34 Ti'.'ciity-sc7'ciifh Animal Meeting 



should be laid on a failure to save and fertilize the spawn and 

 turn it over to hatchery agents without expense to the State. If 

 new spawning grounds are discovered, they should be reported at 

 once. In case the spawning fish are caught at inaccessible points, 

 where it is not practical to deliver the ova to hatchery agents, it 

 should be fertilized and returned at once to the spawning shoals. 

 I don't think very much of this plan, however, as unquestionably 

 most of tlie ova thus deposited is destroyed, but the hatching per- 

 centage would be somewhat better than in nature, for nearly per- 

 fect fertilization would be obtained. Under the circumstances it 

 would be the best that could be done, certainly much better than 

 to allow it to waste absolutely. 



There is another point that would be good law for the Great 

 Lakes and perhaps for other waters. While the catching and 

 marketing of commercial fish should for the most part be left to 

 private enterprise, still the control of this form of public property, 

 the title to which in a w'ild or natural condition, is vested in the 

 States, should not necessarily be relinquished, and the title ex- 

 tinguished or considered as having been passed at the point of 

 private possession. The public should be empowered to say, 

 through its authorized ag^enti;, when the title to public property 

 should pass. This law would enable us to control, for the purpose 

 of holding the breeders a few days in suitable enclosures, where- 

 ever practical to do so, to allow the ova to ripen and become avail- 

 able for hatching; then, when stripped of the spawn, turn the 

 adults over to those who caught them. 



During the past year I have had considerable correspondence 

 with experienced fish-culturists and investigators, on the subject 

 of a closed spawning season and protective legislation. Recently 

 I addressed several of the old employes of our Commission, ask- 

 ing them to submit a free, candid and urtbiased opinion as to the 

 merits or otherwise of a closed spawning season for the white- 

 fish and lake trout of the Great Lakes, and I hereby sumbit their 

 letters in reply: 



(From Charles H. Moore, Statistical Agent, Alichigan Fish 

 Commission.) 



Hon. F. B. Dickerson, 



State Fish Commissioner, 

 Detroit, Mich. 



Dear Sir:- — It is very gratifying to me that the question of ar- 

 tificial propogation and a closed season are being taken up and 



