March 6, 1884.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



109 



voir was full to the brim, arid a small stream trickled out 

 through the waste -weir. We then planted along the edge of 

 the water, on each hank, at intervals of ten feet, a number 

 of stubby pieces of the branches of the common yellow 

 willow, entirely denuded of twigs and leaves. Late as it 

 was in the season, all of these cuttings took root and grew. 

 We now had a pond, of triangular shape, about four hun- 

 dred yards long, twenty yards wide and nearly thirty feet 

 deep at the dam, from whence it tapered off to nothing to- 

 ward the spring. The Superficial area of its surface would 

 be something over three-fourths of an acre. The great de- 

 sideratum was to stock it with trout. This we did in half a 

 day by stretching a small-meshed net across the creek and 

 driving the stream until we had obtained about two hundred 

 and fifty fcroutiings, averaging live inches in length. These 

 were, turned, after every haul, directly out of the net into 

 the pond, and all lived and throve. In the following Sep- 

 tember we put in two hundred more. 



Now for cost and results. We need not put. any price 

 upon the site, as it was waste, land; in fact, we may enter 

 something to the credit side of account on this score, as 

 this considerable body of water in the newly-formed pond 

 greatly improved the surrounding pasturage to a distance of 

 many yards on either margin. The. total cost to me was 

 very' trifling, as I had the team and men and all the material 

 at hand, except spikes and wire netting. But assuming 

 that I had been obliged to hire and purchase everything for 

 the occasion, the debit account would stand about thus: 



One pair of horses and two men. 3 days 815 00 



Cedar for posts and slabs, say 10 00 



Spikes, nails and wire netting, say 5 00 



Total §30 00 



To this we may add a supposed sum of five dollars for 

 netting minnows all through the first two summers (none 

 were required after that) to supply the trout with food, and 

 we have a grand total of $35. Not a fish was taken from 

 the pond — except to be looked at and returned — for four 

 years, by which time the willows on the banks had grown 

 to thrifty trees, and every alternate one was then removed. 

 Those remaining not only furnished a grateful shade, lint 

 their pendant branches yielded a constant summer supply of 

 fish fond in the shape of falling caterpillars and other larvae 

 and insects. During these four years we could see that the 

 trout were increasing rapidly in size and numbers, and that 

 the progeny of the sucker, chub and shiuer minnows first 

 put in were also plentiful enough to supply the choice fish 

 with a scpiare meal when desired. The fifth summer I took 

 from this preserve with a barbless hook one hundred and 

 sixty three pounds of trout, returning to the water all 

 individuals which I thought to be under eight ounces in 

 weight. Reckon this one season's catch at even twenty-five 

 cents per pound, and you will see that I was already re- 

 couped for my whole expenditure. Iu each of the sixth, 

 Seventh and eighth summers I took about two hundred 

 pounds of beautiful fish, some specimens now weighing over 

 two pounds. Then I sold the farm, getting at least $500 

 more for it than I would have done if minus the pond,' Any 

 schoolboy can answer the question as to whether my experi- 

 ment paid. 



It is now, or will be next June, just twenty-nine years 

 since this pond was made. I have not seen it for twenty-one 

 years, but was told, eighteen months ago, that the dam was 

 then perfectly sound and tight; the fish thrifty and plentiful, 

 and yielding to the owner of the farm a greater yearly net 

 profit than any five acres of his best laud. Now, it is true 

 that every farmer has not upon his property a hillside spring, 

 nor a site for a trout pond already excavated ; but a great 

 many have both of those requisites, and a still larger number 

 have the spring. If the water of this is of a quality suitable 

 for trout it will always pay its fortunate possessor to make a 

 pond for the culture of these valuable fish, even if he has to 

 scoop it out of a level piece of ground on the most fertile 

 portion of his estate. From no crop whatever, on the same 

 limited area, can so large an amount of pleasure, profit and 

 amusement be derived, always supposing that the enterprise 

 is conducted with a correct idea of the nature of the fish and 

 a due regard for their requirements. My pond, the reader 

 will observe, furnished near its upper part a perfect spawn- 

 ing and bleeding ground. \y\ T. 



East Saginaw, February, 1384. 



