FOURTEENTH ANNUAL MEETING. 41 



gate plantings of whitefish fry in Lake Erie, from the beginning 

 of the work by the United States and Ohio and Michigan Fisli 

 Commissions. Some plants were also made by the Canadian 

 Commission during the years mentioned, but I am unable to 

 give the figures: 



Spring of 1875 - 150,000 Spring of 1879 - 7,000,000 



Spring of 1876 - 300,000 Spring of 1880 - 7,000,000 



Spring of 1877 - 450,000 Spring of t88i - 13,000,000 



Spring of 1878 - 12,000,000 Spring of 1882 - 42,000,000 



These figures include the latest plantings that could pos- 

 sibly be called due in the fall of 1884. Under the current 

 method of computing the numbers of young fish in tanks 

 and cans, there is no doubt that the estimates shown in the 

 above figures are much too large. 



Following are a number of statements from fishermen and 

 dealers, in substantially the exact language of the parties mak- 

 ing them, with regard to the catch and the value of fish pro- 

 pagation and planting : 



L. Streuber, Erie, Pa., says ; " Am dealer and shipper of 

 frozen fish, and fish considerable twine. Can give you the 

 figures of my catch for only the past two seasons, which is as 

 follows: Catch of whitefish for 1883, no tons; 1884, 150 tons. 

 I believe the propagation of whitefish to be a great help toward 

 keeping up a stock in the lakes ; so much so that I am doing 

 all I can to get a hatchery started here, believing it will pay." 



C. D. Carter, another dealer and fisherman in the same city, 

 says : " My catch of whitefish for the past two years is as fol- 

 lows : 1883, 175 tons ; 1884, 225 tons. I think that the plant- 

 ing of young whitefish in Lake Erie has already done a great 

 good toward keeping up and increasing the stock of whitefish 

 in its waters. I hope to see the hatcheries kept up, and would 

 like to see one here in Erie, believing we have a good location 

 for one, and that it is a good point to plant fish from, as there 

 are no carnivorous fish caught at the season of the year when 

 the young fish would be put in." 



John Harlow & Co., of Erie, make the following statement : 



" For the past five years our annual catch of whitefish has 



