7G2 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



Mr. Stone stated that 3,000 salmon had been placed in the Connecti- 

 cut recently, and some have been seen as the result. 



Mr, SLArnc inquired whether, as this is an object of national interest, it 

 would not be well to purchase Seth Green's patent, which no doubt 

 interfered much with fish-culture. He thought it would be a good way 

 to expend a part of the money. 



Professor Baird responded that that would have to, be done, if at all, 

 by direct action of Congress. 



Mr. Stone thought that enough salmon-eggs could not be obtained from 

 the State of Maine, and that it would be absolutely necessary to resort 

 to the Pacific coast, where they can be gathered in any desired quantity. 

 It was true there were many varieties, and some of them were worth- 

 less. There are one or two varieties, however, that are of good quality. 



Professor Baird. The Quinnat salmon is said to be the best. 



Mr. Stone. Some persons living on the Pacific coast consider them, 

 the best in the world. If the whole appropriation of $15,000 were ex- 

 pended in purchasing all the salmon to be obtained from the State of 

 Maine, there would not be anything near enough. We should have to 

 go to the Pacific coast and put up large establishments, and then we 

 could supply the, rivers of the East with tens of millions. It would cost 

 no more to get 10,000,000 eggs on the Pacific coast than to get 100,000 

 at the East. The question of stocking the large rivers is to be one of 

 numbers. It cannot be done by putting a few thousand eggs in the 

 rivers here and there, but we must put in millions of thein ; and there 

 is no way of getting eggs by millions except from the Pacific coast. 



Mr. Brackett thought that either the Saint Croix or the Sebago 

 salmon should be looked after this year. He would prefer the Sebago 

 to the Schoodic salmon, as they are the largest. 



Mr. Fletcher spoke of the number of eggs produced by a single 

 salmon. He believed that there wxre more than 10,000 from a fish 

 weighing ten pounds. 



The question of stocking the Ohio and other tributaries of the Mis- 

 sissippi with shad was then more specifically con sidered. 



Dr. Slack said that until the 10th of July shad-spawn could betaken 

 to the Ohio River. It takes about seventy-four hours to hatch them ; 

 and the eggs could be carried across from Springfield to the headwaters 

 of the Ohio in less time than that. 



Mr. Brackett thought it better to transport spawn than young fish. 



Mr. Fletcher said he had carried the eggs from the Connecticut 

 River to the headwaters of the Merrimack, from Holyoke to Meredith, 

 and hatched them out successfully in the Merrimack. The water can 

 be changed more readily with spawn than with small fish. They may 

 be kept in a vessel having a second one outside with ice in it. It will 

 not do to put the ice in with the eggs. 



Professor Baird spoke of the introduction of the carp, and inquired 

 as to the views of the gentlemen present in regard to it. 



