148 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



<k 



THE INGHAM FISH FARM. 



Prospect Farm, 1ST. J., October, 1875. 

 Editor Forest and Stream:— 



I wish to say to all who, like myself, have made a failure of fish cul- 

 ture, that if they will visit Ingham Spring Fish Farm they will find it no 

 failure, and will get more practical information in one hour free of charge 

 than from reading all the books ever published. I was there last week, 

 and found there had been some money expended, but I believe it is a 

 fortune. The spring has a flow of 3,800 gallons per minute, a stone 

 hatching house, in which millions of eggs can be hatched at one time 

 without the use of gravel or filtering the water, with ponds and all fix- 

 tures complete ; also a lake, which covers fifteen acres, in which I saw 

 hundreds of salmon breaking, and to convince myself they were salmo 

 salar I was allowed the pleasure of taking a few with a fly— five in all— 

 which, as they were not in season, were returned to the lake again. Mr. 

 Thompson said one was a five year old, and it was a beauty; the others two 

 and three. There are plenty of this year's hatching. A club has the ex- 

 clusive privilege of fishing the lake,, without any limits. I hope some 

 of the members will send me an invitation, that I may enjoy some of 

 the sport, as I think they have a privilege which cannot be equalled. 



J. C. Schencke. 



SPRATT'S DOG BISCUIT AS FISH FOOD. 



Charxestown, N. H., October 4th, 1875. 

 Editor Forest and Stream :— 



I send you an extract from a letter received from England a few days 

 since from Sir William Marriott, Bart., thinking his ideas on the sub- 

 ject of Spratt's dog biscuit may prove valuable to some of our fish 

 breeders in this country. He says:— 



"I have had capital luck with last year's brood of Salmo fontinalis, ex- 

 cept; that I lost some in transport from my place to a river about ten 

 miles off, from not carrying them i^a proper sort of vessel. I feed them 

 now on Spratt's dog biscuit pounded up, and I find they do first rate on 

 iti and it is a very economical sort of food, compounded, I fancy, of 

 meat juices and biscuit. I nope to fill our Dorsetshire streams, in time, 

 with your beautiful trout, as 1 nave every reason to believe they are much 

 superior to any of British breed. I hope the ova will arrive in the same 

 capital order the last did. Do you feed the very young fry on liver, or 

 what? I fed on Thames worms— very small, thread-like, red things, 

 supplied by Frank Backland's man, Edon— hut they come very expen- 

 sive, and I think this year I shall try some with liver. I think the dog 

 biscuit a great discovery; the risn seem to like it very much, and do well 

 on it, and it is the cheapest food possihle." 



Now I do not know as dog biscuit would be, in this country, tlm cheap- 

 est food we could use; but I should think it might possibly prove a val- 

 uable change in diet, about the time that any epidemic is liable to at- 

 tack the young fry, and there is usually a season of the year at which we 

 may expect such trouble, and which we have to use every means in our 

 power to ward off. Francis W- Webber. 



-*.»- • >• 



—Mr. J. B. Thompson, of New Hope, Pa., writes us 

 that he will hatch, free of charge, any salmon eggs that 

 private persons or clubs may^desire for stocking suitable 

 waters. The California salmon eggs, as we have before 

 advised, can be had gratis on application to Prof. Baird. 



\utnml ]§i8targ. 



• — • — 



Where Progs go to in Winter.— A correspondent, 

 writing from Milton, Mass., says: lk I have noticed in your 

 columns an inquiry as to where the frogs go to in Winter. 

 Where should they go to except to the springs? Here we 

 use them for bait for smelt fishing through the ice. We 

 bail out the springs and find them under the stones close to 

 the fountain head ; they come out bright and lively, of a 

 natural color, and the several kinds of frogs, as well as dif- 

 ferent kinds of snakes, are found in the same springs. We 

 often find as many as one hundred in a single spring." 

 — ■*»»- 



The Crimson Tanager.— A correspondent writes us for 



information as to the habitat of the above bird. We can 



inform him that it is found most abundantly along the 



Amazon, but is quite plentitful in any part of Brazil. 

 . ■«.». 



Albino Fishes. — Two interesting cases of albinism in 

 fishes have recently fallen within my observation. The 

 first was a specimen of common haddock, [Melanogrammus 

 aglefinus,) taken off Barnegat, N. J., May 7, by the 

 schooner White Cloud, of New London, and shown to me 

 by my friend, Mr. Blackford, of Fulton Market, New 

 York. This fish, which was thirty- one inches long, was 

 normal in every particular except in color. Its general 

 hue was pinkish-white, with a pearly lustre, instead of the 

 usual brownish-gray. The back and top of the head were 

 slightly darker, approximating a very light salmon color. 

