﻿XXVI 
  REPORT 
  OP 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  larger 
  one 
  liad 
  at 
  lirst 
  been 
  proposed, 
  but 
  it 
  became 
  necessary 
  to 
  reduce 
  

   the 
  size 
  owing 
  to 
  tlie 
  discovery 
  of 
  quicksand. 
  The 
  reservoir 
  was 
  sur- 
  

   rounded 
  by 
  a 
  wall 
  made 
  of 
  local 
  stone 
  and 
  Eosendale 
  cement, 
  the 
  dimen- 
  

   sions 
  being 
  2^ 
  feet 
  thick 
  at 
  base, 
  2 
  feet 
  at 
  top, 
  and 
  5 
  feet 
  in 
  height. 
  

   The 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  reservoir 
  and 
  the 
  wall 
  were 
  covered 
  with 
  Portland 
  

   cement 
  and 
  i)lastered 
  with 
  a 
  mixture 
  of 
  1 
  part 
  cement 
  to 
  2^ 
  parts 
  clear 
  

   sand. 
  The 
  filter 
  to 
  the 
  reservoir 
  is 
  so 
  constructed 
  that 
  it 
  can 
  be 
  cleaned 
  

   by 
  reversing 
  the 
  current. 
  A 
  roof 
  was 
  constructed 
  over 
  the 
  reservoir, 
  

   four 
  doors 
  being 
  provided 
  in 
  it 
  to 
  permit 
  access 
  to 
  the 
  reservoir. 
  On 
  

   January 
  23 
  the 
  overflow 
  from 
  the 
  reservoir 
  was 
  broken 
  by 
  an 
  earth- 
  

   quake, 
  which 
  interfered 
  materially 
  with 
  its 
  use 
  until 
  the 
  weather 
  per- 
  

   mitted 
  of 
  its 
  being 
  repaired. 
  

  

  Considerable 
  work 
  was 
  done 
  in 
  grading 
  the 
  grounds, 
  building 
  plank 
  

   walks 
  around 
  the 
  ponds, 
  installing 
  a 
  steam-heating 
  plant, 
  and 
  in 
  repair- 
  

   ing 
  the 
  ponds 
  constructed 
  the 
  previous 
  year, 
  frost 
  having 
  injured 
  them 
  

   to 
  such 
  an 
  extent 
  that 
  it 
  became 
  necessary 
  to 
  rebuild 
  all 
  of 
  the 
  supply 
  

   and 
  stand 
  pipes. 
  A 
  large 
  amount 
  of 
  work 
  was 
  also 
  done 
  in 
  the 
  interior 
  

   of 
  the 
  hatchery, 
  completing 
  unfinished 
  rooms, 
  etc. 
  

  

  At 
  the 
  beginning 
  of 
  the 
  year 
  the 
  stock 
  on 
  hand 
  was 
  as 
  follows: 
  

  

  During 
  the 
  summer 
  field 
  stations 
  for 
  collecting 
  brook-trout 
  eggs 
  from 
  

   wild 
  fish 
  were 
  established 
  at 
  Darlings 
  Pond, 
  Caspian 
  Lake, 
  Greensboro, 
  

   Willoughby 
  Lake, 
  Groton, 
  Fairbanks 
  Pond, 
  and 
  Pico 
  Pond. 
  

  

  Darlings 
  Pond 
  is 
  about 
  36 
  miles 
  from 
  St. 
  Johusbury, 
  30 
  by 
  rail 
  and 
  

   6 
  by 
  wagon 
  road. 
  The 
  fish 
  there 
  were 
  captured 
  by 
  means 
  of 
  a 
  V-shaped 
  

   slat 
  trap 
  or 
  weir 
  and 
  held 
  in 
  retaining 
  pens 
  until 
  ripe. 
  A 
  shanty 
  was 
  

   erected 
  near 
  the 
  trap 
  for 
  the 
  accommodation 
  of 
  the 
  attendant. 
  The 
  

   first 
  run 
  of 
  trout 
  occurred 
  on 
  the 
  23d 
  of 
  August, 
  1,650 
  being 
  taken 
  in 
  

   the 
  brook 
  during 
  a 
  heavy 
  rain 
  storm. 
  Very 
  few 
  were 
  captured 
  from 
  

   that 
  time 
  until 
  September 
  0, 
  when 
  1,000 
  more 
  entered 
  the 
  trap. 
  The 
  

   fish 
  continued 
  to 
  run 
  in 
  schools 
  during 
  the 
  rainy 
  weather, 
  and 
  on 
  

   October 
  15, 
  when 
  the 
  trap 
  was 
  removed, 
  7,138 
  had 
  been 
  captured. 
  

   During 
  the 
  season 
  it 
  was 
  discovered 
  that 
  large 
  numbers 
  of 
  trout 
  were 
  

   ascending 
  streams 
  which 
  dry 
  up 
  in 
  summer. 
  At 
  the 
  request 
  of 
  the 
  

   owners 
  of 
  the 
  pond 
  they 
  were 
  not 
  disturbed, 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  doubtful 
  whether 
  

   their 
  spawn 
  ever 
  matured. 
  The 
  first 
  eggs 
  were 
  taken 
  on 
  September 
  

   24 
  and 
  the 
  last 
  on 
  October 
  26, 
  over 
  900,000 
  being 
  secured. 
  The 
  loss 
  in 
  

   hatching 
  was 
  very 
  heavy, 
  only 
  25 
  per 
  cent 
  producing 
  fry 
  available 
  for 
  

   distribution; 
  but 
  these 
  were 
  vigorous, 
  and 
  no 
  definite 
  reason 
  can 
  be 
  

  

  