Conservation Commission. 165 



the water is 52 degrees. A pump and engine will be in- 

 stalled over this well and when in operation the quantity of water 

 will undoubtedly be much increased. This will make it prac- 

 ticable to rear a large number of trout because the well water can 

 be mingled with a certain proportion of creek water and the 

 mixture will be cold enough for the fish. 



The advantage of having a station capable of producing finger- 

 ling trout in Columbia county is very great. 



The Oneida Station receives its water supply from Frederick 

 creek, a tributary of S'criba creek into which it flows near the 

 mouth of the latter stream. Scriba creek rises in the town of 

 Amboy. It is about eighteen miles long. This creek and Fred- 

 erick creek are ideal waters for black bass and pikeperch culture. 



The hatchery is antiquated in its construction, and it will 

 probably not continue serviceable many years longer. The 

 foundation at one end is on quicksand. The supply pipe is only 

 eight inches in diameter, and comes into the hatchery direct from 

 the dam on Frederick creek, an arrangement which is very ob- 

 jectionable. This pipe is liable to become clogged at any time. 

 Fortunately the station is equipped with a pumping plant to 

 take water directly from Frederick creek while the bass ponds 

 are fed from a flume taken laterally from the storage pond and 

 not liable to accident except from the destruction of the dam. 



The hatchery building ought to be devoted entirely to storage 

 purposes, and a new building should be erected near the site of 

 the present stripping house. 



The Commission should acquire two pieces of property now in 

 private hands, in order to increase the work at Constantia to a 

 proper basis. I refer to the sawmill property belonging to South- 

 well and the lake front tract owned by Dobson. If we had the 

 Southwell mill property, containing about seven and one-half acres, 

 and the Dobson tract of about two acres, the latter could be used 

 for harbor and residential purposes, the Southwell land could be 

 utilized for additional ponds, and in this way the yield of the 

 Oneida Station could easily be trebled. The cost of these lands 

 need not exceed $6,000 judging from offers made by the pree^nt 

 owners. 