Showing the Boys How To Do It.— Grand Rapids, 

 Mich. — The three boats of the "Hill Spoon Gang" returned 

 to camp at noon and reported a "water haul, "when up 

 spoke O.j who had remained in camp: "Oh, you fellows are 

 no good; you don't know how to catch fish. Your best 

 hold is to blow about what you have done or are a-going to 

 do, while, with the best kind of fishing ground all around 

 us, we are obliged to eat salt pork or go hungry, all on ac- 

 count of a set of ne'er do wells. But there is going to be a 

 radical change in the fashion — a civil reform. I'll go with 

 you this afternoon and just show you how to do it. It's 

 time you chaps had some instruction; so come along after 

 dinner and you shall have it free gratis for nothing." That 

 afternoon all hands were out, and the three boats kept well 

 together, in order that we might derive as much benefit as 

 possible from our self-constituted instructor. There was 

 some haste, a little confusion and considerable chaffing 

 during the three minutes' time spent in getting to the spot, 

 and all were more or less excited in consequence. C. had 

 laid violent hands on the first rod which came in his way 

 that was rigged up, scrambled into the boat, hurriedly un- 

 tied the snell which was on the line, drew from his pocket 

 a fine, long leader, tied to this a new snell. and about 

 eighteen inches up on the leader fastened a large brown 

 hackle, and again above this another fly of the most 

 gorgeous character. Then selecting and hooking a tine, 

 large minnow, with a sort of a superior "you'll see. I 

 know" kind of a look, grasped his rod with oue hand, 

 leader with the other, and made a two-handed cast. 

 The bait touched the water about six feet from the 

 boat, and as the minnow slowly settled and leisurely wig- 

 gled away, dragging after him two snells, two flies and a 

 brand new leader, it was plainly to be seen that 0. had. in 

 his hurry and confusion, tied his leader to the old snell in- 

 stead of his line! There was a snort, a wild yell, some con- 

 siderable language used more emphatic than polite, as the 

 occupants of the boat with one accord arose and announced 

 to the balance of the gang the result of their first lesson of 

 "how to catch 'em." there were no fish caught that after- 

 noon, as tha jeering, screaming and laughing sent them 

 miles awiiy. It will be some time before C. hears the last of 

 the first lesson he gave u.-, notwithstanding he ha* been 

 liberal in doing penance in the way of cigars and other fix- 

 ings. — W. 



SJA HAPPY Day.— Sullivan county, New York, is 'dotted 

 here and therewith beautiful sheets of water; one of these, 

 situated on one of the peaks of the Shawangunk range, my 

 companion and I selected for a day's fishing. Pickerel was 

 our game to-day, but we were not above the cattish and 

 perch which also inhabit these waters. The morning, how- 

 ever, was not favorable for pickerel, as the wind was high. 

 and not a cloud was to be seen. The perch bit rapidly, 

 though, and we soon had a fine string of these, and also a 

 few catfish. In the afternoon, much to our satisfaction, the 

 wind began to moderate, and sunset (which time, in my es- 

 timation, is as good as any for pickerel) found us on our 

 favorite grounds, ready for business. My line, touching 

 water first, was immediately seized by a fine one, which, 

 altera noble fight, proved to be "two-pounder." My com- 

 panion, not to be outdone, fastened to one that threatened 

 to end his sport by carrying everything away ; but being an 

 adept in the art, he soon had the fish under control, and 

 after a well-fought battle of some minutes, succeeded in 

 landing him, amid great objections on the. part of the fish. 

 About this time we were visited by a shower of white mil- 

 lers, a phenomenon that I have never witnessed since or be- 

 fore. The pickerel now began to jump in rapid succession 

 all around us after these insecis. and we discovered then, to 

 our sorrow, that we had left our spoons at home. After 

 the millers left us the pickerel refused to bite, and as it was 

 getting late, we prepared to go home. Our day's catch 

 summed up as follows: Fifteen pounds of perch, three cat- 

 fish and eight pickerel, the largest, whose capture I de- 

 scribed, weighing four pounds; total weight of pickerel, 

 sixteen pounds. After a weary walk home and a hearty 

 meal of pickerel, we retired to bed to live the day over in 

 our dreams. — Sn i.ivax . 



Mi;i»>v Flavor in Fish.— Fillmore County, Minn.— In 

 the valentine number of Forest and Stream. Capt. M. 

