114 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONERS OF 



The first work of the year is the collecting of the eggs of the difTerent fall or 

 winter spawning fish. During October, we sent out men to Lake Michigan and the 

 east end of Lake Ontario to secure lake trout, whitefish and cisco eija's, the fish 

 spawning in the order named. 



The brook trout and the frost fish are also spawning throughout the Adirondacks 

 at about the same time, and in November all of the trout at our more southern 

 hatcheries commence spawning and continue until a short time after the 1st of January 

 before the run is finally over. Then follows the rainbow or California trout, which is 

 classed as a spring spawner. The salt water tomcods spawn during the month of 

 December, and the smelt spawn in March. About the ist of April we are obliged to 

 be in readiness so that as soon as the ice goes out of Oneida and Chautaucjua lakes we 

 can commence collecting the pike-perch and mascalonge eggs. In May the shad com- 

 mence to run in the Hudson River, and we continue taking eggs from them until about 

 the 15th of June. During June we capture the small fry of the large mouth, nr 

 Oswego black bass, so th.it during nearly five months of the year, at some point or 

 other, a number of our men are busy taking fish eggs. 



During the year many needed improvements have been made at the Adirondack 

 Hatchery, located near Saranac Inn Station, Franklin county. New York. 



All (jf the available spring water at this point that could be brought to the nursery 

 ponds has been turned that way, and even this hatchery will be enabled tn turn out a 

 few fingerling trout, something heretofore unknown in its history. 



This hatchery is admirably located as a shipping point, and if more good cold 

 water could be procured at the proper levels, so as to feed rearing ponds, large 

 numbers of fingerlings could be annually distributed in the adjacent streams and lakes. 

 There is but one remaining chance of obtaining this water, and that is b\- running a 

 large iron pipe to Little Clear pond, dropping it down into forty or fift)- feet of water, 

 and let it discharge the cold water found at that depth directly to the hatchery below, 

 on the plan of a large siphon. If this can be successfully done it will make the 

 Adirondack hatchery worth more as a producer of fingerlings than any two or three 

 ordinary hatcheries located in the Adirondacks. 



During the past year there were turned out from this hatchery 830,000 brook 

 trout fry, 85,000 brown trout fry, 1,308,000 lake trout fry, 4,000,000 frost fish fry, 

 and 250,000 Labrador whitefish. 



At the P'ulton Chain Hatchery, considerable work was done to improve the 

 condition of the stock or breeding ponds. The same trouble with the water supply 

 e.\ists here as at the Adirondack hatchery. Early in the spring negotiations were 

 opened with the Old Forge Syndicate Company, with a view to obtaining control of 

 an additional small spring brook that empties into Old Forge pond, about half a mile 



