24 



FOREST AND STREAM 



- i incl elsewhere. A heavy rain fell about nine in the 

 ilj iii i'l through was hot and muggy. 

 i' sniid terrific. Therevraa uo-sleep for anyone. 



i ml fun reigned rather dismally. 



latpul (iff for Saull Ste. Mane tbe next morning, 



passing Bnchewana Bay in the fog, and reaching the Sault 

 in flue time* with faces bo burned our friends waiting there 

 Hardly recognized us. 



1 had fished the year before around the Bayfield coaat, not 

 camping out, however, and I found the Barring of Bache- 

 i6preferred Of-coiirse tastes differ. 

 Hud both places are chavniliig. In either the over Worked 

 busine i or irofei onal man finds res! and ease. I would 

 prefer the bay now even more than years ago, for the very 

 reason that one is a little further from newspapers, letters 

 and telegrams there than at Bayfield or Ashland. 



For Fared and Stream and Sod and Gun, 

 A NOVICE ON THE PRAIRIE. 



IT was on a bright October day last fall that I made my 

 j u company with several congenial spirits, on the 

 .meat Prairies of Iowa to shoot my first chicken. My objee- 

 tihe point was Albion, Marshall Co., Iowa, situated on the 

 Central K. 11. of Iowa, about 150 miles West of Davenport. 

 Arriving at Marshalltown, we were met by our expectant, 

 host, whose genial face and hearty band-shake betp] 

 warm reception at his prairie home, seven miles farther on. 

 "VVe|got therein time, and were immediately escorted through 

 the principal Avenue to Hotel De Patrick, where we were 

 made more then welcome by his good wife, whose largeness 

 of heart is only exceeded by the broad acres upon which she 

 lives, Congratulations having ceased.^each one suddenly re- 

 alised that they possessed a stomach that had known no food 

 for a " long ride. 7 ' Wo were not kept waiting long, however. 

 Supper was announced. Hunger dissipated, we were ready — 

 nyc, ready— for chickens : we bad come 1,000 miles for 

 chickens, we must talk chickens, eat chickens, and chicken it 

 generally. All turned out in good season next morning, and 

 alter partaking of a royal breakfast, we were ready for 



I i io come with the team. In went our traps, luncheon, 



arms, dogs and all. Hip, hip, hurrah ! Bound for Story Co., 

 23 miles, for chickens. A bright and lovely morning, pure 

 air. and jolly company made the ride seem but a short one. 

 Jess, our friend and guide, and an old prairie bird, enlivened 

 our trip with reminiscences of his early shooting days in 

 i H Co.. when to walk but a short distance from his 

 dwelling, with dog and gun, meant a good bag; but very dif- 

 ferent now, scarcely any chickens in the immediate vicinity of 

 Albion, where formerly there was fine quail and chicken 

 Shooting. Passing from Marshall into Story Co., Jess said, 

 s, we shall soon make game." Jess was 

 right; dogs out, all out except Pat, who shot with the lines. 

 I was chock full of " expectation," (had never seen a chicken 

 rise). How eagerly 1 watched every movement of the dogs 

 as they quartered the ground finely. " Ah 1 there's a point. 

 Get up here," says Jeso. I got up. and so did the chicken. 

 Bung, bang— Jess and I simultaneously. Result; one old 

 cock bird, no claim made by either. The ball had opeued, and 

 a right merry bad it was. From modesty and inexperience. I 

 held back a little, to sec how it was done, while Boisy and 

 Cjeorge went to the front, each with a fine chicken, while fol- 

 lowing to the left some distance (they having the dog) I walked 

 up my first chicken and killed it, whereupon my gun reduced 

 its weight to about two pounds and a lialf; my height in.- 

 ijreased about eighteen inches. Of course it was the largest 

 chicken killed, and the prairie seemed to blossom as the rose. 

 Well, I had rouie a thousand miles to do it, hail done it, and 

 now 1 was ready for dinner. Pat, unhitched the team, and 

 iheu did the agreeable by making the spread upon the ground. 

 We gathered around it ; twenty-three miles of " jolting" had 

 done its work— we were thoroughly settled. "Never shall I 

 : that dinner; doughnuts, sandwiches, cold meats, etc., 

 h ared with surprising rapidity. The five of us 

 rose fuller if not wiser men. 

 Jess ordered all aboard for a Stubble, about one-quarter of a 

 i\t,ant. We make the stubble in good time, are out ina 

 jllfy, dogs working Well but birds very scarce and wild, as 

 i, is pretty late. Wc managed, however, to score several 

 It was now time to to look for a lodging place, and a 

 ,.,i; look it was, one unbroken prairie on every side ; but 

 oid Pat were equal to the emergency; one espied a 

 on the distant prairie," and the other drove us to it. 

 i, presence created a meat commotion in the lamily ; heads 

 appeared at every aperture— many of them— we doubted the 

 : i the house to hold us; it was a regular prairie 

 i e. At this juncture the landlady appeared on the scene. 