 The black strioe which usually marks the lateral line and 

 the blackish-bfown blotch, behind and above the pectorals— 

 the traditional mark of the thumb of the disciple Peter- 

 were entirely absent. The fins throughout were yellowish- 

 white with a tinge of red, except the ventrals which were 

 a. shade darker. The slightest - trace of the normal ashy 

 tint of the beliy might be discovered just below the origin 

 of the pectorals. The second instance is a specimen of the 

 common eel {Anguilla Bostoniensis) taken in salt water at 

 Noank, Conn., in December, 1874, and presented to the 

 United States National Museum, by Capt. Elihu Potter. 

 In this the color is a dull, pale yellowish above, becoming 

 nearly white beneath. According to M. Dareste albinism 

 is not uncommon among European eels. It appears, how- 

 ever, to be very exceptional in our waters. 1 have never 

 seen or heard of an instance besides the case just cited. 

 True albinism is especially uncommon among the members 

 of the family to which the haddock belongs. The ground 

 color of the cod and haddock varies much with the bottom 

 on which they are taken, but I have never known of a case 

 in which the spots and other markings were obliterated. 

 A familiar instance of the influence of the color of the bot- 

 tom is found in the rosy "rock-cod" of the coast of Maine, 

 which is usually taken in the neighborhood of ledges 

 covered with the' bright red algae, such as Ptilota serrata 

 and Delesseria sinuosa. In a similar manner the "butter 

 fish" {Enneacentrus ouatahbi) and the "grouper" Epinephe- 

 lus fasciatus) are influenced by the white coral sand bot- 

 toms about the Bermuda Islands, but though they assume 

 a very pallid hue, the character of their markings is quite 



unchanged. — American Naturalist. 



. ■+«■»- ■ 



The Air Bladder in Fishes.— The Revue Scientifique 

 ^publishes a paper read by M. Armand Moreau at a sitting 

 .of the French Association for the Advancement of Science 

 that met last month at Nantes. It is a well-known fact 

 that there are fishes provided with what are called air blad- 

 ders/and others that have none; and this difference of 

 structure exercises considerable influence on the creature's 



power of station and locomotion. Those species that are 

 deprived of the organ in question will, at the surface of 

 the water, experience the pressure of the atmosphere, or, 

 at a depth of 300 yards, be exposed to thirty times that 

 pressure, without contracting its bulk, its tissues being as 

 incompressible as water. The fish, on the contrary, that 

 has an air bladder cannot pass from one pressure to an- 

 other without experiencing a modification in the inflation 

 of that organ. It will be more dilated at the surface, less 

 so at a certain depth; and hence naturalists have been in- 

 duced to suppose that by contracting its muscles the crea- 

 ture would, at the surface cf the water, reduce its volume, 

 and, on the contrary, increase it according to the depth at- 

 tained by relaxing its muscles; so that by means of these 

 two operations it could realize a constant normal bulk and 

 density at the same time. This is the view adopted by 

 Borelly, by Cuvier, Milne Edwards, and all our contempo- 

 raries. M. Armand Moreau, however, denies the correct- 

 ness of this theory, and explains the matter thus : The fish 

 when it changes its level, and consequently the pressure, 

 stores up air in its bladder against the casualty of a dimi- 

 nution of bulk, but as soon as the pressure diminishes it 

 lets out the excess of air it possessed. By direct experi- 

 ment he has ascertained that at a depth of ten metres the 

 creature had doubled the quantity of air it had before de- 

 scending; now at that depth it experienced a pressure equal 

 to double that it was exposed to at the surface. A fish not 

 possessed of an air bladder, and exposed to the same ex- 

 periments, always presented a constant bulk. The conclu- 

 sion is that the muscular system has nothing to do with 

 the faculty the fish has of adapting itself to different pres- 

 sures . — Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News . 



r aodhnd, Mnrm nnd %mdm. 



THE CENTRAL NEW YORK FAIR. 



[from our own CORRESPONDENT. J 



♦ 



THE great Exposition of the Central New York Agri- 

 cultural and Mechanical Association has drawn to 

 Utica throngs of people. The city seems crowded with 

 every description of conveyance. Steam cars, steamboats, 

 street railroads, carriages, carryalls of every conceivable 

 and inconceivable form are endeavoring to transport the 

 world to the fair grounds, which are about one mile and a 

 quarter from the centre of the city. 



The fair opened on Monday, September 27th, and con- 

 tinued until the 6th of October. Its managers after ar- 

 aranging a superior disply in all branches of art and agri- 

 culture, devote the track and a portion of the grounds to 

 trotting, racing, military pageants and drill, lady eques- 

 trians, melody band contests, boy riders, races for farmers, 



&c. 



The exhibition is one of superior merit. In the cattle 

 department, Whiting's famous herd of Dutch cattle, Bel- 

 linger's herd of Jersey's, the Oneida Community's fine dis- 

 play, and the famed Kerry cattle of R. Saybold, of Waterloo, 

 attract much attention. Machinery hall is an immense 

 building with huge engines and boilers, and cotton 

 gins, corn huskers, and lots of whirling things tell me "to 

 wrap my drapery" about me. 



