COMMERCIAL TROUT HATCHERIES AND THEIR 

 INFLUENCE ON PUBLIC HATCHERIES 



By Eben W. Cobb 



I have taken for my subject the commercial hatcheries 

 for the reason that they are not so often heard from as the 

 government and state hatcheries, and also to start a httle 

 discussion on one or two points on which I beheve there is 

 a considerable misunderstanding. 



That the private hatcheries have a tremendous influence 

 in the success of our public hatcheries is very evident to one 

 who will look over the reports from the different hatcheries. 



In many places the keeping of brood stock has been a 

 failure and the supply of eggs purchased from the com- 

 mercial men is depended on almost, if not entirely, for the 

 stocking of waters in the vicinity. This great demand for 

 domesticated eggs is well taken care of, but the point to 

 which I wish to call attention is the quality of the eggs 

 supplied. 



It has been customary to judge the quality of the eggs 

 by the age of the trout from which they were taken, but 

 let us look into the conditions under which they are raised. 



A certain number of fry are kept for rearing, and a per- 

 centage of these grow rapidly and when twenty months old 

 will weigh from one-fifth to one-third of a pound. These 

 are a good healthy lot and will sell better in the market 

 than at any other time, consequently they are sold. The 

 balance of the stock kept are undersized, grow poorly, and 

 are in a general run down condition. These are, of course, 

 kept over as they are too small for market and it is from 

 such fish that many of our eggs are taken. Of course it 

 must be admitted that some men keep over a choice lot, but 

 the chances are against it as the market demands smaller and 

 smaller fish for table use, and by skill in feeding the rate of 

 growth is increased. 