 Wc asked her how many children she bad; she replied that 

 eleven were at home and one had gone to town for flour and 

 other luxuries; but we could stay. Our " schooner " was im- 

 Ltely unloaded. We arrived In at, supper time, and the 

 manner in which all straggled with huge specimens of Iowa 

 ■s was a terror to the kind-hearted daughter of Old 

 Erin. 



The evening was whiled away with smoke and a recapitu- 

 lation of the day's doings. To bed was next in order: we 

 filled the order and bed too. Three in a single bed made a 

 , ,' d, but all said they were happy. Next morning more 

 potatoes, and all were ready for the homeward shoot. Pat 

 shot off the left-hand line and we were soon out upon the 

 rolling prairie again. Our second day's hunt was a repetition 

 ii first, full. of pleasant incidents, fair success, and with a 

 long-to-be-remembered dinner. 



Home in good season, birds dtessed, all were ready and 



willing to eat the fruit of their labors served in true Western 



slvle the next morning, with. genial faces around the board, 



ith a steaming hot chicken before him, I lived over 



airattt the pleasures of "my first chicken hunt." 



1 Saline. 



Hoods fob Sj'oktsmen.— Messrs. Hodgman & Go., 



Men Lane, this city, have opened a new rubber Btorfi 



at, 433 Broadway, a few doors above ( anal strei i, where they 



,, | largest and most complete assortments of rub. 



ber goodB in this city. Tliey still retain their present store at 



27 Maiden Lane, comer of Nassau street, where they have 



been cats Mi a it forty years, in both places they 



will open this season sane entirely new styles of rubber 



iheeting, fancy goods, boots, Bhoes, etc. Ihey are 



i, Mr. Boyton with new dress and appointments. 



S§h f «%f 



ANNUAL GROWTH OF LAND-LOCKED 

 SALMON. 



Grand KAru>s, Mick., Jan. is, 1879. 

 Editor FOBEST ami Stream: 



An article In Forest and Stream soma weeks ago spoke of a salmon 

 caught, la a email lake ne&r Kalkaska, Mich,, in October or November, 

 1S7S; Have not the paper wlt.u me now, ami do nol, recollect the exact 

 date. The llsli was about twenty-two Inches long and weighed 8!<f lbs. 

 Dr. Parker, of Grand Rapids, one of the -Michigan Fish Commissioners, 

 has a photograph, and I think told me he saw the fish. The doctor 

 has since shown me statistics of fHh culture In Michigan, which gives 

 the time of lirst plaui lug or ealnion la the lake where this " daisy " was 

 captured as May, 1ST0, making him, if one of this plant, two and a half 

 yearR old when taken. 



I should like the opinion of Hie Forest and 8tream as to llie proba- 

 bility or possibility of a salmon attaining the proportions of this speci- 

 men In the time named. T was Informed by Mr. Olark, of Northvtlle, 

 Mieh., of whom I purchased salmon and whiteflsh for stocking Rome 

 City Lake throe years ago, that the; former would grow to a ten or 

 twelve-Inch flab In two years. A. Palmer, Boscobel, Wis., in Forest 

 and Stream of Dec. 'i6, speaks of his four-year-old salmon being but 

 little larger than his two-year-old trout. 



H [Au article la Forest and Stream, Oct. 4, 1B7T, headed "Salmon in 

 our Lakes," copied from the St.. Paul Pioneer Press, says: " Ti e two- 

 year-olds arc now twelve to fourteen inches long. In Iowa they have 

 been in the business longer, and have four- year-olds that are twenty- 

 two inches long and weigh from nine to eleven pounds." As this 

 article was published in September, several months after hatching 

 time, the ash spoken of must have been two and a half and foar and a 

 half years old. Salmon were planted in Bear Lake, near Luna Traverse 

 bay, early in 1S7B. Some live or six months later, while netting min- 

 nows, I took from my net one of the fry about three inches long, in 

 diseased condition, being covered with dark warty spots, and showing 

 but faint signs of life wlule in my hand, though he swam oil lively 

 enough when returned to the water. 



In OctobBr last, two and a half years after the first and six months 

 after the second planting, a nine-inch flsh, said by reliable persons 

 who saw him to be a genuine salmon, was caught in this lake. As this 

 lish was but little less than the size I had supposed a two-year-old 

 salmon to attain, I have believed him to be one of the first plant, 1876. 



