﻿IV.-REPORT 
  OF 
  OPERATIONS 
  AT 
  THE 
  TROUT-BREEDING 
  STA- 
  

   TION 
  AT 
  WYTHEVILLE, 
  VA., 
  FROM 
  ITS 
  OCCUPATION 
  IN 
  JAN- 
  

   UARY, 
  1882, 
  TO 
  THE 
  CLOSE 
  OF 
  1884. 
  

  

  By 
  M. 
  McDonald. 
  

  

  The 
  grounds, 
  ponds, 
  buildings, 
  and 
  other 
  permanent 
  improvements 
  

   at 
  this 
  station 
  are 
  the 
  property 
  of 
  the 
  State 
  of 
  Virginia. 
  Its 
  occupa- 
  

   tion 
  by 
  the 
  United 
  States 
  Fish 
  Commission 
  is 
  under 
  an 
  agreement 
  or 
  con- 
  

   tract 
  which 
  provides 
  that 
  the 
  United 
  States 
  Commission 
  shall 
  have 
  full 
  

   use. 
  occupation, 
  and 
  control 
  of 
  the 
  station 
  for 
  fish-cultural 
  purposes, 
  

   conditioned 
  upon 
  the 
  payment 
  of 
  an 
  annual 
  rental 
  of 
  $500. 
  The 
  cost 
  

   of 
  the 
  maintenance 
  and 
  conduct 
  of 
  the 
  station 
  is, 
  of 
  course, 
  defrayed 
  

   by 
  the 
  United 
  States 
  Commission. 
  Such 
  permanent 
  improvements 
  or 
  

   alterations 
  as 
  may 
  from 
  time 
  to 
  time 
  be 
  required 
  in 
  the 
  development 
  

   of 
  the 
  work 
  of 
  the 
  station 
  or 
  to 
  increase 
  the 
  convenience 
  and 
  facilities 
  

   for 
  such 
  work, 
  are 
  to 
  be 
  provided 
  by 
  the 
  commissioner 
  of 
  fisheries 
  of 
  

   Virginia, 
  and 
  at 
  the 
  cost 
  of 
  the 
  State. 
  

  

  The 
  station 
  was 
  first 
  occupied 
  conditionally 
  in 
  January, 
  1882, 
  with 
  

   the 
  view 
  of 
  determining 
  experimentally 
  its 
  adaptations 
  as 
  a 
  breeding 
  

   and 
  rearing 
  station 
  for 
  the 
  Salmonidw, 
  and 
  the 
  results 
  of 
  the 
  season's 
  

   work 
  were 
  so 
  satisfactory 
  that 
  its 
  permanent 
  occupation 
  was 
  deter- 
  

   mined 
  upon 
  and 
  definite 
  articles 
  of 
  agreement 
  entered 
  into 
  in 
  July, 
  

   1882. 
  

  

  OBJECT 
  OF 
  THE 
  STATION. 
  

  

  The 
  Wy 
  theville 
  station 
  is 
  centrally 
  situated 
  in 
  the 
  Appalachians, 
  an 
  

   extensive 
  tract 
  of 
  mountains 
  stretching 
  northeast 
  and 
  southwest 
  from 
  

   New 
  York 
  to 
  Georgia, 
  and 
  having 
  an 
  average 
  breadth 
  of 
  more 
  than 
  

   100 
  miles. 
  The 
  thousands 
  of 
  streams 
  which 
  drain 
  this 
  area 
  are 
  well 
  

   adapted 
  to 
  the 
  trout. 
  To 
  most 
  of 
  them 
  the 
  red- 
  speckled 
  or 
  brook 
  trout 
  

   is 
  indigenous, 
  and 
  in 
  many 
  which 
  have 
  been 
  protected 
  from 
  excessive 
  

   or 
  unlawful 
  fishing 
  this 
  favorite 
  of 
  the 
  angler 
  still 
  abounds. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  believed 
  that, 
  with 
  proper 
  protective 
  laws, 
  enacted 
  by 
  the 
  legis- 
  

   latures 
  of 
  the 
  several 
  States, 
  and 
  upheld 
  and 
  enforced 
  by 
  public 
  opin- 
  

   ion, 
  it 
  is 
  practicable 
  to 
  make 
  both 
  the 
  brook 
  trout 
  (Salvelinus 
  fontinalis) 
  

   and 
  the 
  rainbow 
  or 
  California 
  trout 
  (Salmo 
  irideus) 
  abundant 
  in 
  all 
  the 
  

   streams 
  of 
  the 
  Appalachian 
  region. 
  The 
  Wytheville 
  station 
  occupies 
  

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