94 Thirty-fourth Annual Meeting. 
J.S. Robeson, a chemist, who has been experimenting at Ausable 
Forks with a new process of evaporating the waste liquor from 
the digestors. A small plant was erected so that a practical 
demonstration might be made, and the result is claimed to be 
very satisfactory. ‘The water is freed from all foreign substan- 
ces, including the pulp fibre, which is utilized for sizing paper, 
etc. It is also, by further treatment, hardened and made into 
cores for paper rolls. ‘The experimental plant, according to a 
recent report from the company, has worked continuously since 
the committee’s visit and has taken care of 10 per cent of the 
waste liquor from the sulphite mill. A larger plant designed 
to take care of the entire output of the mill is nearly completed 
and is expected to be in operation before May Ist. If such a 
plan were to be adopted by other sulphite mill owners the Com- 
mittee believes it would go a long way toward remedying the 
evils of pollution against which complaint has been made.” 
Where the bass has been planted surreptitiously, there seems 
to be an end to the brook trout, as is the case in the waters of 
the Fulton Chain and in other lakes; yet we can do something 
to keep down the spawn eaters and we are doing it. But before 
the onward march of the parasites we are helpless. 
The state of New York has planted an average of more than 
three million of brook trout every year in its waters for the past 
seven years, and the U. S. Commission has planted many millions 
more; but even this great effort at replacing the disappearing 
fish has not had the effect that one might reasonably expect. 
It is for this reason, and for those already given you, that I 
have chosen as the title of my paper, “The Passing of the Brook 
Trout.” It is not a pleasing situation to contemplate, but it 
seems to me we may well say of it that, “It is a condition and 
not a theory that confronts us.” Would it not be well to pause 
in our efforts to get big returns from our hatcheries for a time 
and to give strict and earnest attention to the problem of preser- 
vation ? 
While closing this paper there came to me the recently issued 
two volume “Guide to the Study of Fishes,” by President David 
Starr Jordan of the Leland Stamford, Jr., University. In his 
chapter on the Salmonide he says: 
“The trout are rapidly disappearing from our streams. In 
