﻿124 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  to 
  be 
  shipped 
  a 
  short 
  distance 
  — 
  25 
  to 
  50 
  miles 
  — 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  necessary 
  to 
  

   cover 
  them 
  with 
  moss. 
  

  

  The 
  trays 
  used 
  at 
  the 
  station 
  are 
  16 
  inches 
  square, 
  outside, 
  and 
  are 
  

   made 
  of 
  white 
  pine 
  f 
  by 
  1 
  inch, 
  mortised 
  together 
  at 
  the 
  corners 
  with 
  

   the 
  widest 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  strip 
  horizontal. 
  On 
  the 
  bottom 
  of 
  these 
  frames 
  

   heavy 
  canton 
  tlannel 
  is 
  tacked, 
  so 
  that 
  the 
  nap 
  will 
  come 
  next 
  to 
  the 
  

   eggs 
  when 
  in 
  use. 
  The 
  clotli 
  should 
  be 
  stretched 
  very 
  taut, 
  otherwise 
  

   it 
  will 
  sag 
  oil 
  being 
  wet 
  and 
  dried. 
  The 
  tacks 
  are 
  put 
  2^ 
  to 
  3 
  inches 
  

   apart, 
  so 
  that 
  in 
  a 
  year 
  or 
  so 
  it 
  can 
  be 
  retacked 
  between 
  the 
  ones 
  first 
  

   driven 
  to 
  take 
  up 
  the 
  slack. 
  The 
  trays 
  are 
  made 
  square, 
  as 
  they 
  then 
  

   go 
  into 
  the 
  cases 
  either 
  way 
  and 
  time 
  is 
  saved 
  in 
  packing; 
  square 
  

   cases 
  are 
  also 
  more 
  convenient 
  in 
  storing 
  and 
  in 
  handling 
  generally. 
  

   Such 
  a 
  tray 
  will 
  liold 
  50,000 
  eggs. 
  

  

  If 
  the 
  eggs 
  have 
  to 
  be 
  retained 
  for 
  several 
  days 
  in 
  the 
  field, 
  they 
  are 
  

   sometimes 
  kept 
  in 
  floating-boxes 
  adapted 
  for 
  this 
  purpose. 
  ( 
  See 
  descrip- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  this 
  box 
  on 
  p. 
  107.) 
  But 
  unless 
  the 
  conditions 
  are 
  very 
  favor- 
  

   able 
  it 
  is 
  far 
  better 
  to 
  place 
  the 
  eggs 
  on 
  trays, 
  sprinkling 
  them 
  lightly 
  

   once 
  in 
  two 
  or 
  three 
  days. 
  

  

  When 
  taken 
  from 
  the 
  kegs 
  and 
  trays 
  at 
  the 
  hatchery 
  the 
  eggs 
  are 
  

   passed 
  througli 
  a 
  screen 
  (with 
  meshes 
  sufficiently 
  large 
  to 
  permit 
  the 
  

   passage 
  of 
  a 
  single 
  egg) 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  remove 
  scales 
  and 
  other 
  foreign 
  

   substances 
  that 
  may 
  be 
  present. 
  The 
  screen 
  is 
  floated 
  in 
  a 
  washtub 
  

   partly 
  filled 
  with 
  water, 
  the 
  wire 
  netting 
  being 
  well 
  submerged. 
  

  

  For 
  handling 
  eggs 
  and 
  fry 
  wooden 
  kegs 
  are 
  by 
  some 
  preferred 
  to 
  

   tin 
  cans, 
  as 
  tliey 
  do 
  not 
  subject 
  the 
  eggs 
  and 
  fry 
  to 
  sudden 
  changes 
  

   of 
  temperature, 
  their 
  contents 
  are 
  easily 
  examined, 
  and 
  the 
  water 
  is 
  

   more 
  readily 
  poured 
  off 
  without 
  danger 
  of 
  losing 
  eggs. 
  The 
  kegs 
  are 
  

   much 
  lighter, 
  only 
  cost 
  a 
  third 
  as 
  much 
  as 
  cans, 
  and 
  last 
  longer. 
  For 
  

   shipping 
  in 
  wagons 
  or 
  by 
  rail, 
  however, 
  tin 
  cans 
  with 
  covers 
  are 
  indis- 
  

   pensable. 
  Kegs 
  should 
  be 
  made 
  of 
  white 
  pine, 
  painted 
  outside 
  but 
  

   not 
  within, 
  and 
  hold 
  about 
  15 
  gallons 
  each, 
  and 
  should 
  be 
  provided 
  with 
  

   iron 
  drop 
  handles. 
  

  

  PENNING 
  WILD 
  FISH. 
  

  

  The 
  uncertainty 
  of 
  the 
  seasons 
  and 
  the 
  liability 
  of 
  failure 
  to 
  obtain 
  

   spawning 
  fish 
  owing 
  to 
  severe 
  storms 
  which 
  occur 
  in 
  November, 
  make 
  

   it 
  desirable, 
  wherever 
  practicable, 
  to 
  capture 
  fish 
  in 
  lavorable 
  weather 
  

   and 
  place 
  them 
  in 
  pens 
  until 
  ripe. 
  After 
  the 
  fish 
  are 
  driven 
  oft' 
  their 
  

   spawning-grounds 
  by 
  severe 
  storms, 
  they 
  do 
  not 
  return 
  in 
  large 
  numbers 
  

   during 
  the 
  spawning 
  season, 
  and 
  the 
  only 
  way 
  to 
  insure 
  a 
  satisfactory 
  

   supply 
  of 
  eggs 
  is 
  by 
  penning 
  the 
  fish. 
  

  

  Nets 
  have 
  been 
  tried 
  for 
  penning, 
  but 
  they 
  do 
  not 
  afford 
  sufficient 
  

   facilities 
  for 
  sorting 
  the 
  fish 
  of 
  various 
  degrees 
  of 
  ripeness 
  and 
  the 
  fish 
  

   have 
  to 
  be 
  handled 
  too 
  much, 
  thus 
  encouraging 
  fungus 
  growths 
  on 
  them 
  

   and 
  causing 
  many 
  to 
  abort 
  their 
  eggs. 
  Penning 
  is 
  best 
  done 
  in 
  crates 
  

   made 
  of 
  boards 
  with 
  openings 
  sufficiently 
  large 
  to 
  admit 
  the 
  free 
  inter- 
  

   change 
  of 
  water. 
  The 
  pens 
  are 
  generally 
  made 
  about 
  16 
  feet 
  long, 
  3 
  or 
  

  

  