FOREST AND STREAM. 



379 



TROUT STREAMS OF THE AROO- 

 STOOK. 



Boston, July 4, 187T. 

 Burton Fores* ami Stbk/i i 



I left PrBsaue Isle, Maine, Maj is, by stage to Ashland, twenty-four 

 miles, fare 51.se ; hotel kept by Mrs. Smith, and the last public house- 

 on the route north. Rood. table, expense -fl pet flay. Next morning 

 by sla-e to Portage Lake, ten miles, fara 75 cents. This was my ob- 

 jective point, and a more clear anil beautiful body of water never 

 nestled In the wilderness.. That afternoon fonnd me on its pebbly 

 beacb to test the largess of my luck, but not a nibble did I get till the 

 son hnug lew In the horizon. Then, at once, the fun came last and 

 furious, and nine iron!, weighing thirteen pounds, were landed in afew 

 minutes, and— must 1 tell it— baited with a piece of salt pork! That, 

 or a piece or chub, is the only lure till the water becomes warm; until 

 then the trout lie around the shores. Later, when they assemble at 

 the Months of the cool brooks and in the thoroughfares, they take the 

 By greedily, any and all colors. So little known is this region that very 

 few come here to fish j so few, that there is no professional guide nor 

 even a boat at all tone?, and but four families living in sight of ihe 

 lake. Thomas West, living on the west shore about a mile from the 

 foot o( the lake, a farmer and hunter, has two grown-up sons who are 

 by bum work could 



;ept a small dug-out. 



UWiged at Ashland, 

 J. T. Mooors, whom 

 I'ortage Luke is live 



■ log ii 



i.ihiiui (vtth the Whole region, and if noi 

 be hired at a low price ; but they have u 

 For a party of two or more, ah te&u - 

 llnarj supplies con be bad at i 

 1 would recommend to parties to con ear 

 miles long and connects wlththoroqghfn 

 Bt. John's Uivcr, some 5» miles; all awlb 

 but here and thei 

 full of cariboo, m 

 joymont than to 



in Iherea few J 

 them up in Can! 

 visit, broke up 

 front and nil. i 

 flfty-uiue iron;. 

 ■s on — was son 

 ana lighter-col 



iiU.e 



rith 



. single farm, 

 n, the woods 

 o greater en- 



•nig 



Kill)' 



The 



■ ',-•■■.. -. Mielr effects, 

 ef : but the taking of 

 he boss bci 



e more slender in form 

 n Ush. but the meat is 



, , weet, i dored, though a little dry; and on 'the rod they 

 as gamy as the best. 



i,:- lahland whleh I ahauld si r, j is on the hoantiful Aroo- 

 stook, my route lay inland on the old Mutlawamkeag Road. AtMas- 

 sanlis. ten miles from Ashland, we again strike the Aroostook at Its 

 jiineti in with the St. Croix. Thirty miles from here up the Aroostook 

 iaa chain of four lakes, called Munsbimgan, (ill wilderness, mid seldom 



!■ tei accept ; lumbei m , Bew too, the waters are alive with 

 troul.aud the woods with bear, mouse and caribou. This 1 learned 

 from the stage driver, C. B. Canney, an old lumberman, and Camilla] 

 with the w •■ region between Mattawankcagand Fori Kent, 95 miles. 



Partes G v ol hotel; wonld answer correspondents, 



: j. \; irtawsukeag, two davs ride, i'i miles, fare $5,511. The next 



little 



Matt: 

 thirl J 



To reach it, leave cars at 

 uerican railroad, thence 



Slop at Patten Ilonse, 

 ose Hi 1'iy team will take 

 k liuie over a line road, 

 oors. Not many visit the 

 irtlier off (vide the sluing 

 l on my way up). Parties 

 ace to Ilackett ; fare from 



Corp. Lot Waxfiki.d. 



been the effort to 

 husetts to liave siiiiuble 

 l the Merrimack, and 

 ieul, by which those 



ABSTRACT OF THE REPORT OF THE 

 FISH COMMISSIONERS OF NEW 

 HAMPSHIRE, JUNE SESSION, 1877. 



