﻿MANUAL 
  OF 
  FISH-CULTURE. 
  199 
  

  

  vessel, 
  fishing 
  only 
  a 
  short 
  distance 
  away 
  and 
  not 
  catching 
  many 
  fish, 
  

   will 
  get 
  a 
  comparatively 
  large 
  number 
  of 
  spawners. 
  

  

  The 
  spawn-takers 
  are 
  instructed 
  not 
  to 
  take 
  eggs 
  from 
  fish 
  that 
  have 
  

   died 
  on 
  trawls 
  or 
  in 
  nets, 
  although 
  fine 
  lots 
  of 
  eggs 
  are 
  often 
  taken 
  from 
  

   fish 
  that 
  die 
  in 
  the 
  dories 
  before 
  they 
  reach 
  the 
  vessel, 
  showing 
  that 
  the 
  

   eggs 
  do 
  not 
  die 
  immediately 
  after 
  the 
  fish 
  expire. 
  The 
  vitality 
  of 
  the 
  

   eggs 
  after 
  the 
  death 
  of 
  the 
  fish 
  varies 
  in 
  different 
  cases 
  and 
  depends 
  on 
  

   the 
  conditions 
  of 
  the 
  eggs 
  and 
  the 
  fish 
  at 
  the 
  time 
  the 
  fish 
  are 
  caught, 
  

   the 
  state 
  of 
  the 
  weather, 
  etc. 
  An 
  experienced 
  spawn-taker 
  can 
  almost 
  

   always 
  distinguish 
  readily 
  between 
  good 
  and 
  poor 
  eggs, 
  although 
  it 
  is 
  

   not 
  always 
  possible 
  to 
  determine 
  whether 
  or 
  not 
  a 
  given 
  lot 
  of 
  eggs 
  will 
  

   live. 
  As 
  the 
  weather 
  and 
  the 
  nature 
  of 
  the 
  school 
  of 
  fish 
  in 
  the 
  bay 
  

   regulate 
  the 
  collection 
  of 
  eggs, 
  the 
  results 
  of 
  a 
  season's 
  work 
  can 
  not 
  be 
  

   estimated 
  in 
  advance. 
  It 
  has 
  been 
  observed 
  that 
  roe 
  fish 
  are 
  found 
  in 
  

   largest 
  numbers 
  previous 
  to 
  an 
  easterly 
  storm 
  and 
  when 
  the 
  wind 
  is 
  

   from 
  the 
  south 
  or 
  west. 
  During 
  heavy 
  westerly 
  winds 
  cod 
  appear 
  to 
  

   approach 
  quite 
  close 
  to 
  the 
  beach, 
  and 
  when 
  the 
  wind 
  blows 
  from 
  the 
  

   eastward 
  and 
  the 
  sea 
  begins 
  to 
  rise, 
  they 
  leave 
  for 
  deeper 
  water. 
  

  

  When 
  fishermen 
  are 
  hauling 
  their 
  nets 
  and 
  trawls, 
  they 
  frequently 
  

   notice 
  spawn 
  being 
  emitted 
  from 
  fish 
  when 
  they 
  are 
  landed 
  in 
  the 
  

   dories. 
  Such 
  fish 
  are 
  laid 
  away 
  on 
  their 
  backs 
  in 
  the 
  stern 
  of 
  the 
  boat 
  

   and 
  when 
  the 
  vessel 
  is 
  reached 
  are 
  carefully 
  passed 
  to 
  the 
  spawn-taker, 
  

   many 
  eggs 
  that 
  would 
  otherwise 
  be 
  lost 
  being 
  thus 
  saved. 
  

  

  When 
  the 
  price 
  of 
  fish 
  is 
  low 
  at 
  Portsmouth 
  or 
  the 
  wind 
  is 
  unfavor- 
  

   able 
  for 
  making 
  that 
  harbor, 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  fleet 
  go 
  to 
  Rockport 
  to 
  sell 
  

   their 
  fish, 
  and 
  should 
  spawn-takers 
  be 
  on 
  such 
  vessels 
  they 
  immediately 
  

   take 
  their 
  eggs 
  to 
  Gloucester 
  when 
  the 
  vessels 
  arrive 
  in 
  E-ockport. 
  

  

  Usually 
  the 
  fishing 
  vessels 
  return 
  to 
  Kittery 
  Point 
  between 
  1 
  o'clock 
  

   and 
  10 
  o'clock 
  p. 
  m. 
  Immediately 
  on 
  landing, 
  the 
  spawn-takers 
  carry 
  

   their 
  collections 
  to 
  the 
  egg 
  house 
  on 
  shore, 
  where 
  the 
  spawn 
  is 
  carefully 
  

   examined, 
  cleaned, 
  packed, 
  and 
  shipjied 
  to 
  Gloucester 
  by 
  first 
  train. 
  

   In 
  shi])ping 
  eggs 
  large 
  fruit 
  jars 
  are 
  used. 
  About 
  350,000 
  eggs 
  are 
  put 
  

   in 
  each 
  jar, 
  the 
  jar 
  is 
  filled 
  with 
  water, 
  the 
  top 
  is 
  securely 
  fastened, 
  

   and 
  the 
  jar 
  is 
  placed 
  horizontally 
  in 
  a 
  large 
  iron 
  kettle 
  made 
  especially 
  

   for 
  the 
  purpose 
  and 
  holding 
  five 
  Jars. 
  The 
  jars 
  are 
  wrapped 
  in 
  burlap 
  

   before 
  they 
  are 
  put 
  in 
  the 
  kettles 
  to 
  prevent 
  them 
  from 
  breaking, 
  and 
  

   when 
  necessary, 
  snow 
  or 
  ice 
  is 
  put 
  in 
  each 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  kettles 
  to 
  keep 
  

   the 
  temperature 
  uniform 
  during 
  transit, 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  allowed 
  to 
  come 
  

   in 
  direct 
  contact 
  with 
  the 
  jars. 
  

  

  A 
  messenger 
  usually 
  accompanies 
  the 
  eggs 
  and 
  gives 
  them 
  constant 
  

   attention 
  until 
  they 
  are 
  delivered 
  at 
  the 
  station. 
  The 
  snow 
  or 
  ice 
  is 
  

   ren>oved 
  from 
  the 
  kettles, 
  if 
  the 
  temperature 
  falls 
  too 
  low, 
  and 
  replaced, 
  

   if 
  necessary, 
  the 
  messenger 
  making 
  frequent 
  use 
  of 
  a 
  tliermometer. 
  

  

  In 
  preparing 
  eggs 
  for 
  shipment 
  without 
  messenger, 
  they 
  are 
  first 
  

   cleaned 
  carefully 
  by 
  drawing 
  off 
  all 
  dead 
  eggs 
  or 
  dirt, 
  tlien 
  put 
  in 
  large 
  

   fruit 
  jars 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  manner 
  as 
  when 
  they 
  are 
  sliipi)ed 
  to 
  (iloucester, 
  

   and 
  the 
  jars 
  are 
  packed 
  horizontally 
  in 
  large 
  wooden 
  cases 
  holding 
  nine 
  

  

  