144 TInrljj-si.tih Annual Mccling 



and in nmny of tho stntos. Fisli distribution is a very different 

 ])rol)l('iii i)(i\\ from wliai it was when this society first originated. 

 We wci-e llicii planting hundreds of thousands; we are now plant- 

 ing ]m'l\\ close to the l)illion mark, even in some of the states, 

 and llic I'nilcd Stales has run into srvcral hillions. 1 under- 

 stand, from its hisl work. 



Thv (|ncstion of cost, then, which Mr. 'I'itcoml) has intro- 

 dnccd, is a very im])ortant one, and in fact, it is so important 

 that it must he consi(h'red whethej- you will or no. ft is not what 

 you want to do, hut what you can do, with flie money appro- 

 ])riated for the purpose. 



Another thing which I might mention heiv in favor of plant- 

 ing younger fish than fingerlings, because that is what a great 

 m,any of the states are doing — what Xew York is doing now — is, 

 that we escape a great many terrible epidemics bv so doing, 

 which would, we know, jjcrhaps three seasons out of ten, sweep 

 the whole product of our hatching establishment. This is an- 

 other thing we escape hy planting the fish early. Suppose there 

 should be an unusually warm season, with little rainfall, it 

 would mean the destruction of trout unquestionably. 'Now, if 

 you get them out early, yoii save all this loss. It is nature's 

 way, Mr. Chairman. Xature does not plant full grown fish. 

 She starts them as little fellows out of the egg. It is true she 

 has little devices for taking care of them which we have not; 

 nevertheless, she does not plant full grown fish. There is only 

 one creature that I ever read about that sprang full groAvn into 

 existence, and that was Minerva fi'om the brain of Jove. We 

 cannot do the same, when we are limited by the amount of work 

 we are called upon to do, l)y checks on over-production, by the 

 wants of our applicants, by our financial limitations and other 

 surrounding circumstances, and so on. You might go on dis- 

 cussing this question forever; and I think that those who be- 

 lieve they are doing right, saving money and time, by planting 

 fry will plant fry and those that get better results from plant- 

 ing the fingerlings will .plant fingerlings. 



Mr. Titcomb: I think it proper to call attention to the fact 

 that Mr. Leary's work in Texas has the hearty approval of the 

 commissioner of fisheries, namely about planting fingerlings. It 



