﻿[3] 
  OPERATIONS 
  AT 
  THE 
  WYTHE 
  VILLE 
  STATION. 
  105 
  

  

  and 
  the 
  bead 
  of 
  the 
  spring 
  by 
  races 
  for 
  spawning. 
  Tbe 
  ponds 
  and 
  

   races 
  were 
  constructed 
  entirely 
  of 
  oak 
  plank, 
  supported 
  and 
  beld 
  to- 
  

   gether 
  by 
  trussed 
  frames. 
  The 
  interior 
  surface 
  of 
  both 
  ponds 
  and 
  race- 
  

   ways 
  was 
  painted 
  with 
  coal-tar. 
  Immediately 
  after 
  the 
  completion 
  of 
  

   the 
  ponds 
  the 
  California 
  trout, 
  then 
  eighteen 
  months 
  old, 
  were 
  trans- 
  

   ferred 
  to 
  them. 
  The 
  paint 
  was 
  not 
  thoroughly 
  dry, 
  and 
  the 
  coal-tar 
  

   diffused 
  in 
  the 
  water 
  exerted 
  a 
  distinctly 
  deleterious 
  influence, 
  and 
  oc- 
  

   casioned 
  the 
  loss 
  of 
  twelve 
  or 
  fifteen 
  hundred 
  fine 
  fish. 
  A 
  number 
  of 
  

   those 
  which 
  survived 
  this 
  calamity 
  became 
  subsequently 
  blind, 
  doubt- 
  

   less 
  from 
  the 
  same 
  cause. 
  

  

  The 
  springs 
  which 
  furnish 
  the 
  water-supply 
  to 
  the 
  hatchery 
  break 
  

   out 
  in 
  an 
  oval 
  depression 
  in 
  the 
  hillside, 
  and 
  after 
  flowing 
  a 
  short 
  dis- 
  

   tance, 
  the 
  waters 
  enter 
  a 
  subterranean 
  channel, 
  which 
  they 
  follow 
  for 
  

   a 
  distance 
  of 
  200 
  yards, 
  and 
  finally 
  reappear 
  in 
  the 
  bed 
  of 
  Tate's 
  Eun, 
  

   at 
  too 
  low 
  a 
  level 
  to 
  be 
  used 
  for 
  the 
  supply 
  of 
  the 
  breeding-ponds 
  to 
  

   be 
  located 
  on 
  the 
  sloping 
  hillside 
  south 
  of 
  the 
  hatchery. 
  To 
  obtain 
  the 
  

   necessary 
  control 
  of 
  water-supply, 
  the 
  State 
  commission 
  caused 
  to 
  be 
  

   excavated 
  through 
  solid 
  rock 
  a 
  channel 
  leading 
  from 
  the 
  basin 
  in 
  which 
  

   are 
  the 
  springs 
  to 
  the 
  site 
  of 
  the 
  proposed 
  ponds, 
  and, 
  by 
  intercepting 
  

   the 
  flow 
  through 
  the 
  underground 
  channel, 
  diverted 
  the 
  whole 
  volume 
  

   of 
  water 
  (1,100 
  gallons 
  per 
  minute) 
  so 
  as 
  to 
  make 
  it 
  available 
  for 
  the 
  

   supply 
  of 
  breeding- 
  ponds. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  latter 
  part 
  of 
  18S4 
  four 
  additional 
  ponds, 
  12 
  feet 
  by 
  50 
  feet, 
  

   were 
  constructed 
  on 
  the 
  hillside 
  sloping 
  south 
  from 
  the 
  hatchery. 
  The 
  

   lower 
  sides 
  and 
  ends 
  of 
  these 
  are 
  formed 
  of 
  sheet-piling 
  supported 
  by 
  

   triangular 
  trusses 
  and 
  stringers. 
  The 
  bottom 
  and 
  upper 
  side 
  of 
  each 
  

   are 
  of 
  earth 
  or 
  rock. 
  This 
  modification 
  in 
  construction 
  was 
  adopted 
  be- 
  

   cause 
  experience 
  had 
  shown 
  that 
  trout 
  in 
  ponds 
  with 
  earth 
  or 
  rock 
  bot- 
  

   toms 
  thrive 
  much 
  better 
  than 
  where 
  the 
  sides 
  and 
  bottom 
  are 
  formed 
  of 
  

   plank. 
  Various 
  minor 
  improvements, 
  adding 
  to 
  the 
  appearance 
  of 
  the 
  

   station 
  and 
  the 
  comfort 
  and 
  convenience 
  of 
  the 
  work, 
  were 
  also 
  made 
  by 
  

   the 
  State 
  commission. 
  

  

  The 
  improvements 
  contemplated 
  are 
  as 
  follows 
  : 
  

  

  (1) 
  The 
  construction 
  of 
  a 
  railroad 
  siding 
  on 
  the 
  hatchery 
  grounds 
  for 
  

   the 
  greater 
  convenience 
  and 
  economy 
  of 
  distribution. 
  

  

  (2) 
  The 
  erection 
  of 
  a 
  new 
  hatchery, 
  30 
  feet 
  by 
  50 
  feet 
  in 
  plan, 
  two 
  

   stories 
  high, 
  and 
  thoroughly 
  equipped 
  for 
  the 
  most 
  extensive 
  work 
  of 
  

   propagation. 
  

  

  (3) 
  The 
  construction 
  of 
  eight 
  additional 
  ponds 
  for 
  rearing 
  the 
  Sal- 
  

   moniclce. 
  

  

  (1) 
  The 
  construction 
  of 
  a 
  complete 
  series 
  of 
  ponds 
  for 
  breeding 
  carp 
  

   and 
  other 
  warm-water 
  species. 
  

  

  The 
  estimated 
  cost 
  of 
  these 
  and 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  minor 
  improvements 
  is 
  

   $3,200, 
  the 
  entire 
  expense 
  of 
  which, 
  under 
  our 
  agreement 
  with 
  the 
  State 
  

   commissioner, 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  borne 
  by 
  the 
  State 
  of 
  Virginia. 
  

  

  