The stoves are light and shiny and warm, and the 

 toughest lot of men rattle away all day about back-action, 

 reverse draft, patterns "saving half your coal," and "only 

 by my patent gas eating, mica framed, meandering draft 

 fuel saver." 



The dairy display entries counted 549, good honest 

 cheese and wonderful butter. 



The floral and vegetable shows were under two large 

 tents. The display was admirably arranged, evergreen 

 branches being fastened to the three poles which were sur- 

 rounded by octagonal tables filled with a massed variety, of 

 exoties and rare plants. 



Another large tent contained the show of poultry, rab- 

 bits, squirrels, pigeons, etc. This display is exceedingly 

 choice, and the coops are uniform. C. H. Warner, of 

 Verona, game fowls, Newton Adams, of Utica, Hamburgh, 

 G. T. Hollingworth, Brahmas, T. R. Proctor, Cochin and 

 spangled, A. Leach, bantams. The frizzled and other 

 varieties were worthy of particular notice. The pigeon 

 display of jacobin, fantails, carrier, ring doves, etc., was 

 large and fine. 



The carriage department filled two large tents, while the 

 centre of the half mile track was devoted to agricultural 

 implements in every variety. 



Under the grand stand is Domestic Hall, where knitting 

 machines, type writers, rocking chairs, baby jumpers, 

 burglar alarms, oil paintings, draining boots and striped 

 hose, rugs, patched quilts, and suspenders form an inde- 

 scribable medley. 



The clock indicates 2:30, the bell in the judge's' stand is 

 struck , and four horses come on the track to compete for 

 the $100 prize, trotting to harness. The race was won by 

 J. Ballou's horse Reuben in three heats, the time was 2:37f, 

 2:38,2:36. Then two trial trots for time were made by 

 Nellie Ernin and Aberdeen Colt. The Judge awarded 1st 

 premium for lady rider to Miss Julia C. Thurston; Harriet 

 Garlock, 2d; Sarah Thurston commended. Best boy 

 rider: 1st premium to Dan. Butterfield; 2d Fred. Harter. 



At 4 P. M. music is heard at the Grand Entrance Gate. 

 Young's mounted cavalry and Bacon cadets enter upon the 

 track, forming a guard of honor to Samuel J. Tilden, 

 Governor of the State of New York. In the carriage with 

 him is Ex-Governor Horatio Seymour, and Mr. T. Proctor, 

 President of the Society, and in the carriage following, 

 Senator Francis Kernan, and Hon. C. W. Hutchinson, 

 Mayor of the city. The line moved to the front of the 

 Grand Stand, the crowds enthusiastically cheering the 

 cortege. As these distinguished guests of the society entered 

 their box, the surging, compact crowd was a sight never to 



be forgotten. The immense Grand Stand ordinarily - 

 ing 4,500, was filled beyond its capacity. Two thousand^ 

 least were in the free stand; the quarter stretch and tra I 



formed a mass of faces, while the field was dense! 

 crowded with carriages. Twenty thousand people honp t 

 yeomen, were there to pay homage to the chief magistrat 

 of the Empire State. He was formally introduced b« 

 able address by President Proctor, and then the Governo- 

 delivered an earnest impressive speech to the audienp 

 Then followed the eloquent remarks of Ex-Gov. Horatf-' 

 Seymour and Senator Kernan. Nothing seemed lacking 

 except the presence of Senator Conkling, who was unf 

 voidably absent. 



At the conclusion of the addresses the Governor receive- 1 

 the grand cavalcade of military, machinery in motion 

 ladies on horseback, prize horses, matched teams, ptfel 

 cattle etc. The whole forming a pageant once seen,' never 

 to be forgotten. 



The arrangements of this great exhibition are uneqalled 

 Every department moving apparently without labor thus 

 showing the genius of the management. Everybody was 

 delighted, as was your corresponpent. To-morrow we 

 visit the State Lunatic Asylum, the woolen and cotton 

 mills, and the next day proceed to Trenton Falls, promis- 

 ing to send you notes by the way. Jennie Morton. 

 . -**■*- 



SAP CIRCULATION— WHAT HAS BEEN 



PROVED. 



«. . 



THE experiments of the past two years by President 

 Clark and his co-laborers have unfolded one of the 

 most interesting natural laws since Harvey's time, In this 

 article we can only give a short resume of the more im- 

 portant points. 



