REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. LIII 



The residence and annex to batcLery wliicb were under construction 

 at tlie close of tlie last report were finished by October 1. In the ice 

 room of the annex 50 tons of ice, which was cut from the large pond, 

 were stoj-ed in January, 1892. Two footbridges, leading, respectively, 

 to the residence and annex buildings, were built across Hearrell Branch. 

 An additional pond, No. 13, was built during the year. It affords a 

 water surface of 1,200 square feet, and its greatest depth is 18 inches. 

 In December, 1891, 30 American arbor-vitse and 30 Norway pines were 

 planted about the grounds. 



Food.— The base of the food used at this station is a mush made of 

 "shorts" or mill-middlings, to which beef liver is added in varying 

 proportions, according to the season and the kinds of fish to be fed. 

 The best quality of shorts is used, as the mush made from the inferior 

 qualities is too readily soluble in water and divides into particles finer 

 than tlie fish will eat. To obviate this it is arranged that when the 

 shorts runs poor 5 to 10 per cent of common flour is mixed by the miller. 

 A 25-gallon farm boiler is nearly filled with clean water, which is 

 brought to the boiling point; shorts is then added, about half a peck 

 at a time, and thoroughly stirred in, so as to cook in an even pasty 

 mass without lumps; 3 to 4 pints of salt is added during boiling, and 

 the whole mass is kept constantly and vigorously stirred. When a 

 thick mush is attained, it is poured into pails, in which it is allowed 

 to become well set and cool before using, as thereby it is not so liable 

 to too freely dissolve in the pond. With each 25 gallons of w^ater about 

 30 pounds of shorts is used, which produces 166 pounds of mush. Forty- 

 five minutes is usually sufficient time to prepare this quantity. 



For preparing the liver a No. 22 meat cutter, made by the Enter- 

 prise Manufactuj:ing Company, of Third and Dauphin streets, Philadel- 

 ])hia, is used. The size of the "cut" of the liver is regulated by a 

 plate, which has perforations varying from one-sixteenth to tliree- 

 eighths of an inch, lU'oviding food of a size suitable for all sizes of fish, 

 except very young trout. The machines cost $4 each, and will prepare 

 10 pounds of liver in four to five minutes. 

 Mr. Page summarizes in regard to the methods of feeding as follows: 



Our present (April 12, 1892) stock of brood rainbow trout number 1,000. They 

 are 2 years old. Their aggregate weight is about 1,500 pounds. They are fed morn- 

 ing and evening. Their daily ration consists of 30 pounds of mush and 3 pounds of 

 liver well mixed. Such has been their diet for twelve months. They are and have 

 been in perfect health, many of them weighing 2 pounds. We have never lost a fish 

 from this stock by reason of choking, "pop-eye," or intiamed intestines, fatal dis- 

 eases usually resulting from improper feeding. 



Of young trout we have at present (April 12, 1892) 40,000 rainbow trout, averag- 

 ing e'weeks old. To these we are feeding daily from 6 to 7 pounds of liver, Avithout 

 any mush. When the trout are from 2 to 3 months old we commence to mix a little 

 mush with their food, gradually increasing the proportion of mush (and quantity 

 of food) until, by the time they are 6 months old, the proportion would be one 

 part mush to one part liver. After that time the addition of mush is made freely, 

 so that, by the time the fish become "yearlings," the proportion of liver may be 

 reduced to a minimum. They can then easily be made to eat mush without any 

 liver for several days in succession. They do not allow this " unnaturaV food to 



