MANUAL OF FISH-CULTURE. 33 



the boat directly with the fish compartmeut aud being, of course, grated. 

 This was very satisfactory, but when it was found desirable and prac- 

 ticable to use ice in transportation, the tbrward compartment became 

 the ice-room, and it was necessary to perforate the partition again to 

 admit the cold water to the fish. Finally, stout woolen blanket cloth 

 was substituted in the partitions, with eyelet holes wrought in to afford 

 passage to the M^ater. This is the form now in use, in which the water 

 is admitted through openings in the sides to the ice-room, from which 

 it passes through the fish-room to the after room, whence it is discharged. 

 The car is ballasted so that the rail is just above water or, in case 

 of an unusually large load of fish, a little below it. All the openings 

 communicating with the outside are controlled by slides, which can be 

 closed so as to let the car swim high and light when it is towed empty. 



The boxes used for the transfer of salmon hold about 90 gallons each, 

 and are 2 feet wide, 2 feet deep, and 3 feet long, with a sliding cover, 

 in the center of which is an inch auger hole for ventilation. Such boxes 

 were used at Bucksport from 1872 to 1874 to convey the salmon on 

 drays from the cars to the inclosure, a distance of a little more than a 

 mile; six or eight salmon were taken at once, the box being filled brim- 

 ful of water, which was brackish and generally clear and cool. Though 

 the largest fish could not lie straight in the box, and the time occupied 

 in transit was commonly twenty minutes, they as a rule arrived at the 

 pond in good condition. 



To avoid injury to the fish in transferring them to the cars, fine 

 minnow dip nets, lined with woolen flannel of open texture, are used. 

 The bow on which the net is hung is 22 inches in diameter, and to 

 secure a net of ample width three ordinary nets, 36 inches in depth, are 

 cut open down one side quite to the bottom, and then sewed together, 

 giving thus three times the ordinary breadth without increasing the 

 depth. 



The collection of salmon is begun each season usually from the 20th 

 of May to the 1st of June, but as the maximum temperature that the 

 fish fresh from the weirs will endure is about 75° F., the temperature 

 of the water through which the cars are towed must be taken into 

 consideration, and the collection not be postponed until too late in the 

 season. If the collection is prolonged, this difficulty is obviated by 

 using ice, as it has been found that by moderatiug the volume of water 

 passing through the car and introducing it all through the ice compart- 

 ment it is possible to keep a uniform temperature in the compartment 

 ill which the fish are held several degrees below that of the water in the 

 river, thereby insuring the safe transfer of the salmon. 



THE DEAD BROOK INCLOSURE. 



The principal sources of Dead Brook are two small lakes, and on 

 some of the tributaries tliere are considerable springs. While the 

 water is slightly purer than that of ordinary brooks, it is by no means 



F. C R. 1897 :i 