 P. Peirce writes of the edible qualities of carp, illustrating 

 it by .lersey chickens raised on offal and then fed on pure 

 food and clean water iu a short time being fit for the table. 

 I believe the same method workable with fish. The creeks 

 in this part of Minnesota three years ago were teeming with 

 brook trout in June, July and August, and I seldom, iu a 

 day's fishing, failed to creel twenty-five pounds of average 

 half-pounders. Now I am satisfied 'with half a dozen of the 

 same average weight, and have put in a full day. wind and 

 weather favorable, summing up three trout, weighing one 

 and one-quarter pounds. Why the change? Reasons vari- 

 ous. The first great cause was "breaking up" all land that 

 could be tilled for wheat, the wash from plowing filled our 

 streams with mud, and no suitable places being left for 

 spawning. I now come to the point, 1 started out to make— 

 a long way around, but a fisherman has to detour at times to 

 make a cast— table quality of fish in turbid versus clear 

 water. Trout caught in our streams when muddy lose all 

 their flavor, while in five to eight days after the water be- 

 comes clear, they are as fine flavored as before the flood. 

 Last summer, from the middle of May to the last of June, 

 with spoon I caught from one to five black bass nearly every 

 flay. When the water was muddy the fish were contam- 

 inated, when clear they were free from any taint of mud. 

 Our grangers the past five years have paid more attention 

 to stock raising, "seeded down" the valleys, hence the wash 

 is small; plants are again growing in the running brooks, 

 affording cover for trout, and we hope- to obtain "fry from 

 the State to restock our streams the coming summer.— J 

 M. C. 



Tennessee.— Dyersburg, Tenn., Feb. 27.— A few ruffed 

 grouse, have been seen, and one was killed by Guy Douglass 

 in the Obion hills, near this place, last we'ek. As I have, 

 never seen nor heard of one before in West Tennessee, we 

 are anxious to know where they came from. I will give you 

 a slight description, and ask if it has been correctly named. 

 In color, nearly same as quail or woodcock, with ruffle 

 around neck and crest on back of head , like the bluejay ; also 

 dark circle in tail, and in size nearly as large as a guinea 

 hen. It was sitting on a log at time it was killed. Every- 

 body in vicinity has been cautioned not to shoot or disturb 

 the rest of flock, and they all express an anxiety to protect 

 them and encourage them to remain, as there is no better 

 place on earth than the hills that lie on Obion River for them 

 to rear their young. Live quail have been offered here freely 

 at one dollar per dozen, others at seventy-five cents per dozen. 

 A few woodcock are occasionally brought in. John Tarrant 

 was returning home a few days ago, with game bag well 

 filled with quail, and met a negro with a lot of woodcock he 

 had just killed. The negro proposed to swap "dem four 

 brown snipe" for four quail, which was accepted and pre- 

 sented to the writer. — T. L. W. 



Growth of RaiJcbow, Trout.— Waterville, N. Y.— Two 

 years ago about ten thousand California mountain trout were 

 put into a pond in this village. The next spring we found 

 that the growth of these trout, compared to that of our 

 native trout, was astounding. The following August one 

 weighing three-quarters of a pound was caught by a small 

 boy. I would never have believed that their growth was 

 so rapid ha«l I not seen the fish weighed. The trout at the. 

 time this large one was caught were a little over a year old. 

 Now, many of our fishermen are wild on the subject of Cal- 

 ifornia trout, and we shall put twenty thousand more into 

 the same pond again this summer. But for one I do not 

 think that they compare with our own brook trout iu garni 

 ness, flavor or beauty. But our experiment was a decided 

 success. For the past three or four years we have been 

 stocking our streams with brook trout, and find the fishin°- 

 very much improved thereby. Unless something unforeseen 

 occurs we shall continue to stock them every year. — N. 



What is Done with Small Lobsters.— Newport, R, 

 I., Feb. 20.— The Fish Commission of Massachusetts is try- 

 ing to stop the sale of small lobsters in market by having the 

 law amended so as to increase the length at which thev can 

 be sold. I would ask them if they think that all under the 

 legal size are put back. If they think so thev are mistaken ; 

 they are put into cars and kept alive, for bait for the tautosr 

 fishermen, when they arc "exposed" for sale at prices rang- 

 ing from fifty cents to one dollar per bushel. In this case 

 the lobster catcher has broken the law by ofieiing them for 

 sale, and the tatitbg fisher has violated it by having therh in 

 his possession, eveu though he throws them into the water 

 after putting them on his hook. . True," he is obeying the 

 letter of the law fn J 'returning themto the water," but does 

 he not violate its spirit? Yet our lobster men complain that 

 there are few large lobsters.— Clams and Crabs. 



