Conservation" Commission. 57 



tempts have been made along these lines even within our own bor- 

 ders ; although none of them have been extensive they have on the 

 whole been satisfactory. Deer raised in captivity require much 

 less attention than cattle, and very little feeding even in winter. 

 A doe generally has two fawns a year so that reproduction is 

 rapid. Every portion of the carcass can be utilized as completely 

 as in the case of cattle, so that the element of waste is negligible. 

 Deer bred in private parks show little disposition to stray, and 

 become tame and easily managed. 



The breeding of pheasants is attracting the attention of a con- 

 siderable number so that during the past year 374 applications 

 have been received for stock birds, and 422 applications for eggs. 

 Upon these 2,530 birds and 12,945 eggs were supplied. It is ex- 

 pected that during the present year there will be distributed 5,000 

 birds and 30,000 eggs. It has been shown by experiment that 

 pheasants are the most satisfactory of the game birds for breeding 

 purposes, and it is not too much to expect that in the near future 

 it will be possible for us to supply the market with large quantities 

 of domestic stock. 



FISH* 



This has been the banner year in our fish hatcheries. 



The total number of fish furnished for public waters during the 

 fiscal year ended September 30, 1911, was 701,448,394, an in- 

 crease of more than 30 per cent, over the distribution of 1910. 

 In 1907 the entire output of the nine hatcheries was 250,656,600 

 fish. 



The cost of maintaining the hatcheries in 1911 was about 

 $75,000, while the value of the output, based upon actual prices 

 of fish from commercial hatcheries and from market rates of food 

 fish of the kind which we propagate, was $212,115.42. This does 

 not include the brood trout of several of our hatcheries which are 

 worth nearly $8,000. 



The whole number of trout of various kinds furnished by the 

 stations was 7,676,388, of which about 45 per cent, were finger- 

 lings. 



Some of the hatcheries are less productive than others, but due 

 allowance should be made for location, water supply, natura 1 ad- 

 vantages and proximity to fishing grounds having species suitable 



