PUBLIC DOCUMENT No. 25. 53 



The State property at the Palmer hatchery consists of 233 acres 

 of land, three houses, a hatchery building, a small experimental 

 hatchery, an ice house, dams, pools, etc. The tract lies in a 

 valley through which runs a brook of excellent water, formed by 

 many springs on the hillsides. The first work was to establish 

 a small trial hatchery, still standing, in which in the fall and 

 winter of 1911 and 1912 a substantial number of eggs were 

 hatched and reared in order to thoroughly test the water. One 

 of the more important features is the possibility of acquiring 

 additional springs, ponds and water-storage facilities should 

 later developments warrant. 



Four bass ponds, situated in the meadow below the hatchery, 

 were practically completed during 1913; also, a dam to supply 

 water for perch, salmon and trout at the small hatching 

 house and 12 new rearing pools were built. In 1914 a new 

 hatchery building, 36 by 72 feet, two stories in height, was 

 constructed at the lower reservoir. 



This hatchery is equipped in the most up-to-date and effi- 

 cient manner, and is capable of handling large numbers of 

 practically all the ordinary species of fish artificially propa- 

 gated. The first floor of the building contains the hatching 

 room and the office of the superintendent, and the second 

 story has a carpenter shop, large storage room and bedroom 

 for the accommodation of messengers distributing fish. An ice 

 house of sufficient size to furnish the necessary amount of ice 

 for the shipment of fish from the hatchery was likewise built. 



Chapter 271 of the Acts of 1911, providing $8,000 a year for 

 a period of five years with which to establish, equip and main- 

 tain fish hatcheries, enabled the commission to establish the 

 Palmer hatchery. When the funds became available for this 

 purpose the commissioners communicated with all of the depu- 

 ties and instructed them to carefully investigate in their dis- 

 tricts all possible locations for fish hatcheries. The best of 

 the suggested locations was reported by Deputy John F. 

 Luman. Before purchasing the Palmer property it was thor- 

 oughly inspected by two of the most prominent experts on 

 fish culture in the United States, Dr. Tarleton H. Bean, fish 

 culturist of the State of New York, and Mr. George Schriba of 

 Constantia, N. Y., formerly superintendent of the New York 

 bass hatchery, and later by Mr. Dwight Lydell, assistant 



