of success amply repay all troubles and outlays. In maintaining his breeds of live stock and improving the rough ma- terial he often finds on hand, great en- thusiasm is manifested. There is a branch of culture, which might be called co-ordinate, that has lately sprung into existence. We mean the culture of fish by artificial means. It has grown out of a necessity, compelled by the reckless conduct of man. Every one deprecates the -fact that our rivers have become de- populated of the finny tribe ; that so great a source of pleasure as successful angling has been cut off; that our tables are deprived of their most healthy and delicate messes, and that what was heretofore a source of respectable in- come has ceased as a business, or be- come the synonyme for losses. Under the impression that there existed a cor- rective for what may be fitly termed an evil, the experiments of private indi- viduals have been seconded by many powerful societies, and these again by intelligent legislation, so that now we may regard two or three things as well settled in this connection. First. That our depleted streams can be restocked with fish. Second. That with due care on the part of individuals and companies in provid- ing for the passage of fish through their dams and obstructions erected for manu- facturing purposes, and with discrimin- ating laws on the part of legislatures, the stock of fish can be kept up with little or no outlay. Third. That the ancient profits of a now reduced trade may be restored, and a cheap food provided in great abundance. In this, as in all other subjects, gen- eral reasoning will not go so far as actual experiment to prove its truth. We therefore educe a few of the results thus far made in proof of the success of the enterprise. Under the legislation of our own State a fishway was built in the Columbia dam. Shad passed through it iu large numbers, and were taken above the mouth of the Juniata for the ' first time in nearly thirty years. The result shows that shad will not only re- turn to the place of their birth when, opportunity offers, but go beyond it in search of new spawning grounds. Thirty years ago the supply of salmon to the markets of Boston and other cities in the East, was brought from the rivers of Maine. Now, by reason of high dams and other obstructions, this fish has be- come almost extinct, and the supply comes from Canada. Pyrogallic Acid. — The old process for making this compound usually gives only 25 per cent, of the weight of gallic acid employed. Messrs. de Luynes and Esperandien, by the action of heated water, transform gallic into pyrogallic and carbon acid. Into a brass cauldron having a tightly fitting cover they intro- duce gallic acid with two or three times its weight of water. The cauldron is then heated to 200 or 210 degrees C. and that temperature is maintained for nearly two hours, when the solution of pyrogallic acid will be found slightly colored. The color is removed by bone- black and the water by distillation. A clear white product may be obtained at once by distilling the gallic solution in vacuo.