WE are indebted to Mr. Samuel Webber for a copy of 

 this itil cresting report. The labors of past commis- 

 sioners in restocking: tbe waters of the. State have been attend- 

 ed tv i tli such success that the present board would recommend 

 a continuance of the work, exercising at the same time due 

 caution that fish be not introduced into waters where they will 

 more valuable varieties. And, in order that the re- 

 stocking may be prosecuted more intelligently, the board have 

 prepared a list of the lakes and ponds of the State, with their 

 characteristics, as a basis for operations, and propose, so far 

 us is in their power, to slock them with the most suitable va- 

 rieties of valuable fish in due season. The shad and salmon, 

 i,i in all Ihe rivers flowing from the State to the 

 seal man I, have been of late years debarred from returning to 

 these waters by the impassable dams which have been built in 

 Massachusetts* One very important branch of the 

 duties of the commissioners, the 

 induce the Commissioners of Mi 

 fisUwayS bulll at Lowell and Lawrence o 

 ;,,i Holyoke and Montague on the Oonnec 

 valuable lish might be able to return to their Cornier spawn- 

 jii.r.crrouinls. 



The Commissioners Of .Massachusetts have shown the ut- 

 most v.eal iu the matter, and have, during the past season, re- 

 built fin' tishwav at Lawrence in a manner which seemed to 

 be satisfactory; and, in accordance with their wishes, notice 

 lias been aiven to the owners ol mill-dams at Nashua to con- 

 struct suitable ways by which the salmon could return to the 

 Nashua River, a large "portion of the head waters of which are 

 in Massacl it 



| i id '.lining the fact, that salmon and other fish will return 

 awn to their own breeding grounds, the Commissioners 

 tor Massachusetts have placed 40,000 young salmon in the 

 head waters of the Nashua River, and have assisted m ', 

 incrthe Penugewassi.t with eminent success, it we tin judge 

 from the letters and other accounts received of the abundance 

 of Salmon "parr " in the higher waters of Ihe latter river. 

 They have also hatched the last season, without charge, 100,- 

 000 young California salmon, which Mr. Powers, Of the board, 

 has placed in the Peinigewasset and Baker's rivers. 



One of the board met the Commissioners for Massachusetts 

 , m(i Connecticut in Uosion in January, and the Alassachusetts. 

 Commissioners gave htm assurance that a proper tishway 

 would be completed this seasonal Montague on the I lonnecti- 

 ( ,,, , ,, ,| , „:,- decided, U the IT. S. Commissioners succced- 

 Dtoviding the commission with California spawn this 

 veor that 100,000 young fish would be placed in the head 

 ., ., . , ,., ,;,, ( tei ticut next winter. 



There have been procured from Mr, C. Gk Atkins, of Maine, 

 through Prof. Baird, Li. S. Commissiouer, live thousand eggs 

 of the landlocked salmon, which Mr. BracKetl, ol the Massa- 

 chusetts Commission, has batched at the Miissacliusci.tr. hatch 



ing-house, at Winchester, and which have been distributed in 



suitable waters in the eounlies of Cheshire, Sullivan, Grafton, 

 Slrafford and Carroll, selecting for Ihe purpose natural trout 

 ponds. 



Dr. Fletcher, of Concord. Stale Commissioner, introduced 

 this species into "Newfound Lake, in Bristol, in 1806, uml 

 about the same time, placed some in Suimpee Lake. Some 

 were caught last season in New found lake, according to 

 the description given of them by the fishermen, who did no$ 

 know what they were : but of the 45 put into Sunapee, 48 arc 

 said to have been speared the next autumn on their spawning 

 one of the brooks Bowing into the lake. 



The introduction of black bass seems to have been a success. 

