American FisJirries Society. 97 



A SUCCESSFUL YEAR IN THE ARTIFICIAL PROP- 

 AGATION OF THE WHITEFISH. 



BY FEANK i\. CLARK. 



As such unusual success has attended the efforts in the liaud- 

 ling of whitefish during the past season, it is deemed that a t\'\v 

 hrief notes rehitive thereto wouhl not he amiss. 



The whitefish egg taking of the season just closed has been 

 the most successful in Michigan, in the history of the United 

 States Fish Commission. Xot only has tlu' quantity taken 

 greatly exceeded that of any previous year, but also the quality 

 has far surpassed that of any of the earlier efforts. This may be 

 owing perhaps, in part, to the favoraljle weather conditions, im- 

 proved facilities, and expert manipidation, liut in tlie main it 

 goes to show the wonderful results of the plants which ha\'e l)ecn 

 made in the past in the waters of the Great I^akes. 



In the collection and hatching of whitefish at the present 

 time, two very important essentials are those of funds for carry- 

 ing on the work, and then of obtaining the fish. With these two 

 problems solved, tlie production of fry may Ix- unliuiiteiL and 

 perha])s it might be well to state right here that of the above two 

 nu'ntioned factors, the former is a far more insurmountabh' bar- 

 rier than the latter. 



In the early days of the work. l)ack in the seventies, the first 

 successful take of whitefish egg^, with ])erhaps the exception of a 

 few obtained on the Detroit l^iver l)y Mr. Scth (ircen and my 

 fatlier, was made not three miles from where we are now liohling 

 this meeting. The quantity at tluit time, was limited to the 

 amount obtained from tlie rijie tish wliich were found in tlu' nets 

 fiMui (lav to day. This plan was continued for a number of 

 years until it was discovered l)y experiment, that whitelish couhl 

 be held in crates and pounds until ri]ie, thereby greatly increas- 

 ing thr ])roduction. This work of ]H'nning has been carried on 

 quite extensively and with every success, on the Detroit KMver 

 and at .Monroe Piers, at the mouth of the Kaisin Kiver. Lake 

 Erie. 