After the testimony of Dr. Parker and others who were "called t,o 

 the feast " at Kalamazoo, where the eight and a half pound by twenty- 

 two inch flsh was served, I cannot doubt this beiug a veritable salmon ; 

 but witu some of my friends, readers of the Forest and Stream, I do 

 riuestion the probability, or even possibility, of his being but two and a 

 half years old. I should be pleased, as I have no doubt many of your 

 readers would, to have the opinion of the Forest and Stream, or any 

 other good authority, upon this subject— the usual annual growth of the 

 land-locked Balmon. As I have contended with Dr. Parker and others 

 that snch a growth in so short a time was, from any information t havo 

 ever had, iuipossiblo, f should like to be set right if I have beeniu the 

 wrong, An answer either by letter or through your columns will 

 much oblige, years truly. J. M. METnuANY. 



Ana. "We must not forget that there are analogies all through 

 nature. Fish, like men and animals, do not all attain the 

 same size ; do not attain equal size in the same length of time. 

 it is the experience of all fishculturists that there are runts in 

 every hatching, just as there are runts in litters of rabbits and 

 dogs. We have seen some notable specimens at Madison, 

 Wis., State Hatchery of varying sizes of flsh from the same 

 hatching, not only in trout, but in salmon trout. Supt. 

 Welcher has land-locked salmon even smaller than those 

 designated by our intelligent correspondent. Naturalists can 

 ascertain the period required to bring to maturity fish of 

 specified varieties ; but it is quite beyond their ken to deter- 

 mine whether a variety of fish which attains maturity in one 

 water in a given time, will attain maturity in some other 

 water in the same length of time. Conditions of water, food, 

 temperature, weather,— rains, snow, freshets, drouth, short 

 summers or short winters— all must come into consideration, 

 and even then a fair solution cannot be reached. In most of 

 the lakes of Maine land-locked salmon vary from two to four 

 or five pounds; in others sis -to eight pounds; in the upper 

 Saguenay they run about four pounds average, and seldom 

 exceed six pounds, while in the Stoney Lake region, Ontario, 

 they sometimes reach twenty pounds. Borne of these salmon 

 have attained weight at the rate of a pound a month J others 

 only a few ounces. 



Categorically, we cannot answer what the usual annual 

 growth of a land-locked salmon is. 



Twelfth Report of trie Commissioners of 

 Fisheries of the State of Maine for the 

 Year 1878. 



The Maine Commissioners report a year of signally marked 

 prosperity. The constantly increasing interest in fish culture, 

 as indicated by continued demands from every part of the 

 State for fish to stock exhausted waters, for new flsh ways, 

 etc., is most gratifying and promises much for the future of 

 the work. Several pages of Ihe present report are devoted to 

 a review of the lax and wholly inefficient protective laws, 

 which we shall notice in a subsequent issue. 



The results of the salmon planting have been very satisfac- 

 tory, as exhibited on the Penobscot, St. Croix and Medomac. 

 The Penobscot yield was especially large, and the Androscog- 

 gin and its tributaries have yielded more the past season than 

 for years before. It is suggested that small hatching houses be 

 established at Kangeley, Moosehead, North Twin Dam.Eaton, 

 and Grand Lake Stream. By thus replenishing the supply of 

 salmon and trout the attractions offered to angling tourists 

 may be perpetuated. No single interest of the State now 

 brings so large an amount of evenly distributed money to its 

 people through the Commissioners as do the inland fisheries. 

 This revenue can be made vastly more important still by ju- 

 diciously restocking the lakes and streams. Much may also 

 be done by fostering the blue back, tbe small red fin and ;the 



several varieties of tbe CyprinidiR, which furnish food for the 

 other fiah. To the presence of this food and the absence of 

 the togue, cusk and perch, the game fish owe then 

 While collecting spawn the 'Commissioners recorded the 

 weight of the trout captured at Rangeley,and the figures range 

 from two to ten pounds. Apropos of eels, the report contains 

 the record of three which were killed by the weight of water 

 driving them between the logs in the apron of the dam at 

 Rangeley. They tipped the beam at 8jh ll£ and 13| pounds, 

 respectively. The Commissioners strongly urge the stocking 

 of Moosehead with blue-back trout, and tbe planting 

 trout and land-locked salmon, with the appointment of effi- 

 cient wardens. 



A hatching house for land-locked salmon has been estab- 

 lished on the Songo River, and it is the purpose of the Com- 

 missioners to stock as many of the inland lakes with this su- 

 perior fish. There have been distributed from Grand Lake 

 the past year 100,000 fry. Of blue-back trout some 40,000 

 have been distributed. There has been a large demand for 

 black bass. After some forty ponds and streams were sup- 

 plied the distribution was necessarily stopped from lack of 

 funds. It is hoped in another year to fill all demands. The 

 Commissioners regard it as a very important State measure 

 that the alewife should be restored as early as possible to the 

 rivers. The erection of mills has materially reduced the sup- 

 ply. Seventy alewives were transported in cans from Bucks- 

 port to Enfield in May last, and the first school of young fry 

 were seen descending the Penobscot River in the following 

 September. The fish will make their reappearance in two 

 years. To keep up a continuous supply, it is proposed to 

 transport more spaw ning fish to the same pond next May. 