The Law: (1). The sap flows upward during the expan- 

 sion of the buds and whole life of the leaves. (2). This 

 crude sap pervades the sound wood throughout, the heart 

 wood as well as the alburnum. (3). The leaves perfect 

 the sap. (4). The perfected sap descends within the hi, 

 ner tissues of the bark. (5). All growth takes place di- 

 rectly from the bark toward the centre. The Proof; (1), 

 Plant a small tree in a metallic case that will admit of 

 sealing the roots up air-tight. After sealing up, weigh the 

 whole. Then water with weighed quantities of water, 

 through an aperture provided with a cork, and it will be 

 found upon weighing after some hours that the weight di- 

 minishes. By other experiments it is proven that this loss 

 in weight is occasioned by exhalation of water from the 

 leaves. (2). A tube with threads cut upon it was inserted 

 in a maple tree to the heart-wood, so that no sap could en- 

 ter it but from that region. A considerable quantity of 

 sap ran from this spile, but not so freely as from the sap 

 wood, because the cells of old wood become filled with 

 lignin; and when a gauge was attached to this point the 

 pressure reached a height equal to 28.34 feet of water. (3), 

 Many elaborate experiments, by various investigators, show 

 that nearly ninety -five per cent, of the water of the sap is 

 exhaled in large quantities. This carbonic acid is decom- 

 posed under the action of life, sunshine and chemical af- 

 finity, most of the oxygen is thrown off and the carbon re- 

 tatned. The carbon, under the same influence, is united 

 to the water to form the starch compounds, as celulose, 

 gum, starch, and the sugar, which have nearly the same 

 composition but different properties and uses. (4). When 

 a tree is thoroughly girdled below the leaves in Winter or 

 early Spring, the upper portion will continue its growth 

 through the season and a new layer will be produced, but 

 there will be none below the girdle, thus showing that per- 

 fected sap descends. That the perfected sap is all in the 

 inner bark tissues is shown by there being no growth be- 

 low the girdle; otherwise the nutrient matters would have 

 passed around the cut, in obedience to the old theory of 

 osmose, endosmose, diffusion, capillarity, etc., and sup- 

 plied the requirements of growth. This is also proven by 

 the following beautiful experiment: Before any organized 

 tissue had been deposited, (Mav 30th,) but when the bark 

 was easily removable, slips of tinned copper were inserted 

 beneath the bark, extending around the stem, of several 

 small trees; elm, willow and chestnut. The bark was then 

 replaced, and wound with a cloth saturated with grafting 

 wax. After the leaves had fallen in Autumn, the results 

 were noted. "In all cases the new wood was deposited 

 outside of the metallic band. (5). Examination under the 

 microscope showed that a thin layer of parenchyma cor- 

 responding to the pith of the first year's wood was formed 

 upon the metal, and outside of this the woody tissue, 

 while the medullary rays were as numerous as in other 

 portions of the layer of wood, and extended directly from 

 the bark to the metal under it." 



In addition to this clearly proven law, it appears that 

 some plants have phases peculiar to themselves. ThehW 

 of sap in the maple in early Spring is entirely independent 

 of root action. A branch of maple, frozen stiff, was cut, 

 the lower end seared and pitched, and taken into the p an 

 house, (Spring weather always there). The stem was then 

 tapped, and the sap flowed continuously for tbirttjjfijj 

 hours, when it stopped as if the season was over, the 

 the tree was taken out of doors and allowed to freeze uy 



again, and a second time placed in the plant house, w 

 the flow was repeated, but not quite so^ freely. in ^ 

 similar to the phenomenon of sap flowing 



during warm days in Winter when the roots are fro ■ 

 Again, when the gauge was attached to the severed root 

 the maple, no pressure was exerted, although there w . 

 high pressure upon the trunk. , „« 



From these phenomena, it appears that the flow ot jj 

 from the maple and other species that flow only after news 

 frozen, is not a vital but purely physical process, i-Q . * 

 is separated from the cellulose by the cold, and un ae^ 

 dinarv circumstances gradually re-absorbed. -But j* 

 the tree is tapped so that the liberated sap can escaj , 

 will do so. The bleeding is, therefore, a sort ot im* ^ 

 from the vessels of the wood, caused by the freezing 

 thawing. — JScientifie Farmer. 



♦♦♦- 



Kansas Crops —The crops in Kansas cannot have ^ 

 very full this year, if they are not better in other P 0T i 

 of the State than those referred to by a correspondent 

 ing from Delphos. He says:— eS . 



"In this section we have had rather a poor # seaso. 

 pecially for wheat, rye and oats, they averaging i £ 

 t; i„ „„, — + „™iJ„ z^a t,ff„ nn >,„oi^i c npr acre, ana »°V, 



tively, seven, twelve and fifteen bushels per acre a ^ acreS 

 have damaged even that considerably. From ^.J'gfty 

 of grain, I have only 200 bushels, and that wortn °" w jj 



have damaged even that considerably. 



of grain, I have only 200 bushels, and ** 



cents per bushel, so you can well see that I must 



expenses. 



