26 Third Annual Report of the 



forest lands which were purchased by our predecessors, subject to 

 the furnishing, bj the owners, of an acceptable title. Owing to 

 failure of owners to produce such titles, no lands were purchased 

 during the past fiscal year. 



DIVISION OF FISH AND GAME 



Propagation of Fish and Game 

 Fish Culture 



The State hatchery stations, nine in number, distributed 

 1,287,255,120 fish and other aquatic food species during the past 

 fiscal year, a gain over 1912 of 556,820,187. The chief increase 

 was in hatching and planting marine food species, especially 

 edible crab, which increased to 520,000,000 from 100,000,000 

 the year before. The establishment of auxiliary hatcheries at 

 Montauk and Cold Spring Harbor greatly augmented the yield 

 of the Long Island Station. In all, thirty-nine species of aquatic 

 animals were propagated in 1913, and the actual commercial value 

 of the fish distributed (exclusive of brood stock) was at least 

 $250,000. 



New York leads her nearest competitor, among the sister States, 

 at least two to one in fish cultural work. 



The new bass hatchery at Ogdensburg was nearly completed at 

 the end of the fiscal year and will be in operation next year. 

 Within the next fiscal year, it is probable that still another hatch- 

 ery (at Warrensburg) will have been constructed, pursuant to 

 appropriation made for that purpose in 1912. 



Stream Pollution 



The existing law relative to stream pollution provides that : " No 

 dye-stuffs, coal tar, refuse from a gas house, cheese factory, cream- 

 ery, condensery or canning factory, sawdust, shavings, tanbark, 

 lime or other deleterious or poisonous substance shall be thrown 

 or allowed to run into any waters, either private or public in 

 quantities injurious to fish life inhabiting the same, or injurious 

 to the propagation of fish therein." 



This section is so worded as to impose an undue burden of proof 



