112 Thirtieth Annual Meeting; 



Fisli Commission in regard to the fry and yearling matter and 

 am on record in that respect. Xeither at this time nor at any 

 future time do I wish to take up the argument again, and espe- 

 cially with Mr. Bower. When j\Ir. Bower was with me he was 

 one of the most rabid yearling men you ever saw, but I think Mr. 

 Bower is all right, and he does believe in raising or partially 

 rearing fish for planting, but not of course if you undertake to 

 raise three or four million — that you can not do. But raise what 

 you can, one hundred thousand, two hundred thousand or some- 

 thing of that kind, and I do believe that if you ever get lake 

 trout established in many of the lakes in the state of ]\Iicliigan 

 you must rear them before you get them started. A brook trout 

 two to four inches long is just as well able to take care of itself 

 in the wild waters as when it is a year old, as everybody knows. 



Mr. Bower: I just want to correct one impression. Mr. 

 Clark says that when I was with the United States Fish Com- 

 mission I was a rabid yearling man. Well, when I first com- 

 menced to hatch fish I was with Mr. Clark, and naturally drew 

 my inspiration on fish matters from him and accepted his views 

 and ideas as authority. But by and by when I began to read a 

 little and learn a little by observation, and l)egan to do a little 

 thinking on my own account instead of allowing him to do my 

 tliinking for me, I began to modify my views, and long before I 

 left the employ of the United States Commission, I was forced 

 to admit that the ])lanting of trout fry in Michigan streams pro- 

 duced excellent results. I was confronted with "a condition and 

 not a theory." And I think Vlx. Clark has changed his attitude 

 very much, for he says when you want to plant three or four 

 million fry it is all right, and that is exactly the point I would 

 make. I say it is not true economy to undertake to raise five or 

 ten million trout for planting, and tliat it is neither necessary or 

 advisable, for your money will go a great deal further and the 

 ultimate results will be much greater if the total cost of produc- 

 tion and distribution is ajiplicd to fry instead of yearlings. This 

 may not be universally true or true iindcr all conditions and cir- 

 cumstances, but I am speaking of trout ])lanting as it has come 

 under iiiv immediate observation. I really think ^Ir Clark has 

 come over to my way of thinking to a great exteiit himself. 



Mr. Clark : There is not a single place in all the transac- 



