﻿32 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  distance 
  between 
  the 
  liatcheiy 
  and 
  retaining-ponds 
  was 
  offset 
  by 
  other 
  

   advantageous 
  conditions. 
  

  

  Until 
  1880 
  no 
  attempt 
  was 
  made 
  to 
  rear 
  salmon, 
  and 
  with 
  unimpor- 
  

   tant 
  exceptions 
  the 
  work 
  was 
  confined 
  to 
  the 
  collection 
  of 
  salmon 
  eggs, 
  

   their 
  development 
  during 
  the 
  earlier 
  stages, 
  and 
  their 
  transfer 
  in 
  winter 
  

   to 
  other 
  stations 
  to 
  be 
  hatched. 
  In 
  1889, 
  however, 
  tlie 
  United 
  States 
  

   Fish 
  Commissioner 
  decided 
  to 
  establish 
  a 
  permanent 
  station 
  at 
  Craig 
  

   Brook, 
  and 
  in 
  anticipation 
  of 
  the 
  purchase 
  of 
  the 
  premises, 
  which 
  was 
  

   concluded 
  the 
  following 
  year, 
  the 
  rearing 
  of 
  salmon 
  to 
  the 
  age 
  of 
  six 
  or 
  

   seven 
  months 
  was 
  undertaken 
  as 
  the 
  leading 
  work 
  of 
  the 
  station. 
  

  

  COLLECTION 
  OF 
  STOCK 
  SALMON. 
  

  

  The 
  only 
  salmon 
  fisheries 
  available 
  for 
  the 
  purpose 
  of 
  supplying 
  Craig 
  

   Brook 
  station 
  with 
  breeding 
  fish 
  are 
  those 
  carried 
  on 
  by 
  weirs 
  about 
  

   the 
  mouth 
  of 
  the 
  Penobscot. 
  Arrangements 
  are 
  made 
  early 
  in 
  the 
  

   season 
  with 
  weir 
  fishermen 
  to 
  save 
  their 
  salmon 
  alive 
  and 
  deliver 
  them 
  

   daily 
  to 
  the 
  collecting 
  agent 
  of 
  the 
  station, 
  who 
  makes 
  the 
  rounds 
  of 
  

   the 
  district 
  about 
  low 
  Avater 
  with 
  a 
  small 
  steamer, 
  which 
  tows 
  the 
  cars 
  

   containing 
  the 
  fish 
  on 
  the 
  flood-tide 
  to 
  Orland 
  village, 
  where 
  they 
  are 
  

   passed 
  through 
  the 
  lock 
  about 
  high 
  water 
  and 
  taken 
  by 
  a 
  crew 
  of 
  oars- 
  

   men 
  to 
  the 
  inclosure 
  at 
  Dead 
  Brook. 
  

  

  In 
  anticipation 
  of 
  this 
  work, 
  the 
  fisherman 
  i)laces 
  the 
  floor 
  of 
  his 
  

   weir 
  a 
  little 
  lower 
  than 
  he 
  would 
  otherwise 
  do, 
  so 
  that 
  at 
  low 
  water 
  the 
  

   salmon 
  may 
  have 
  water 
  to 
  swim 
  in 
  instead 
  of 
  being 
  left 
  high 
  and 
  dry 
  

   by 
  the 
  retreating 
  tide, 
  in 
  case 
  of 
  an 
  accidental 
  delay 
  or 
  failure 
  to 
  visit 
  

   the 
  weir 
  at 
  the 
  usual 
  hour. 
  It 
  is, 
  however, 
  the 
  ordinary 
  practice 
  to 
  

   take 
  the 
  salmon 
  out 
  at 
  each 
  "fish-tide," 
  i. 
  e., 
  low 
  water, 
  and 
  place 
  them 
  

   in 
  a 
  car. 
  Cars 
  enough 
  are 
  stationed 
  among 
  the 
  fishermen 
  to 
  bring 
  one 
  

   at 
  least 
  in 
  each 
  neighborhood, 
  and 
  in 
  most 
  cases 
  the 
  car 
  is 
  brought 
  

   alongside 
  and 
  the 
  salmon 
  transferred 
  to 
  it 
  directly 
  from 
  the 
  weir, 
  

   though 
  in 
  some 
  cases 
  it 
  is 
  necessary 
  to 
  jilace 
  the 
  salmon 
  first 
  in 
  a 
  box, 
  

   in 
  which 
  it 
  is 
  carried 
  by 
  a 
  boat 
  to 
  the 
  car. 
  The 
  car 
  employed 
  is 
  made 
  

   from 
  the 
  common 
  dory, 
  divided 
  transversely 
  into 
  three 
  compartments. 
  

   The 
  central 
  one, 
  which 
  is 
  much 
  the 
  larger, 
  is 
  occupied 
  by 
  the 
  fish, 
  and 
  

   is 
  smoothly 
  lined 
  with 
  thin 
  boards 
  and 
  covered 
  with 
  a 
  net 
  to 
  prevent 
  

   the 
  fish 
  jumping 
  out 
  or 
  being 
  lost 
  by 
  the 
  car 
  capsizing, 
  which 
  some- 
  

   tinies 
  occurs, 
  while 
  to 
  guard 
  them 
  from 
  fright 
  and 
  the 
  rays 
  of 
  the 
  sun 
  

   a 
  canvas 
  cover 
  is 
  drawn 
  over 
  all. 
  

  

  The 
  first 
  cars 
  of 
  this 
  form 
  constructed 
  had 
  iron 
  gratings 
  to 
  separate 
  

   the 
  central 
  from 
  the 
  forward 
  and 
  after 
  compartments, 
  the 
  water 
  

   being 
  admitted 
  through 
  the 
  forward 
  and 
  discharged 
  through 
  the 
  after 
  

   compartment, 
  but 
  this 
  was 
  objectionable 
  because 
  the 
  salmon 
  were 
  

   constantly 
  seeking 
  to 
  escape 
  through 
  the 
  forward 
  grating, 
  and 
  often 
  

   injured 
  themselves 
  by 
  rushing 
  against 
  it. 
  Smooth 
  wooden 
  gratings 
  

   were 
  afterwards 
  used 
  and 
  for 
  many 
  years 
  cars 
  were 
  employed 
  in 
  which 
  

   the 
  compartments 
  were 
  separated 
  by 
  tight 
  board 
  partitions, 
  the 
  open- 
  

   ings 
  for 
  the 
  circulation 
  of 
  water 
  communicating 
  through 
  the 
  sides 
  of 
  

  

  