306 FIFTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE 



said that in making the estimate given we have figured game fish fry at $2 5 

 per thousand, fingerlings at $50 per thousand, food fish fry at $0.50 per 

 thousand, and fingerlings at the same rate. This estimate gives us $128,662.- 

 50 as the value of the game fish fry; for game fish fingerlings, $204,457.05; 

 food fish fry, $260,869.19; and fingerlings, $159,850. It may be said that a 

 lesser price would have prevailed at commercial hatcheries for such a large 

 number of fish, but this contention is readily met by the statement that the 

 estimate is based on conservative figures furnished by the leading commercial 

 hatcheries of this and other States. 



Man} 7 letters have been received during the year which show the appre- 

 ciation of both the food and game fishermen for the work which is being done 

 by this Commission. It is conceded by everybody interested in keeping up 

 the supply of fish in our inland waters that the efforts of the Commission 

 alone prevent the natural decrease which would come from the additional 

 number of fishermen who visit these waters yearly. The hope is expressed 

 on all sides that the Legislature will continue to see the wisdom of your 

 suggestions and will keep up the work by making the necessary appro- 

 priations for the hatchery service. We also are in receipt of many sugges- 

 tions for increasing our output, and these mainly are in the line of adding 

 additional species to those already propagated in the State hatcheries. I 

 have called attention to the desirability of such extensions in former reports, 

 which were largely based on personal investigation and knowledge of the 

 conditions which prevailed. 



We can call attention with proper pride to the large increase shown in the 

 species of salt water fishes propagated at the Cold Spring Harbor hatchery. 

 Too little attention has been paid in the past to this very important part of 

 the work of our Commission. The carefully collected statistics of the United 

 States Bureau of Fisheries show that our salt water fisheries are a most 

 important branch of our work, and the approval given to the attention 

 which we are now paying to propagating desirable salt water food fish is 

 in itself a sufficient commentary on the desirability of the work that is being 

 done. With the proper attention, the Cold Spring Harbor hatchery could 

 be made one of the most important branches of our work, and its location 

 admirably fits it for this service. If, instead of raising the brook trout to 

 the fry or fingerling stage at this station, we should ship to various other 