 Sunupee, and some of the lakes on the eastern border of the 

 State, arc well stocked, and there is a fair supply in Lake 

 Massabesic ; but the habit of the fish is essentially migratory, 

 and their fondness for swift wafer has caused them to escape 

 from Sunapee and Massabesio in great numbers, so thai they 

 are fast becoming common in tbe Merrimack and Connecticut 



ii proper seasons, the hlue- 

 " 3 pike,[pereh, the. Miehi- 

 ine and Massachusetts 



It is proposed to in l 

 backed trout of the Rangeley lakes, tl 

 gan grayling, the white perch of Ms 

 and the whitclish of the Western kikes. 



The. commission recommends a rcvis 

 to inland fisheries, and their condensa 

 intelligible form ; and with that v'n 

 abstract of Ihe laws as they now stand, 

 could compile them. They also advise the pi 

 prohibiting the catching, or having in posse. 



mon, known as "parr " or l 'smotts," al any t ., 



black bass less than nine (9) inches in length, and of brook 

 trout less than five (5) inches long. 



i of tin 

 have 



laws relating 

 a simple and 



prepared uu 

 alcly as they 



pre ol an act 



; sal- 



id I 



Shad OUI.TDBE.— THaSatsori* WW/,: on the IT,t,U,vi.—Mr. 

 Monroe- A. Creen with his corps of assistants lias been en- 

 gaged in shad culture since Mav 17th. The total number of 

 shad hatched this year was 4,676,000, of which 3,070,000 

 were hatched back of Shad Island, ten miles below Albany, 

 and 1,000,000 near Catskill. This is uu increase, of 3,859,000 

 over the hatching of last year. Of Ihe above number all were 

 turned into the Hudson with the exception of 80,000 which 

 were deposited iti Black River, a tributary to Lake (iiu.aiio 

 The force have had excellent success this "year in obtaining 

 melters, or male shad, which are often very 'difficult to obtain! 

 The fish are all taken at nigb.1 between dusk and I o'clock in 

 the morning, on. the spawning beds on the rocks ai 

 near the shore. A somewhat singular fact is that during ten 

 years operations a "ripe" fish has never been taken after 1 

 o'clock, nor have but two ever been taken during the day 

 time. 



Mr. Q. reports very heavy catches this season on the Hud- 

 son by the fishermen, the lish also averaging larger than usual. 

 A great many of the progeny of the cross between the female 

 Bhad and the male herring have been taken, which, although 

 not equal to the shad, are far superior to the herring, and 

 ;mi - an excellent market fish. Last year about 20,000 sal- 

 mon trout were put in the Hudson, of which a few have been 

 caught by the fishermen this year. 



The fishermen continue to 'take lish in and out of season 

 unmolested, so that there is practically no close season. The 

 wonder is that the force of the Stale' Hatchery can ever get 

 the amount of spawners they do after their running the fisher- 

 men's gauntlet as they are obliged to do. 



The price of shad at Albany ranged this year from $8 to 

 $10 a hundred. When Mr. Green began hatching shad the 

 fishmongers laughed at him, and vowed to eat all the shad he 

 could hatch. The other day, in going through the market, 

 one of them called out, "Green, stop "this hatching; the ilsh 

 are too plenty ; it don't pay." On being reminded of the vow 

 the mau said the fishmen "gave it up- they were beat." — 

 Rochester Express. 



—The State of Pennsylvania has purchased Seth Weeks' 

 fish-hatchery at Cony, with its appurtenances— dwelling- 

 houses, hatching-house, stock of fish (280,800 salmon and 

 trout), nine and a half acres of land, and inexhaustible springs 

 of pure water— for $2,000. 



OurBarnkoat CoBBBSPOSraarr writes ! "J. R. Shotwell, 



of the New Jersey Pish Commission, accompanied by Gen. 

 John A. Hall (Gov. Beadle's private secretary) and three 

 members of the New York Legislature, have been spending a 

 few days on our waters investigating the fishing grounds, 

 listening to those most conversant with the importance of fish 

 protection, etc. Tour correspondent meeting them at the Ash- 

 ley House, Barnegat Inlet, found the Commissioner a very 

 pleasant gentlemen, and one entirely devoted to his duties. 

