F(~)URrEENTH ANNUAL MEETING. 47 



fish with gill-nets all summer, and are using small-meshed nets 

 every season, on purpose to catch the small vvhitefish." 



Lay Brothers, of Sandusky, say : " Our catch of whitefish for 

 the past two seasons was as follows : 1883, from twenty pound- 

 nets, sixteen tons ; 1884, from thirty pound-nets, twenty-six tons. 



" We think it is plain to see that there is a benefit to be de- 

 rived from the hatcheries, and would like to see as many in oper- 

 ation as there are eggs to fill." 



Dewy & Co., of Toledo, say : " Our catch the past season was 

 rather light. We do not attribute this to a scarcity of whitefish, 

 but to the unfavorable winds that prevailed on our Monroe coast 

 grounds all the fall until a late date ; ttien just as the fish began 

 to come on, we had two severe blows from the west, which drove 

 the fish from the shore, and they did not come back, or, if they 

 did, we did not get them, as our twine was out. 



We think the business of planting young fish an excellent 

 thing ; we can see no reason why it should not be, as every fish 

 planted in that way is a clear gain. We see no reason why 

 planied fish should not stand as good a chance to live and be- 

 come grown fish as those that hatch on the reefs." 



Wm. St. John & Co., also of Toledo, say : " Our receipts of 

 whitefish for the past two seasons are as follows: 1883, from 

 twenty pound-nets, 6,000 pounds ; 1884, from forty-five pound- 

 nets, 18,000 pounds. 



" We do not see that fish planting has been of much benefit to 

 this end of the lake, but I am informed that great benefits have 

 been realized further down, 



" We would like to see Congress take hold of the matter and 

 enact a law to control and restrict the fishing with gill-nets;, also 

 with such long strings of twine. Although we ourselves are 

 fishing twenty and twenty-one pounds in a string, we would 

 like to see them cut down to six at most on main shore, and 

 not more than three off the islands, or any place where there is 

 a narrow channel. Then the whitefish would have a better chance 

 to get through to the coast and reef-spawning grounds at the 

 head of the Lake, which they would do if they were not turned 

 back by the long strings of twine." 



J. C. & J. H. Davis, of Toledo, says: ''Our catch of white- 



