FISHERIES OF THE GREAT LAKES IN 1885. 



11 



annual repoft for 1884, called attention to a visit made by Mr. Frank 

 N. Clark to the principal fishing stations on Lake Erie, with a view to 

 ascertain whether the planting of 82,000,000 whitefish fry between 1875 

 and 1882 had been productive of good results. One-half of this num- 

 ber, being planted in 1881 and 1882, would not have been of sufficient 

 size to be caught, and could not therefore affect the fisheries as early 

 as 1884. Although Mr. Clark found that the constant increase in the 

 number of nets tended to make up for any apparent decrease in the 

 abundance of fish, as the result of his inquiry he was of the decided 

 opinion that not only had the decrease been arrested, but that there 

 had been a tangible and satisfactory increase, taking all things into 

 consideration. 



For about thirteen years prior to the investigation made by Mr. 

 Earll and his associates, more or less had been done in hatching fish 

 artificially on the lakes by the U. S. Fish Commission, the fish commis- 

 sions of the states bordering on the lakes, and by private individuals. 



Much of the early work was, however, experimental, the efforts of 

 those interested being of necessity directed principally toward devel- 

 oping methods, and thus laying the foundations for effective systematic 

 work. The question of acclimatization, which is so closely allied to fish- 

 breeding, was also a matter that attracted attention. 



The first attempts at artificial propagation in the lake region were 

 made by the State Fish Commissions, and resulted in planting a small 

 number of whitefish fry annually for some years prior to 1880-'81, 

 about which time the work of the National Commission began. But 

 before the winter of 1882-'83 the work was conducted upon too small 

 a scale for its effects to be apparent, aud, indeed, it did not attain any- 

 thing like adequate proportions until two or three years later. 



The amount of whitefish hatched and put into the several lakes by the 

 U. S. Fish Commission, to and including 1885, is shown in the follow- 

 ing table compiled from the Annual Eeports. The figures for 1875-'7G 

 represent fish hatched at the expense of the Commission by Messrs. N. 

 W. Clark & Son, in their hatchery at Northville, Michigan, which was 

 not purchased by the Government until August, 1880. 



A. — Table showing the number of whitefish artificially propagated and put into the waters 

 of the Great Lakes by the U. S. Fish Commission prior to 1885. 



Year. 



Lake 

 Superior. 



Lake 

 Michigan. 



Lake 

 Huron. 



Detroit 

 River. 



Lake 

 Erie. 



Lake 

 Ontario. 



Total. 



1875-76 





130, 000 



5, 000, 000 



7, 500, 000 



11, 001), 000 



20, 000, 000 



25, OGO, 000 







1, 000, 000 

 1,250,000 

 3, 500, 000 

 7, 000, 000 

 12, 000, 000 

 17,000,000 



41, 750, 000 





1 130 000 



1880-^1 





2, 000, 000 



2, 000, 000 



16,015,000 



27, 500, 000 



34, 000, 000 



i, 666, 666 



1, 250, 000 





9 250 000 



1881-'82. 





3, 500, 000 

 9, 000, 000 

 6, 000, 000 



17 750 000 



1882-'83 



4, 000, 000 

 0, 000, 000 

 4, 000, 000 



47 015 000 



1883-84... 



8, 000, 66o 



7;, 500, 000 

 88, 060, 000 



1884-'85 









Total 



14, 000, 000 



68, 690, 000 



81,515,000 



10, 250, 000 



18, 500, 000 



234, 705, 000 



