FOREST AND STREAM. 



19 



less than half an hour caught as many trout as we wanted 

 for that day's eating, and then took our rods apart, be- 

 lieving that the true sportsman will always limit the 

 slaughter of the innocents by his necessities rather than 

 his desires; or that, as Walton says: "Ye shall not use ye 

 craftie disport of fishynge for no covetourness to the en- 

 creasing and sparing of your money only, but principally 

 for your solace, and to cause ye health of your body and 

 specyally your soule." As we said "good bye" to the man 

 who, with his good wife, had entertained us right royally 

 during our stay over that imaginary line which divides 

 Sullivan from "Ulster county, and to which he had driven 

 us to give us a lift on our onward march, we not only 

 said but meant that we were sorry to leave him, and if 

 spared till another summer, would treat ourselves to an- 

 other and longer visit to De Bruce. 



Our experiences in crossing Ulster county and in the 

 Oatskill Mountains I leave for a second narrative. 



Athos. 



TURKEY 



For Forest and Stream. 

 CHASING IN OHIO. 



LEWIS CENTER is not a great way from the geo- 

 graphical center of the noble State of Ohio. It is 

 inn. a town of ten thousand inhabitants, though should it 

 ever have Lake Erie give it a seaport, it might get up to 

 two hundred. It was in November when my friend Wil- 

 son, his pointers 8am and Liz, and myself dropped off the 

 southward bound train at this point. Wilson was acquaint- 

 ed with a fanner named- Clayton living three miles out of 

 the village who had invited us down to shoot email. We 

 enquired for a Hotel, and were referred to old man Lewis. 

 He received us willingly, and we remained some days with 

 him, making splendid bags of quail in the near vicininly 

 by luckily dodging some proprietors upon whose 4 'pre- 

 serves" we were unconscious trespassers. We also heard 

 some large stories about turkey shooting around there, 

 which excited our desires and anticipations. At last we 

 went over to farmer Clayton's. When we arose on the 

 morning after our arrival, we found four or five inches of 

 snow and plenty more coming in large damp flukes. Said 

 Wilson, "it will hold up before long, and we will go ahead." 

 Said Clayton, "1 cannot husk corn to-day, so i will go 

 with you." Said 1, "We might as well stay at home; the 

 quail will not run, and we shall be most deucedly wet and 

 uncomfortable besides." Of course, when they started, I 

 went with them. We often do most intensely foolish 

 things l>y association. I hold that one is not responsible 

 unless he does an act of his own free will, ab initio. Wnen 

 we play second, we have but little control over the tune. 

 Clayton had what he called his two-barreled gun, weight 

 about ten pounds, length of barrel about thirty-four inches, 

 sure death every time to a squirrel upon the top of the 

 tallest tree, like many another gun brought up in the 

 country. The snow was just deep enough to be too deep 

 for pleasant walking. As we went through stubble-field 

 after stubble-field, the tendency was very great to follow 

 in the footsteps of the man ahead, the dog coming number 

 four. This was hunting quail Indian rile. The more I 

 reasoned upon the matter the more certain it appeared 

 that the quad would not run even on the slowest kind of a 

 walk, but if we should find them, would'nt they catch it. 

 Two hours passed, and by great good luck we tramped 

 into a bevy. We were fully as much surprised as they. 

 Wilson and I brought down three upon the first rise, the 

 "long Tom" blazing away as they went across the held; it 

 did'nt kill a squirrel that time, whether it killed a quail or 

 not the snow was too thick to see. The direction was to- 

 wards an orchard near an old deserted house. The branches 

 of the large apple trees, covered with snow, came down 

 almost to the ground. We thought we had them sure, but 

 they had treed. Our dog was not accustomed to pointing 

 up a tree, and as they went out at uncertain times ana 

 places, we managed to kill just two in seven shots. The 

 next disappeared in the storm . A team came by and the 

 driver called to us, "Don't you want to shoot some turkeys V" 

 That suited me. "Of course we do." Wilson demurred; 

 Clayton agreed that turkeys were desirable. The man 

 said a flock of sixteen had just crossed the road above there. 

 Two men were after them and had killed one. I pulled 

 out my number 8's, replacing them with number 4's. We 

 struck the track*, followed up rapidly, and in three-fourths 

 of a mile we came across the turkey hunters. One of them 

 had a gun, the other a turkey. The tracks led across the 

 open fields towards a patch of thick trees and brushes. 

 Clayton was pushing ahead at a tearful rate, and I, wonder- 

 ing what he was at, tramped on as well as 1 could. Wil- 

 son kept along for fear of getting lost, but with many a 

 groan/ Altogether, we five men and a dog, made very 

 creditable time through the wet snow. As we reached the 

 coruer tuo*e ahead turned to the left, I turned to the 

 right, where the ground was broken by a small ravine. 

