146 American Fisheries Society 



Wayne and Philadelphia counties and are each in charge 

 of a superintendent, said superintendent being respon- 

 sible for the operation of the hatchery to the Commis- 

 sioner of Fisheries. 



Experience has shown that economy in any business 

 is only attained by the use of the latest and most im- 

 proved methods, and the Department, since my incum- 

 bency, has devoted much time and labor to the rehabili- 

 tation of the hatcheries, to bring them up to the highest 

 point of efficiency, so that they will be entirely up to date 

 in every way for the propagation of fish, and when they 

 are completed will be a credit to the Commonwealth. 

 The old wooden structures are being replaced by sub- 

 stantial buildings of concrete, brick and steel. 



The next factor is efficiency, because without efficient 

 workmen, the best implements are no better than poor 

 ones. It is here that the Department finds itself badly 

 handicapped, on account of all the hatcheries being un- 

 dermanned. 



The work of the fish culturist is hard and the hours 

 long, and it is only after years of training that a man 

 attains that efficiency which is so essential in the propa- 

 gation of fish. The men are now not only overworked, 

 but are unable from the smallness of their number to get 

 all out of the hatcheries that these would do if properly 

 manned. Lack of appropriations accounts for this con- 

 dition. Too much water running in a trough or battery 

 would mean destruction to millions of eggs or fish* and 

 the same would result from the stoppage of the water. 

 Hence, the troughs and batteries must be under the con- 

 stant and trained eye of some one all the time. The 

 attendant must be always on the alert to detect the first 

 symptom of trouble among his charges, and be ready 

 at an instant to meet the trouble. Contagion spreads like 

 wild fire and may undo the work of months. In ship- 

 ping fish the messenger must be one who understands 

 the habits of his charges, and see to it that the water 

 is kept aerated and at the proper temperature, for with- 

 out this only dead fish will reach the recipient. The 