Illustrated Catalogue of FisniNG Tackle.— We 

 have received a finely illustrated catalogue and price list of 

 fine fishing tackle, manufactured by Messrs. Abbey & Ru- 

 bric, The large, handsome plates give a good idea of the 

 varied articles which go to make up an angler's outfit, and 

 the side-bends of the hooks are well shown by shadows. 

 There are 92 full-page folio plates and over twenty pages of 

 text, in which all that the angler requires, except boats and 

 provisions, are catalogued. These articles are so numerous 

 that the list is surprising, even to one familiar with sucll 

 matters. The great merit of this catalogue is its accuracy. 

 The different articles figured in it are drawn of the exact 

 si/e pf nature, and by referring to the price list, the intend 

 iug purchaser will learn all those particulars about the arti- 

 cle he is interested in which cannot, be told in an engraving, 

 The price of the catalogue is fifty cents. 



Angleks' Association ok the St. Lawrence.— Utica, 

 Feb. 27.— Editor Forest and Stream^ A Special meeting of 

 the Anglers' Association of the St Lawrence River will be 

 held in the parlors of the Butterfield House, I'tica, on the 

 afternoon and evening of March 11, commencing at 3 P. M. 

 Matters of great importance regarding the work of the as- 

 sociation during the corning spring and summer will be dis- 

 cussed, and arrangements will be made for a strict enforce- 

 ment of the laws governing fishing iu the St, Lawrence 

 River. In addition to the business of the association to 

 come before the meeting, it is hoped that papers of interest 

 in relation to the favorite fish of the St. Lawrence will be 

 read and discussed. It will be a favor if all members who 

 intend to be present will give notice to the secretary by card 

 as early as convenient.— Chas. H. Ballou, Recording "Secre- 

 tary. 



tgisIfcuUttre. 



, 



MORE GERMAN TROUT EGGS.— The steamer Donau, of 

 the North German Lloyds, recently brought 70 000 eggs of 

 Salmo far io to this country. Forty thousand of these were 

 consigned to Mr. Fred Mather for the U. S. F. C, and 30,000 

 to Mr. E. G. Blackford on account of New York. The eggs 

 were of two kinds, large and small, and were sent to Cold 

 Spring Harbor for distribution. Thev have bean divided be- 

 tween Northville, Mich.; Central Station, Washington; 

 Wy theville, Va. ; Caledonia. N. Y. , and Cold Spring Harbor. 

 They came from the ponds of Mr. C. Schuster, Freiburg, 

 Baden, and were in good order. The North German Lloyds 

 made no charge for transportation. 



EGGS SHIPPED ABROAD.- On Saturday last Mr. James 

 Anniu, Jr., of Caledonia, N. Y., sent 10,000 eggs of brook trout 

 by steamer Iceland, directed to Herrn Fiskeri Inspektor Land- 

 mark, Kristiani, Norway. On the Sth the New York Msh 

 Commissiou will send 80,000 eggs of the rainbow trout to the 

 Deutschen Fischerei Verein, Berlin, by the steamer Main. 

 These shipments are made by Mr. E? G. Blackford, New 

 York. Professor Band has sent to Germany 1,000,000 white- 

 fish eggs, 25,000 brook trout and -25,000 lake trout, and on the 

 Sth will send 5,000 land-locked salmon to Sir James G. Mait- 

 land, Scotland. 



ENGLISH TROUT IN AMERICA.-The steamer Adriatic, 

 of the White Star Line, brought 10,000 eggs of the Salmo 

 fario as a present to the Cold Spring Harbor Station of the 

 New York Fish Commission, presented by the Fishing Gazette, 

 of London. They were in three, lots, 5,000 marked "best 

 trout," 3,000 from the Itchiuand 2,000 from the Wey districts. 

 They came in excellent order, and were carried free of charge 

 by Messrs. Ismay, Imi-ie & Co., the London agents of the line. 