 Flap! flap! not four rods beyond me, lffke a great 'wind- 

 mill, starting to fly. Again, flap! flip! until the air was 

 full of flaps broken by the reports of the stranger's single- 

 barrel and the long Tom. I could not manage to gel a 

 glimpse of a feather. Sixteen turkeys rising witliin eight 

 rous, and not a chance at them! 1 did think one might 

 have turned my way, but turkeys are great for straight 

 lines. I dashed through the thicket— too late! Clayton 

 and the stranger had started them within a few rods, and 

 had seen nearly all of them. Aias! they were not squirrels, 

 upon the top of the tallest tree. While they were loading, 

 1, having got my Ebenezer up, took the lead. In the 

 course of half an hour the stranger came up with me. He 

 would push ahead, I would eaten up and pass, then again 

 he would overhaul me, until I was about dead. 1 reflected 

 that tomorrow was Sunday— a day of rest— and ahead I' 

 went with utter disregard as to wear and tear of muscle. 

 The walking grew easier the more difficult it became, and 

 I felt fresher the more wearied. Where the turkeys were 

 leading I knew not, and cared little. My indefatigable 

 companion still kept the lead the major portion of the 

 time, and 1 wondered where he got that pair of legs. We 

 were now passing through a large forest, and on the low 

 ground, thirty rods ahead, were our feathered friends. I 

 tired both barrels, but it did'nt appear to disturb them out 

 of their walk, which was a very slow walk indeed— to look 

 at. I loaded as 1 went on. A turkey had turned to the 

 left. My friend took the single track, and I saw him no 

 more. I did not slacken my pace; had just got into good 

 walking order; could see the flock every little while thirty 

 rods aUead, and as they would go over a knoll I would 

 make a rush to shorten the interval, and when I got up 

 Where I expected to see, could never see them at all, but 



had to take tne track again; and when I did see them 

 again, there was the same old thirty rods between us, and 

 they, walking off serenely, like so man)' aldermen with 

 their hands under their coat tails. At last I had them corner- 

 ed; to be sure it was only in a corner of the woods, but they 

 did not seem inclined to go into the open. As they hesitated 

 I made a tremendous rush and fired into them, at what I 

 supposed was about ten rods; I measured it afterwards and 

 found it nearer twenty-five. I expected to kill half of 

 them at least, They rose and broke, some going to the 

 left, some to the right. There were no dead ones lying 

 about. I was tired of hunting them through the woods, 

 so 1 took after five or six who flew straight across the open. 

 Struck a track in a large cornfield, and by the time I 

 reached the woods they were all together. After manifold 

 twists and turns we came into a briar patch, much broken 

 up by ditches and logs, and on the farther side came upon 

 them in a corner of the fence at ten rods. The first barrel 

 laid over one. As they rose I covered another, but he did 

 not come down. 1 lett the dead turkey under the fence 

 and kept on, soon finding the tracks of the others. I was 

 now reduced to number 8 shot. I reasoned that if the tur- 

 keys were half as tired as I was, I should certainly over- 

 haul them. A mile and a half farther on I did overhaul 

 them in an open field, and fired both borrels at 20 rods, 

 hoping to hit one in the eye; but am afraid I did not. 



At this I took the back track, soon coming to my dead 

 turkey, which was a fine gobbler. Taking an observation 

 to ascertain my whereabouts the briar patch appeared fa- 

 miliar, and I found I was at the rear of Clayton's farm, ana 

 not half a mile from the house. Being so near home made 

 me feel hungry, so 1 shouldered my turkey and was soon 

 at the house, where I found Clayton and Wilson. They 

 had followed my track, expecting to pick up the dead tur- 

 keys, but didn't pick up any, and didn't think much of 

 turkey shooting. They said they had overtaken my friend 

 with the activtTlegs, and he was very anxious to learn who 

 that chap was who got over the ground like a "quarter 

 horse." 



It was about two o'clock when we finished our lunch, 

 and had stowed away a large amount of cider, and 1 an- 

 nounced that it was time to start. Wilson and Clayton 

 were horri tied. "Why, we are all wet through; the snow 



fhff %nUn\$. 



so we shall have the advantage of them. Always lake 

 advantage of a turkey, when you can do so legitimately, 

 as you Vould of a man; which simply means, whenever 

 you get a chance. If you will be good boys and behave 

 yourselves you can stay at home." Andrews spoke up: 

 "If you will go, we wiil go with you, and it will be best, 

 instead of going to the left where you left them, to go to 

 the right into the 'big woods,' which they will certainly go 

 through on their way back." Fo dishly I consented 'and 

 we paddled away to the "big woods," and floundered 

 around until dark; not a turkey or anything else did we 

 see. Wilson would have sworn if he had been alone, and 

 hadn't been a church member. Clayton was the unfortu- 

 nate cause of our troubles, and I was too tired to waste any 

 strength in useless imprecations. 