 ^_^»_ 



The American Fisk Coltubal Association. — The next 

 meeting will take place at the Directors' room of the Fulton 

 Market Fishmongers' Association, New York, over the whole- 

 sale market next to the feny-houso. We hope for a good 

 attendance, as the interest is increasing every year, and the 

 character of the papers read, as well as the discussions follow- 

 ing are snch as to engage all who take an interest in fish 

 hatching, catching, buying, selling, or in studying their habits 

 and life history. Many anglers are now joining, and we hope 

 that such of our readers as may be interested in fish matters 

 will forward their names for membership. The association 

 has many members whose business or infirmities will not 

 permit their personal attendance, but who take great pride iu 

 contributing to the grand work in which it is engaged, and 

 who read the published reports with great interest. Peespns 

 wishing to join will, upon application to any of the officers, 

 or to Fokest and Stkkam, receive blank forms for this pur- 

 pose, or they can join at the meeting without further cere- 

 mony. The initiation fee is $5, and the annual dues $3. 



The following gentlemen have signified their intention to 

 join this association : C. F. Fearing, G. W. Van Sicklen, 

 John E. Develin, 8. M. Johnson, Boston, II. II. Thompson, 

 Fliess. 



McDonalu's FisnwAY. — Not very long ago wc printed a 

 diagram of this useful ladder, and wo are glad to know thai, 

 the inventor is now busy designing one of them to put in the 

 dam at Lexington, Va., for the purpose of settling those de- 

 tails of construction which can only be worked out in practice. 

 The annual loss to production from the depletion of the Poto- 

 mac fisheries is $300,000. The loss to the States of Virginia 

 and Maryland in taxes from the reduction in real estate values, 

 consequent upon the destruction of those fisheries, is not less 

 than five or six thousand dollars per annum. These arc de- 

 ductions from careful statistics prepared under the direction 

 and at the expense of the U. S. Commission of Fisheries, of 

 whom Mr. McDonald is one. 



The Spawxino of Hebkixo. — As this subject is now en- 

 gaging the attention of scientific men, the following may be of 

 service to fishermen and naturalists iu this country, although 

 the data ootnes from England and an English paper, the Land 

 and Wider: 



"Whenever an agitation against trawling for herring 

 other fish is got, one of the reasons urged for the a I 

 the system is that it is pernicious to, and destructive of, the 

 spawn of herrings, the belief being that, herrings deposit, their 

 spawn on the bottom, where it remains until vivified. 



From long observation my opinion is that the herring sheds 

 its spawn near the surface, where it remains suspended re- 

 ceiving the rays of the sun and a higher temperature, which 

 hastens the vivifying much sooner than if deposited on the 

 bottom, a prey to all the Crustacea and fish which keep the 

 ground. 



My reasons for arriving at this conclusion are the following: 

 During the month of August the best takes of herring are got 

 at from two to four fathoms from the surface, often in a 

 spawning state. According to the current belief, the fish 

 should have been at the bottom when this act I :i I; . 



In August and September of last season very lure 

 ties of herrings in a spawning state were caught at Peterhead 

 at from two to three fathoms from the surface, in waler from 

 thirty to fifty fathoms deep. 



It may be urged that the spawn sinks to the bottom and 

 remains there until life is produced ; but the idea 

 who hold to the old theory is that the herring select- 

 or stony bottom on which it deposits its spawn. TJb 

 not always the case we have ample proofs, as we hi 

 seen large takes of half-shotten herrings taken where the bot- 

 tom was pure saud, and this is a yearly occurrence. 



Every one at all observant must have seen I he back ropes 

 and nets, as well as the swing ropes by which (he 

 attached to the boat, thickly coated with spawn from earning 

 in contact with it while floating in the water. 



I have been assured by fishermen that, when herrings are in 

 the act of shedding their spawn, they often get tl 

 ring in one side of the net and the milt fish in the other side, 

 thus indicating that the fish while in this state cross each 

 other like the salmon, so that the mill and roe may be brought 

 into contact. 



It is now a recognized fact that cod, mackerel, and other 

 fish spawn at or near the surface, and were Professor Shis, or 

 other learned investigators, to devote their attentiot 

 spawning of herrings, I believe a like result would be estab- 

 lished for herrings. J, R. (Peterhead). 



