REPORT OF STATE BOARD OF FISH COMMISSIONERS. 15 



thereon to relieve the overcrowded condition inside our original 

 boundaries. 



In addition to the above described land, three quarters of an acre was 

 purchased of the Sisson estate, adjoining the hatchery land on the 

 north, for the purpose of erecting thereon a superintendent's dwelling. 



We immediately began the very much needed repairs and improve- 

 ments that had been neglected for four years or more. We increased 

 our number of rearing ponds from ten to nineteen, and built three 

 spawning ponds. We were able to do away with the obsolete wooden 

 flumes, substituting therefor iron pipe-lines; these were placed under- 

 ground, where they are free from the constant danger that threatened 

 the leaky and uncertain flume system, which was liable to break down 

 under the snows of winter and had already become unsafe from age and 

 decay. The water supply, our greatest necessity, was at all times 

 menaced by interruption. Such an accident would have cost us thou- 

 sands and perhaps millions of fish and fry. It is a great satisfaction 

 and relief to know that this danger is entirely eliminated, and that our 

 jugular vein is safe. We were also able to replace our old settling tank 

 with a new one, cement lined, 10 by 32 feet, and protected on the out- 

 side by corrugated iron, changing its general appearance so that it is 

 one of the attractive features of our grounds. The old sand-box was 

 discarded entirely and a new and improved one was built at the end of 

 our ditch line, 100 yards from the hatchery, where it can be relieved at 

 any time without danger and without shutting off our main supply of 

 water. The new pipe-line supplies the main hatchery building, the 

 auxiliary hatchery (newly built and referred to in Superintendent 

 Shebley's report), and practically all of the ponds now in use. The 

 newly purchased land is located directly under the range of our present 

 Avater flow and every part of it can be easily reached by piping. 



We purchased a good and substantial buckboard, which not only 

 has proved a great saving, but affords many advantages for quick 

 transportation of our supplies that we had not enjoyed in the past. 



We built a substantial barn, 20 by 40 feet, ample for the needs 

 of the station for years to come, and covered it with a corrugated iron 

 roof. The meat house, where the fish food is prepared, was practically 

 rebuilt. A new furnace with brick chimney, for cooking the mush and 

 preparing the flesh food used to feed the pond fishes, has been installed. 

 The engine-room was given new floors and foundation. Our ten nur- 

 sery or rearing ponds have been given planked bottoms, so that the 

 fish can be handled without danger of injury; the fish are also less 

 liable to disease from foul bottoms. 



Many needed improvements have been made on our main hatchery 

 building, Avhich is 120 feet in length by 40 feet in width. It had not 

 been painted for four years, and at that time there was used a cheap 

 grade of paint that soon wore off. We gave the entire building two 



