a Ipnger .commercially valuable. Lake Superior trout 

 are 'still secured in large quantities. The sturgeon of Lake 

 of the Woods have become comparatively scarce and small, 

 and as yet no method is known for their successful prop- 

 agations. The same statement is true of the spoon bill found 

 in the Mississippi and the Minnesota, and which once was 

 exceedingly common in Lake Pepin, but has now become 

 rare. Of this fish no successful method of propagation is 

 known. It is not even known under what conditions the fish 

 spawn, and where the eggs are hatched, and to my knowl- 

 edge no more young fry of the spoon bill has ever been found. 

 It may be news to some of my hearers that there is one fish 

 inhabiting Minnesota lakes and rivers which goes to the ocean 

 to spawn. That is our common eel. The fish seems to be 

 fairly common in some parts of the Minnesota river, but how 

 common it is, is not known. When the eels are sexually 

 mature they migrate out of the rivers to the ocean, and 

 spawn there. At a certain time of the year large number of 

 eel fry may be found entering the mouth of the larger rivers. 

 They gradually ascend into the smaller streams and remain 

 there until they attain their maturity. What becomes of the 

 mature eels that have gone to the ocean is not known. I 

 believe that a systematic study of the fishery question in 

 this state would discover some way by which our fish re- 

 sources can be commercially utilized without infringing in 

 any way upon the rights of sportsman which, of course, should 

 be respected. 



The greatest lure of the North woods I wish to mention 

 last. For the health and joy and the rejuvenation of aunts 

 and uncles, and fathers and mothers, and boys and girls, there 

 is no country like the North woods. It beats all the "oso- 

 phies" and "ologies," all the patented medicines, and unpat- 

 ented medicines. It is Nature's own cure. Old Ponce de Lion 

 hunted through the West Indies and through Florida in search 

 of the Fountain of Youth. If he had only gone as far as 

 Minnesota, he would be living yet. Amen. 



India is developing an important turnpentine industry, though 

 it does not yet suply the home market. 



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