90 Tivcnty-ninth Annual Meeting 



whole lake. The statistics for 1900 I have not, but during the 

 five years between 1895 and 1899, inclusive, the United States 

 Fish Commission planted in Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron 

 and Ontario a total of but 185,938,000 whitefish fry while during 

 the same period the same Commission planted 443,677,000 in 

 Lake Erie alone. 



Thus it will be noted that the United States Fish Commis- 

 sion has planted in Lake Erie during the five years more than 

 twice as many as in all the other lakes combined ; in round num- 

 bers, a total of but 186,000,000 in Lakes Superior, Michigan, 

 Huron and Ontario combined, and 444,000,000 in Lake Erie 

 alone. 



These figures, of course, do not represent the total plant for 

 the five years ; they do show what the United States Commission 

 has done. 



In addition, the States of Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, 

 Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York have made plants, and also 

 the Canadian Government. Statistics show that prior to 1890 a 

 total of 736,429,000 whitefish fry were planted in Lake Erie by 

 the Lmited States Commission and by the dififerent State Com- 

 missions. 



The superior condition of Lake Erie's whitefish industries I 

 attribute to two chief causes : 



(i) Very heavy plants of fry have been made; more than 

 one-half of all the whitefish fry ever placed in the Great Lakes 

 have been planted in Lake Erie. 



{2\ The fry have been planted direct from the hatcheries. 

 The proximity of the hatcheries to planting grounds enables the 

 planting of the fry at the right age. It is not necessary to haul 

 them several hundred miles over land, they need never be held 

 too long, and they can be planted at just the proper time and in 

 the very best condition. 



In other words, the bulk of the fry planted in Lake Erie and 

 tributaries have been planted from adjacent hatcheries by tug" 

 with no bad effects from the act of transporting. 



The refusal of the different railroad companies to hereafter 