 His suggestions in regard to more effective laws benefiting 

 the fishing interest, find general favor wilh our inhabitants— 

 for instance: in winter, parties living at the head of our bay, in 

 hauling seines tinder the ice, leave wagon loads of unmarket- 

 able fish — perch and bass — on the shore to perish. Commis- 

 sioner Shotwell advises a law regulating the size of mesh m 

 order to avoid this wholesale slaughter; also advises legal 

 enactments prohibiting the use of seines during the months of 

 May and June, when large weaktish are running in the bay to 

 spawn. Attention was called to the violation of the present 

 laws, which is to be remedied at once. It now remains wilh 

 our citizens to assist the Commission. Parties sent to look af- 

 ter the fishing inl crest looked out more for voles than fish. 

 We received but one benefit from the laws passed two years 

 ago, that of stopping the use of pound nets. Now let us pe- 

 tition for the suggestions of the Commissioner, and go still 

 further, to prohibit the hauling of all seines in our bay dur- 

 ing the summer months, which, benefiting only some dozen 

 people, gluts the market, destroys the laboring man's hand 

 fishing, end the pleasure of hundreds of visitors, whose mon- 

 eys are annually soattered through om Tillages. Something 

 musi be done at once, or the far-famed Ashing grounds of Bar- 

 aegat will meet with the same fate as other bays, which rank- 

 ed equally as high years ago. 



BeefLiveu for Fish Food.— Messrs. Feun & Clark, Po- 

 quonock, Conn, have met with quite a loss in their fish works. 

 Some time since they ran short of bed's livm for feeding, aud 

 the butcher who supplied them seut to Springfield to proem e 



some. Soon. after feeding the liver obtained there, the fish 

 t to die. Tim) savedbul a few thousand out Of m 

 thousand hatched, and these, ii seemed, had nol 

 sonic cause eaten much of the new food. They put all but 

 one thousand in tho brook that supplies the trout works with 

 Water, as au experiment, audit, is thought that they are doing 

 well, caring for themselves. They will probably save five or 

 six thousand of them. Though they are somewhat disc 

 eel, they intend to try again. 



atiirdl ^isbm 



THE SPARROWS AGAIN. 



WE are under obligations to our numerous observi i ;,. 

 notes upon the European sparrow, which have as- 

 sumed such proportions thai we are forced to summarize the 

 information at the risk of offending the writers. A gen- 

 tlemen in Philadelphia writes; 



The disappearance of our native birds is easily accounted 

 for, as they seek other quarters to rear their young a 



the food they have been accustomed to gather lias bi i I 



sinneil by the sparrows; aud. being migratory, formerly bad 



a full supply during their short stay in our cities 



such birds arc more numerous in the country adjacent to 



Philadelphia. 



The same writer corroborates others as to the imp oveni 

 in fin.; appearance of the shade trees since the advent of tho 



little Saxon. 



It is not so many yi 

 when the Mayor recomm 

 trees, tbe alai'ithus alone 

 rid of the worms. At. th 

 treatment was the only: 

 spinning caterpillar con 

 agricultural associations 

 found thought and sole 



tre 



which shade o 

 cr foliage, tillii 



ill pro 



venue 



if this city, remarks: 



bin that I distinctly n mi 



l the cutting downof al! shade 



itcd, for lie .,i 



ic it, seemed as if this \ 

 a by which the ravages ol 61* 

 i Farmers' clubs and 

 :h-cii the subject their mosl pro 

 ::onsideralion. They sue 



.lay the 



F. 



to walk our stre 

 and gladness." 

 suffer no other 

 sertion. 1 knov 



Per contra, a 

 serfs that havim 

 no signs of woi 

 found in any cut 



There never 

 inability to rid 

 ahoui.s— elms full of t 

 eaten and gone. Th 



idebted to the Engl 



at J a 



clothed 



their gn 



-1. spavin 



full 

 and beauty. 



rarent as to 



, is men; OS- 



Plains, Mass., as- 



lissected some thirty or forty birds in all, 



is or insects injurious to vegetation were 



; only grain and refuse. He says i 



as a more marked exhibition of their utter 



of our dreaded canker-worm than here- 



:1 houses and birds, but leaves all 



less musical and more 



rds, and we pray that they may at 



re 01 power among 

 3Sid to the contrary 

 st, harass, drive off, 

 ject and attempt to 

 iiich are thereby de- 

 life, liberty and the 



oreatts) latel 



ntil the legis- 

 ordered them 



quarrelsome than olhei 

 least be limited. 