Sunday morning came off bright and warm. We were 

 sorely tempted to go out, but drank cider and read Oodey's 

 Lady's Book. A.bout two o'clock a man passed the house 

 with a rifle upon his shoulder. Clayton went out to inter- 

 view him. When he came in he said that two of our 

 turkeys had just crossed the road within eight rods of the 

 house. The rifleman had been after them but he was not 

 going home. We went out, and there, sure enough, were 

 the tracks; they had gone into a piece of woods just beyond 

 the house. We discussed the propriety of pursuing them 

 for some time, the getting them was such a sure thing that 

 it was hard to give it up, but we decided not to trouble 

 them. About four o'clock I proposed to Clayton that we 

 take his big brindled bulldog and walk with the turke}^. 

 He was willing, and we were soon in the woods, sans gun, 

 but with two pairs of legs that stiffened from yesterday 

 were very ready to be limbered up. We followed the 

 tracks upon a run thinking there would ba no harm in try- 

 ing to catch them. Thus we were rushing along over logs 

 and through oid fallen tree-tops, laughing at the idea of 

 running turkeys down with a bull dog, when ahead of me, 

 within six rods, I saw one of them, and we put after him 

 in earnest, getting within three rods before he flew. 

 Whether he was tired, or hungry, or wounded I know not. 

 If it hadn't been for that last three rods he would have 

 been a gone turkey, if it was Sunday. I verily believe 

 Clayton would have gone back for his gun if I had said a 

 word favoring it, but I was perfectly satisfied as it was. If 

 we had caught the turkey wouldn't Wilson have torn his 

 hair? As we trudged slowly home Clayton proposed to go 

 for the turkeys early on Monday morning. Wilson agreed, 

 and we turned out about an hour before daylight. It was 

 very cold, and had frozen hard during the night. Every 

 step was a thunderclap in the still woods. I took my sta- 

 tion about the middle of a high rail fence which ran across 

 the woods. Wilsou and Clayton were about 60 rods below, 

 I was covered above by the high fence, and below by the 

 top of a fallen tree. I had a turkey-caller, and amused 

 myself with an occasional kup! kup! kup! Everything 

 was perfectly quiet. Half an hour passed, when above 

 me I heard a rapid pat, pat, pat through the crusty snow, 

 and there, thirty yards off, was a turkey coming almost 

 directly towards me. He reached the rail fence three 

 lengths one side of me, and hopped upon the top rail. I 

 waited anxiously for him to get down upon my side; per- 

 haps he was waiting for another call. I could not see 

 him, and did not dare to stir. At last, getting desperate, 

 I rose up quickly, and shot him off his perch before he 

 knew what hurt him. I lost my balance in some way, 

 and as I went down upon my back among the branches of 

 the tree top, bang went the other barrel. I reloaded. In 

 half an hour it was daylight. Wilson and Clayton came 

 aloug up. "We have seen no turkeys; what did you fire 

 at?" they asked. "A red squirrel," I said. Clayton was 

 indignant. "The idea of coming out here before daylight 

 of a cold frosty morning to shoot at a red squirrel!" 

 "Suppose you pick him up," I replied; "he is a big one, 

 with feathers in his tail. Clayton was standing within ten 

 feet of the turkey, which lay where it fell. He pounced 

 upon it like a duck upon a June bug. Wilson growled out 

 something about "what great sport it must be to shoot a 

 turkey turkey off a rail ience at thirty feet," and we went 

 to breakfast. Aliqtjis. 



The McClotjd River Fishery Reservation, Califor- 

 nia. — The preparatory work of getting ready for taking 

 salmon eggs, is now under full headway at the United 

 States salmon breeding establishment, on the McCloud 

 River, California. The river has been bridged, and the 

 passage of the parent salmon up the stream were to have 

 been obstructed on the 5th of August, in order to collect 

 a large number of breeding fish below the dam. A new 

 seventeen feet current wheel has been placed in the river 

 to furnish water for the hatching house. Mr. Livingston 

 Stone intends to take five million eggs this season, three 

 and a half millions to be shipped east, and one and a half 

 million to be hatched on the spot and returned in the form 

 of young salmon to the tributaries of the Sacramento. 

