﻿MANUAL 
  OF 
  FISH-CULTURE. 
  197 
  

  

  A 
  spawu-taker's 
  outfit 
  consists 
  of 
  a 
  water 
  bucket 
  or 
  pail, 
  a 
  dipper, 
  a 
  

   sii)boii, 
  a 
  thermometer, 
  and 
  a 
  tin 
  spawn-kettle 
  about 
  2 
  feet 
  long, 
  1 
  foot 
  

   wide, 
  and 
  8 
  to 
  9 
  inches 
  deep; 
  the 
  kettle 
  has 
  a 
  cover 
  and 
  handle. 
  

  

  When 
  new 
  spawn-takers 
  are 
  employed 
  they 
  are 
  instructed 
  in 
  the 
  

   work 
  and 
  sent 
  out 
  in 
  vessels 
  with 
  the 
  experienced 
  men 
  to 
  familiarize 
  

   themselves 
  with 
  the 
  methods. 
  The 
  spawn-takers 
  ordinarily 
  leave 
  their 
  

   boarding-places 
  at 
  1 
  o'clock 
  in 
  the 
  morning- 
  (though 
  the 
  time 
  varies 
  

   somewhat, 
  according 
  to 
  the 
  weather) 
  and 
  join 
  the 
  boa 
  s 
  anchored 
  in 
  the 
  

   harbor 
  of 
  Kittery 
  or 
  at 
  Portsmouth. 
  During 
  moderate 
  weather 
  the 
  men 
  

   frequently 
  go 
  aboard 
  before 
  midnight, 
  as 
  the 
  vessels 
  must 
  sail 
  when 
  

   the 
  tide 
  is 
  favorable, 
  to 
  avoid 
  getting 
  becalmed 
  or 
  meeting 
  a 
  head 
  tide, 
  

   either 
  of 
  which 
  might 
  prevent 
  them 
  from 
  reaching 
  the 
  fishing-grouuds 
  

   in 
  good 
  season. 
  

  

  After 
  joining 
  the 
  vessels, 
  the 
  spawn-takers 
  usually 
  assist 
  the 
  fisher- 
  

   men 
  in 
  getting 
  under 
  way, 
  managing 
  the 
  ship, 
  etc., 
  and 
  on 
  reaching 
  the 
  

   place 
  where 
  the 
  nets 
  or 
  trawls 
  are 
  set 
  — 
  usually 
  G 
  to 
  10 
  miles 
  distant 
  — 
  

   the 
  spawn-takers 
  help 
  the 
  creu's 
  in 
  hoisting 
  out 
  and 
  dropping 
  the 
  dories 
  

   on 
  the 
  gear 
  as 
  each 
  buoy 
  is 
  reached, 
  the 
  men 
  remaining 
  on 
  the 
  vessel's 
  

   deck 
  with 
  the 
  captain 
  while 
  the 
  fishermen 
  are 
  hauling 
  or 
  under-running 
  

   their 
  gear, 
  and 
  until 
  they 
  return 
  to 
  the 
  vessel 
  with 
  the 
  fish. 
  

  

  As 
  soon 
  as 
  the 
  dories 
  begin 
  to 
  arrive 
  with 
  fish, 
  the 
  work 
  of 
  the 
  spawn- 
  

   taker 
  begins. 
  As 
  the 
  fish 
  are 
  pitched 
  aboard, 
  the 
  spawn-taker 
  stands 
  

   ready 
  to 
  examine 
  each 
  one 
  and 
  select 
  those 
  that 
  may 
  contain 
  ripe 
  eggs 
  

   or 
  milt. 
  As 
  tiie 
  dories 
  are 
  usually 
  picked 
  up 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  order 
  in 
  which 
  

   they 
  are 
  dropped, 
  there 
  is 
  opportunity 
  to 
  strip 
  the 
  fish 
  without 
  much 
  

   hurry, 
  but 
  sometimes 
  several 
  are 
  picked 
  up 
  in 
  a 
  short 
  space 
  of 
  time, 
  

   and 
  if 
  a 
  large 
  quantity 
  of 
  fish 
  is 
  landed 
  the 
  catch 
  remains 
  on 
  deck 
  

   until 
  the 
  spawn-taker 
  can 
  overhaul 
  it. 
  In 
  bad 
  weather, 
  however, 
  when 
  

   the 
  fish 
  would 
  be 
  in 
  danger 
  of 
  being 
  washed 
  away, 
  they 
  are 
  put 
  in 
  bins 
  

   on 
  deck 
  and 
  can 
  be 
  pitched 
  from 
  one 
  bin 
  to 
  another 
  by 
  the 
  spawn- 
  

   taker 
  as 
  the 
  condition 
  of 
  each 
  is 
  determined. 
  Usually 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  crew 
  

   assists 
  in 
  this 
  work 
  and 
  often 
  renders 
  valuable 
  assistance. 
  Great 
  care 
  

   is 
  taken 
  not 
  to 
  get 
  any 
  green 
  or 
  dead 
  eggs 
  with 
  the 
  good 
  ones 
  and 
  to 
  

   keep 
  the 
  eggs 
  as 
  free 
  from 
  foreign 
  matter 
  as 
  possible; 
  but 
  in 
  rough 
  

   weather, 
  when 
  the 
  vessel 
  is 
  pitching 
  or 
  rolling 
  heavily, 
  vigilance 
  in 
  

   these 
  respects 
  is 
  necessarily 
  somewhat 
  relaxed. 
  

  

  The 
  spawn-taker 
  seizes 
  the 
  fish 
  by 
  the 
  tail, 
  places 
  the 
  head 
  under 
  the 
  

   left 
  arm, 
  if 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  too 
  large, 
  leaving 
  the 
  right 
  arm 
  tree 
  for 
  stripping 
  

   the 
  fish, 
  which 
  is 
  done 
  in 
  the 
  usual 
  way. 
  Only 
  live 
  fish 
  or 
  fish 
  recently 
  

   dead 
  are 
  used. 
  

  

  The 
  eggs 
  are 
  first 
  taken 
  in 
  a 
  common 
  pail, 
  the 
  inside 
  of 
  which 
  has 
  

   been 
  moistened 
  with 
  water. 
  Then 
  a 
  sufiicient 
  quantity 
  of 
  milt 
  to 
  

   fertilize 
  the 
  eggs 
  is 
  added 
  and 
  thoroughly 
  mixed 
  with 
  them 
  and 
  allowed 
  

   to 
  remain 
  from 
  10 
  to 
  20 
  minutes, 
  or 
  longer, 
  after 
  which 
  water 
  is 
  added 
  

   and 
  the 
  eggs 
  are 
  carefully 
  cleaned 
  by 
  sijjhoning 
  off 
  the 
  old 
  water 
  

   and 
  putting 
  in 
  fresh 
  water 
  until 
  all 
  the 
  slime 
  and 
  milt 
  are 
  drawn 
  from 
  

   the 
  pail. 
  The 
  good 
  eggs, 
  which 
  rise 
  to 
  the 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  water, 
  are 
  

  

  