American Fisheries Society. Hi) 



investments, and this was the result: We found that the rail- 

 roads carried nearly 200,000 visitors to the Adirondacks and 

 over 80,000 to the Catskills, who paid for railroad fares about 

 $875,000. The}' spent in the Adirondack region alone for board, 

 lodging and the various et ceteras of tourist life, over $5,000,000. 

 Their comfort required the employment there of more than 

 13,000 persons who were paid wages amounting to nearly a 

 million dollars. So you will see that our forest preserves are 

 beyond attack as a profitable investment. 



Xow a few words on similar lines Avith respect to our liateher} 

 system. It is a certainty that the majority of those who spend 

 the large sums I have mentioned to pass a few weeks each year in 

 the forests, go there to hunt and fish, — the most of them to fish. 

 When the springtime stirs the blood, the busy men of our great 

 cities recall the remark of the apostle of old, and seizing rod 

 and creel say to inquiring friends "I go afishing." Most of tlu' 

 gi'eat army of summer visitors have the same aml)iti()n, and it is 

 to restore to the inland waters the variety of fish necessary to 

 meet this enormous demand that our extensive system of fish cul- 

 ture Jias been developed. Thirty-five years ago the people de- 

 manded that something be done to replenish the waters of Xew 

 York state with fish. The result was a .Commission, a $10,000 

 appropriation, and one hatchery under the direction of the 

 famous Seth Green. They got quick returns for their invest- 

 ment and now we have a satisfactory system of eight hatcheries, 

 several stripping stations and a distributing car, a plant which 

 at a nominal inventory value is worth $112,000. The cost of 

 running this plant, everything included, averages about $55,000 

 yearly. Let us see what the people get for their money. 



Taking tlie last fiscal year which ended with the month ol 

 Septemljer, 1902, the returns from the hatcheries show that they 

 raised and distril)uted a total of 128,672,516 fish of all varieties. 

 (T may say in passing that the total has shown a considerable de- 

 crease for the past three years because of our adoi)ting the policy 

 of distributing less fry and more fingerlings and yearlings, a 

 plan which gives much satisfaction and produces quicker re- 

 sults). Of the grand total distribution, 3,756,000 were trout frv 

 of the various species; 984,150 were trout fingerlingsand 284, 36(; 

 were trout yearlings. The actual value of this |)ro(hiet of our 



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