 The MeCloud Rivery Fishery having 1 been set aside by the 

 President a& a Government Reservation, hatching works 

 and improvements of a permanent character are now being 

 erected there. 



ABOUT TROUT PONDS. 



en 



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to 

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Q 



O 

 m 

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TJ 



— No less than 1,000 sea-horses {Hippocampus) were lately 

 born in a single tank at the Southport (England) aquarium. 



IT has been found by long experience that long, narrow 

 and deep ponds, somewhat like those in the accom- 

 panying engraving, are the best suited for trout raising, 

 whether by natural or artificial spawning. Seth Green, it 

 is true, advocated the pear shape, as shown in his book on 

 Trout Culture; but this was in the early days of fish farm- 

 ing in this country, and his practice at Caledonia and else- 

 where has run towards the canal shape. Fred. Mather, 

 at Honeoy Falls, made his ponds long and rather narrow, 

 and as deep as the outlet drainage would permit; and the 

 late Dr. Slack's ponds, in New Jersey, were all of that ob- 

 long, square shape, as appears by an old Harper's Weekly 

 now before me. 



For various reasons, the cone- 

 shaped ends, with the water ad- 

 mitted at an angle (asshown in the 

 cut), are preferable to the square 

 or pear shaped, since the current 

 would be deflected in a zig zag di- 

 rection, thus affording as much 

 aeration as possible, and equalizing 

 the temperature at tne same time. 

 This being admitted, the best 

 method of construction may be 

 considered. Of course it is as- 

 sumed that you have a cold spring, 

 that runs from 10 to 40 gallons per 

 minute, though Mr. Ainsworth (in- 

 ventor of the invaluable spawning 

 screens) has raised many thousand 

 trout from a fountain, that could 

 almost flow through a goosequiil. 

 Trout may be hatched and raised in 

 brook water, if sufficiently cold ; but 

 there is always so much sediment 

 brought down by rains as to make 

 hard work to keep the hatching 

 trays clean and very unsatisfac- 

 tory results. It is necessary that 

 the ponds be so located that sur- 

 face water can be shut out; and it 

 is desirable that there should be at 

 least three ponds for the different 

 sizes of fish — fry, fingerlings and 

 spawn ers. The^e are best placed 

 en echelon, where the ground will 

 admit, that the inflow may be at 

 the proper angle, and are best laid 

 north and south, that the banks 

 may not freeze inequally, and that 

 the winter sun may be utilized to 

 keep them free of ice; and for 

 shade in summer, floats may be 

 used to protect from the almost 

 vertical sun. The banks should 

 be simple earth works, no stone 

 wall or plank sides allowed, if 

 it can be avoided, as muskrats < 

 and minks are sure to burrow be- 

 hind them, and let the water out at just the wrong time., 

 or gobble the trout, as minks and otters delight to do. 

 There should be a drain pipe from the bottom of each 

 pond to drain them as required; or a flume the depth of the 

 water, with moveable gate-boards, placed one over another 

 to keep the surface at any desired height. The ponds may 

 be made of the size and depth of those in the cut, or any 

 other as is most convenient; but it is advised that the 

 bottoms slope gradually up to the inlet; that the drainage 

 may be made easily when required, and the fish gathered in 

 close quarters when wanted. The ordinary hard pan is 

 the best bottom; coarse sand and gravel the least desirable, 

 as the trout are liable to cast their spawn in them, instead 

 of the race, where the Ainsworth screens are or ought to 

 be awaiting them. Of the hatching-house it is not neces- 

 sary here to speak; but with the newly invented trays, 

 much less space will be needed than in the old troughs, 

 and gravel nests and all the operations can be greatly 

 simplified, and certainly inuch expedited. 



Trout Farm, Twin Lakes, July 3L< 1876. 



Black Bass in Canada. — A correspondent of the Can- 

 ada Farmer writing from Paris, Ontario, thus speaks of 

 black bass as found in that part of the Dominion: — 



"There is a great diversity in black bass as to shape and 

 weight. Those caught in ponds and lakes in the counties 

 of Brant and Oxford, to which localities the writer's expe- 

 rience is chiefly restricted, are much larger and thicker or 

 "cnunkier" (to use an Americanism) than those found, say, 

 in Grand River. Notwithstanding, where there are long, 

 deep, still stretches of water formed by mill dams as at 

 Gait or Paris, bass are often taken averaging iu weight 

 those taken in lakes. The Pine Pond, on the south edge 

 of the township of Biandford and Blenheim, Oxford is, or 

 was, a favorite fishing place for both black bass and pike. 

 Here bass of three, four, and even six pounds weight are 

 sometimes captured, the most alluring bait being a fresh, 

 half-grown, green, or yellow frog. The bass here are re- 



