﻿104 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  [2] 
  

  

  the 
  geographical 
  center 
  of 
  the 
  region 
  to 
  be 
  stocked, 
  and 
  is 
  in 
  easy 
  com- 
  

   munication 
  by 
  rail 
  with 
  all 
  parts 
  of 
  it. 
  

  

  The 
  supply 
  of 
  water 
  for 
  the 
  hatchery 
  and 
  ponds 
  is 
  practically 
  un- 
  

   limited, 
  and 
  the 
  facilities 
  for 
  the 
  breeding, 
  rearing, 
  and 
  distribution 
  of 
  

   the 
  Salmonidcc 
  so 
  exceptional 
  that 
  this 
  station 
  has 
  been 
  selected 
  for 
  

   the 
  prolonged, 
  extensive, 
  and 
  systematic 
  work 
  necessary 
  to 
  re-establish 
  

   the 
  trout 
  fishing 
  in 
  the 
  Piedmont 
  and 
  mountain 
  regions 
  of 
  Pennsylva- 
  

   nia, 
  Maryland, 
  Virginia, 
  West 
  Virginia, 
  North 
  Carolina, 
  South 
  Caro- 
  

   lina, 
  Tennessee, 
  and 
  the 
  northern 
  portions 
  of 
  Alabama 
  and 
  Georgia. 
  

  

  Experience 
  has 
  shown 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  well, 
  in 
  general, 
  to 
  attempt 
  the 
  

   stocking 
  of 
  streams 
  with 
  fish 
  less 
  than 
  one 
  year 
  old. 
  To 
  hold 
  and 
  feed 
  

   the 
  fish 
  will 
  require 
  an 
  extensive 
  system 
  of 
  rearing-ponds, 
  and 
  entail 
  

   considerable 
  cost 
  in 
  feeding, 
  and 
  greater 
  expense 
  in 
  distribution. 
  But 
  

   the 
  assurance 
  of 
  success 
  in 
  stocking 
  afforded 
  by 
  planting 
  fish 
  of 
  such 
  

   size 
  and 
  vigor 
  of 
  movement 
  as 
  will 
  give 
  immunity 
  from 
  capture 
  by 
  the 
  

   small 
  native 
  predaceous 
  fish 
  of 
  the 
  waters 
  will 
  more 
  than 
  counterbal- 
  

   ance 
  the 
  increased 
  cost 
  of 
  the 
  work. 
  

  

  DEVELOPMENT 
  OF 
  THE 
  STATION. 
  

  

  Prior 
  to 
  the 
  occupation 
  of 
  the 
  Wytheville 
  hatchery 
  by 
  the 
  United 
  

   States 
  Commission 
  the 
  superintendent's 
  house, 
  hatchery, 
  and 
  other 
  

   buildings 
  were 
  upon 
  grounds 
  not 
  the 
  property 
  of 
  tne 
  State, 
  but 
  occu- 
  

   pied 
  under 
  a 
  conditional 
  grant 
  from 
  S. 
  P. 
  Browning, 
  the 
  owner. 
  When 
  

   it 
  was 
  definitely 
  determined 
  that 
  the 
  United 
  States 
  Commission 
  would 
  

   occupy 
  and 
  operate 
  the 
  station, 
  the 
  commissioner 
  of 
  fisheries 
  of 
  Vir- 
  

   ginia, 
  to 
  avoid 
  the 
  possibility 
  of 
  any 
  embarrassment 
  or 
  complications 
  

   arising 
  from 
  a 
  presumed 
  uncertainty 
  of 
  tenure, 
  acquired 
  by 
  purchase 
  

   from 
  Mr. 
  Browning 
  the 
  title 
  in 
  fee 
  simple 
  to 
  12 
  acres 
  of 
  land 
  lying 
  on 
  

   both 
  sides 
  of 
  Tate's 
  Run, 
  and 
  extending 
  to 
  the 
  line 
  of 
  the 
  Atlantic, 
  

   Mississippi 
  and 
  Ohio 
  Railroad. 
  Within 
  the 
  limits 
  of 
  this 
  tract 
  are 
  all 
  

   the 
  buildings 
  and 
  other 
  improvements 
  belonging 
  to 
  the 
  State. 
  

  

  At 
  the 
  time 
  the 
  station 
  was 
  occupied 
  the 
  improvements 
  consisted 
  of 
  

   a 
  rough 
  hatchery, 
  its 
  dimensions 
  being 
  25 
  feet 
  by 
  50 
  feet, 
  equipped 
  to 
  

   carry 
  at 
  one 
  time 
  500,000 
  eggs 
  of 
  trout 
  or 
  other 
  Salmonidce; 
  a 
  comforta- 
  

   ble 
  and 
  convenient 
  superintendent's 
  house, 
  and 
  all 
  necessary 
  outbuild- 
  

   ings, 
  &c. 
  There 
  were 
  no 
  ponds 
  for 
  brood 
  fish 
  and 
  none 
  for 
  the 
  fry, 
  

   so 
  that 
  the 
  California 
  trout 
  hatched 
  out 
  during 
  the 
  season 
  of 
  1881-'82 
  

   and 
  intended 
  to 
  be 
  reared 
  for 
  breeders 
  were 
  retained 
  in 
  the 
  hatching- 
  

   troughs 
  until 
  the 
  fall 
  of 
  1883. 
  

  

  IMPROVEMENTS 
  IN 
  1883 
  AND 
  1884. 
  

  

  During 
  the 
  summer 
  and 
  fall 
  of 
  1883 
  the 
  State 
  commissioner 
  con- 
  

   structed 
  three 
  ponds 
  for 
  the 
  reception 
  of 
  the 
  brood 
  fish. 
  These 
  were 
  15 
  

   feet 
  wide, 
  50 
  feet 
  long, 
  and 
  3 
  feet 
  deep, 
  and 
  connected 
  with 
  each 
  other 
  

  

  