CONFERENCES WITH STATE COMMISSIONERS. 7G5 



United States, liaving siiitsible physical conditions, can be stocked with 

 sal mou. The true salmon {Sahno salar) is adapted to the waters throughout 

 l^ew England and possibly to the lakes. There are salmon in the Pacific 

 waters which differ from the eastern species, and which make their way 

 through water of a far higher temperature than that of most of the 

 streams on the Atlantic coast. The Sacramento River during the past 

 summer was exposed to a heat of from 100 to 115 degrees in the shade, 

 and the upper part of the valley is perhaps one of the hottest places in 

 the United States. But still salmon abound in that river, and it is 

 believed that fish taken from that locality will have an equal power of 

 resisting heat on this side of the Rocky Mountains. 



The recommendation of the meeting at Boston was first attended to, 

 of co-operating with the commissioners of the States who were disposed 

 to supply Mr. Atkins with the funds necessary to carry on his experi- 

 ment on the largest possible scale. He had already begun his work, 

 and a general plan of operations was arranged, by which he was author- 

 ized to purchase as many salmon as were offered to him in good, healthy 

 condition. These he obtained from the fishermen of the Penobscot, and 

 placed them in a pond embracing 150 acres, within a central inclosure 

 of about 5 acres, to be kept till the period of spawning. With the funds 

 thus supplied him by the United States Commissioner and the State com- 

 missioners, he procured six hundred salmon, varying in weight from 5 to 

 25 pounds, of which number nearly all survive, and the prospect of a 

 large number of eggs from this source was very encouraging. These, 

 at the proper time, were to be distributed among the parties contributing 

 to the exx^ense of procuring them. 



As this supply was not likely to be as great as was desired, applica- 

 tion was made to the Deutsche Fischerei-Vercin in Germany, and through 

 their instrumentality the German government had been induced to 

 offer to the United States a quarter of a million eggs of the Rhine salmon 

 from the national establishment at Hiiuingen. Besides this number, 

 half a million had been engaged from the establishment of Mr. Schuster 

 in Freiburg. It was expected that both these lots would be placed in 

 charge of Mr. Rudolph Hessel, an experienced fish-culturist, for transfer 

 to the place of shipment, and that possibly he "wonld accompany them 

 to America. These were expected some time in January, and if pos- 

 sible another quarter of a million would be procured from the same 

 source. 



In accordance with the suggestion of the meeting at Boston, Mr. Liv- 

 ingston Stone had been sent to California, and had established himself 

 on a branch of the Sacramento River, unfortunately, however, too late 

 in the season ; yet, from this source several thousand eggs were ex- 

 pected, w^hich would be placed in the Susquehanna and Delaware. 



The report of operations by Mr. Stone, as forwarded to the United 

 States Commissioner, was then read. 



The Commissioner then called upon the gentlemen present for any sug- 