Dr. Cones, in the Field and Forest for May, remarks that s 



Passer domesUeus, the nuisance, was introduced some year; 

 after our list appeared, and now these rowdy little 

 squeak and fight all through the city to our "great diseust 

 The introduction of these exotics clutters up ornithi log ui „ 

 way that a studenl ■;!' ;je""-.';.;.li : eal distribution may deplore 

 and interferes decidedly with the " balan 

 the native species, whatever may be 

 notwithstanding, these sparrows do mol 

 and otherwise maltivat and forcibly i 

 destroy various kinds of native birds, v 

 plived of certain inalienable rigl 

 pursuit of happiness after their own fashii 



We understand that in Boston, where th 

 tremely numerous, the Butcher birds {CbU 

 appeared in force and feasted upon the bi 

 lators, or whoever had authority in the mi 

 to he syslematically destroyed, thus fhwti 

 teristic human short-sightedness, the first efforts' Nature made 

 to readjust the disturbed balance, of her forces. 



We cannot but think our correspondents lose eight. of the 

 main points of the case in their zeal to uphold their own side 

 of the argument. Theroare few birds which arc. noi, more or 

 less destructive to fruits and cereals, yet all, or nearly all, are 

 of incalculable benefit in destroying noxious insects. We 

 give below an extract from a letter published in the New 

 York Times, which presents views somewhat different from 

 those heretofore published : 



"Let me confess that from tho first I have made the spar- 

 rows a study, and it really reflects upon my common sense 

 when I think how often I have glorified thctu in the papers. 

 prettily described their winning ways, their little Ii ■■ n 

 loves, and in winter time have pathetically implored the pub- 



lie 1 



o rei 



icmber 



he p 



the 



Sll'e; 



ts and 



Si|U: 



Noi 



v, dr 



n't thin 



;la 



stor 



V ab 



nit thei 



ibh 



the 



song 



birds tl 



at us 



squ 



ires 





us. SO 



tol 



e settled bet 



Venn 





b be 

 n on 



llie'sp;' 





dm 



rrow 



i- birds 

 3. I've 



do: 



,e':n: 



rith 



in 



the 



rthi 



em from ibis day 

 m with the stale 

 tif ul bh'ds and all 



fhat is a matter 



The ; 



ad only i 



s of tilt 



lily "counted but." L'm parti; i 



because they are infernal little I 

 ■eason why they were imported at all 

 ■ terrible worm-pest that destroyed i.lin 

 persisted iu dropping down on us, 

 as n, i ountry cousins. The spur. 

 his. As worm-destroyers they were 

 ,n- i itenl medicine that children ever 

 member Ihe ancient anecdote 

 the West Indies! The bees 

 i their Winter store , .i n ,, , 

 e was ao v. inter I 

 year round, they Spent then- 

 ar houses, and amused thein- 



I Wil I . I I: . 



very soon discovered licit I hey could gel their "grub" with- 

 out taking the i rouble to pick up common worms. I have 

 passed a good part of the last five fairSu . :oti 



Park, ami" have noticed more particularly this year than before 

 how very common are the caterpillars and how oomp 

 scarce arc the sparrows. In the most rural and seem 

 like the Rumble, just where you would suppose a. bu,'i 



cried for. But i 



Jasl Do 



about tbeintrodi 



iction of bees in 



went to work au 



.1 thriftily laid ii 



But when l hey 



found out tber 



for, and that llo\ 



mined the 



leisure days in a 



id abou i il -i 



selves by stinging "niggers." S( 