THE CONNECTICUT COMMISSION.— The Governor of 

 Connecticut has appointed Mr. James A. Bill, of Lyme, to be a 



. , opacity in 

 former years. The Senate has confirmed his appointment. 



J|iW $jublic<ttion<>. 



Hints on Camping. Mr. Howard Henderson's "Practical Hiuts on 

 Camping" contains a considerable amount of information, and will 

 no doubt be useful to those who are contemplating their first camp- 

 ing; trip. And yet the author gives a deal of instruction which is 

 wholly opposed to what many years of camp life have taught 

 us. His list of articles required for a trip covers three octavo 

 pages in small type, and unless the camper is supposed to be travel- 

 ing with a fleet of boats or a good-sized wagon train, we are at a loss 

 to know just how all this material is to be transported. We have 

 always found that the less one carries with him into camp the more 

 easily he can get along, and we believe that nothing so contributes 

 to the annoyance and delay of the outdoor traveler as his burden- 

 ing himself with a great variety of articles that might just as well 

 be left at home. It is wiser to travel light, and the more one 

 lives in camp the lighter will be his outfit. On the other hand, if one 

 is near a railroad or a steamboat landing, there is no reason why he 

 should not have almost everything that he would if he were at home in 

 his own house. It is a fact, however, that it is almost impossible for 

 any one to give instructions which will serve the tyro in his first 

 efforts to live comfortably out of doors. The only teacher is experi- 

 ence, but Mr. Henderson's little book will be a help to some of this 

 class. Some of his recipes for camp cookery are excellent, as are 

 many of the directions m the chapter on accidents and ailments. 

 We give a list of the chapters: I. Preparation; II. Outfit: III. Shel- 

 ter; IV. General Directions; V. Knots and Ties: VI. Camp Cooking; 

 VII. Rod and Line: VIII. How to Make a Fish Net and Hammock; 

 IX. The Horsehair Fish Line, X. The Gun; XI. Boats and Boating; 

 XII. Night Spearing; XIII. Accidents and Ailments: XIV. Camp 

 Photography. (Jansen, McClurg & Co., Chicago, 111.). 



Florida and the Gayie Watvr Birds.— In the year 1883 Messrs. 

 Robert B. Roosevelt and Seth Green went to Florida in Mr. Roose- 

 velt's yacht, the Heartsease. The trip has been made famous by a 

 widely distributed patent medicine advertisement, in which, under 

 his portrait and over his signature, Mr. Green deposes that in Florida 

 he contracted malaria. At this statement thesoulsof loyal Floridians 

 are greatly vexed with indignation. Another and pleasanter fruit of 

 the Heartsease expedition is a book by }Ir. Roosevelt, in which he 

 details the Florida experience of himself and companions. If 

 Floridians resent Mr. Green's malaria inuendoes, they have abund- 

 ant reason to be pleased with the book. Mr. Roosevelt always writes 

 in a delightful vein when the theme is field or water sport. In the 

 present volume the author displays his usual felicity of style, and 

 writes with enthusiasm. The log of the yacht is given in detail, and 

 the directions will be found invaluable to those who follow the course 

 of the Heartsease from New York to Florida, via the inside passage. 

 Mr. Roosevelt is loud iu his praises of Florida as a winter cruising 

 ground. To the account of the Florida trip has been added a re- 

 vision of a former book on the. game water birds of the Atlantic- 

 coast and the lakes, and those who have long sought in vain for a 

 copy of the first edition will welcome this reprint. Iu the several 

 chapters Mr. Roosevelt has stored upa rich fund of gunner's wisdom, 

 and we can heartily commend the work to the novice, who will find 

 here more than he will probably ever learn by experience. The 

 book, otherwise well printed, is disfigured by numerous aged and 

 second-hand cuts, the credit for inserting which," we presume, be- 

 longs to the publishers. (Orange Judd Co.). 



Corpulence and Its Treatment is a small pamphlet, translated 

 by Finn W. Haeber, >I. r^, from the German of Dr. William Fbestem. 

 (Brentano Bros., New York). 



Failiko Powers in -Middle - Age are best provided against, by an 

 endowment policy in the Travelers, of Hartford, ftcom. At age 30, 

 an endowment for §1,000 maturing at 60 costs but $39.70 a year. 



