Sa hl —. 
(dan. 1, 1885, " 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
44.9 
pools lower down, and if this negotiation is successful the 
board is of the opinion that there will be waters for angling 
for all members who visit the river next season. The num- 
ber of members who visiled the club house last season was 
twenty-six, and the angling guests numbered twenty-two. 
These killed 322 salmon and 124 grilse. During last wiuter 
an act was passed by the New Brunswick Legislature, at the 
request of the club, authorizing the club to hold real estate 
in that Proyince. Resolutions were adopted that the direc- 
‘tors be authorized to make such purchases of lands and fish- 
ing privileges and make such leases as shall, in their opinion, 
be advantazeous to the club, and ihat the annual assessnient 
he placed at $250, The following directors were elected for 
the coming year; Chester A, Arthur, A. Lawrence Mason, 
John lL. Cadwalader, George B. Pollock, Oliver K, King, 
James O, McAndrew, Wirt Dexter, Henry W. De Forest, 
William Iall Penfold, Daniel'T. Worden. The directors 
elected the following officers: President, Chester A. Arthur; 
Vice-President, A. Lawrence Mason; Secretary and Treas- 
urer, Oliver K. King; Executive Committee—John L. Cad- 
wilader, A. Lawrence Mason, George A, Pollock and Henry 
W. De Forest. 
THav Twenty-Four-Pounp Trour.—Indiana Univer- 
sity, Bloomington, Ind., Dec. 22.—Hditor Forest and Stream: 
Permit me a word in regard to the twenty four-pound trout 
mentioned by ‘‘Knickerbocker,” While it is true, as Pro- 
fessor Agassiz is alleged to have said, that there is ‘nothing 
to the contrary to show that the brook trout will not grow 
to the weight of the very heaviest ever claimed,” I know of 
no positive record exceeding the eleven und a half pounds of 
Mr. Page. There is nothing in the Jetters published to show 
that the big trout caught by Mr. Heath at Mount Vernon 
was @ brook trout and not a lake trout or fogue. The latter 
is found in Maine, and often reaches twenty-four pounds. I 
nay also note that your correspondent confuses another fish 
in his English references. There is nothing much like our 
brook trout in Bngland; the fish referred to being about as 
different from ours xs a prairie chicken is from a partridge, 
The great Hucho trout lives not in Maine, but only in the 
Danube, Jerome Yan Crowninshield Smith’s ‘‘Fishes of 
Massachusetts,” ranks as a scientific work much as the 
“Travels of Baron Munchausen,” among treatises on Geog- 
raphy. We will admit the size and edible qualities of the 
Mount Vernon trout. Now let us have a word as 10 the 
species.—Dayip 8. JoRDAN. 
Insunips to TRotT,—Patergson, N. J., Dec. 23.—Hditor 
Forest and Stream: Yo the Forest AND STREAM issue of Oct. 
16, 1884, your correspondent ‘*W. G.” asks the tollowing 
questions: *‘How inuch of au injury from a hook will a 
troub ordinarily recover from? Ig a wound in the gills 
necessarily fatal?’ In reply you say that the dry hand 
touching the trout ever so gently ix fatal. Your correspon- 
dent “‘Knickerbocker” states, last week, that many years 
ago a quantity of brook trout were put back in Kennebago, 
each furnished with a metal tag showing the weight in- 
dividually, Some two years after one of these victims of 
faie was again caught, ete. When fishing I always return 
to the water such trout that are under weight, thinking that 
they would again recover, increase in siz and multiply, but 
was sorry to learn that a dry hand is the only hindrauce. 
What are we going to do about the luckless fingerling which 
vets hooked?—G, A.M. [Fishculturists always wet their 
hands when either stripping trout or aftixing metal tags to 
them. The remoyal of the slime from the fish is followed 
by a fungus growth after afew days, and this is fatal, A 
clean cut easily heals, but a bruise will not. Hooking is 
seldom fatal, but the fish should not be handled with dry 
hands, } 
Hishculture, 
RE-STOCKING THE ST. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
The question of restocking the St. Lawrence River is one 
that is deserving of immediate consideration. How shall it 
be done? With what shall it be done? When we consider the 
unknown amount of fish annually taken from this, the noblest 
of North American rivers, which forms one of our most noted 
simmer resorts, we should look forward to some plan of 
replenishing these waters, not only wth black bass, but with 
such other game fish as are adapted to its waters. Doing 
away with nets will assist to a certain degree, and throwing 
back small fish that are taken is, of course, something in the 
right direction, but the important point is how to keep up a 
supply forthe many thousand visitors of this region. From 
my observation and experience I feel safe in saying that 
unless artificial hatching is resorted to and proper protection 
pen to the young during their infant stages, the St. Lawrence 
iyer will soon be deprived of its most agreeable feature, 
devoid of all game fish, 
As a rule, the public know little or nothing of artificial 
Propagat: Some may ask, why not allow the fish to 
atch themselves, and Jet the river stock itself. It is not 
sufficient to supply the coming demand, because the enemies 
of tish life are numerous. They devour the eggs and young 
with equal yoracity, and in the natural way but a small per 
cent of spawn get vitalized, the sperms being washed away 
by the current before they haye time to enter the spawn, 
and of the few that receive life, a large portion are destroyed. 
before they have sufficient time to hatch. The time required 
for hatching ranges from thirty days to three months, accord- 
ing to the temperature of the water and variety of spawn. 
When the young fry make their appearance they are nearly 
helpless and a prey to every passing spoiler. They are encum- 
bered with the ege-sack ou which they subsist for nearly 
forty days. At this stage of development every shiner, dace 
and minnow is his master. Cruelty is the superiority 
exercised, for mercy does not exist in the watery kingdom. 
The predacious insects are also on the alert, mee gratified 
at his increased size. They attack suddenly by thousands, 
These ate the perils which surround our fish on the way to 
development. Jn the natural method they have full scope 
and free exercise. 
Ts it astonishing then that not one in five hundred ever 
reaches a marketable size or attains the dignity of parentage? 
Moreover, at this point, man steps in with net, hook and spear, 
making yearly larger demands as the human race increases, 
extending his machinery asthe fish diminish, So the whole 
system of nature is disarranged. In the aboye I have given a 
true illustration of the natural inerease of tish, now I will 
LAWRENCE. 
give a correct account of my experience in the artificial 
oo” 
method, The first point in fishculture is to obtain the 
spawning fishin proper condition, When in a perfectly ripe 
condition the eges lie free in the ovaries and may be extruded 
by a gentle pressure downward, along the sides of the fish. I 
take the spawn in an earbhen dish, or a bright tin pan. 
‘The spawn are vitalized by stripping the milk of the males 
over them, The dish is dipped in water before the operation. 
“water must be left in the dish, as dry impregnation is 
a 
much superior to the old way. On the earlierFplan not more 
than forty per cent. were yitalized, whereas now ninety-live 
-per cent, are capable of producing fish and out of this number 
I can save nearly ninety per cent. eyery time. In the natural 
method not more than one in five hundred spavn, hateh and 
mature. By the artificial plan and at lowest calculation fully 
eighty-five per cent, are saved and deyeloped. Here is the 
gain in fishculture, It is in the primary stages that the 
advantages are secured, See the enormous difference in its 
fayor. Yet these are facts, for I speak from a practical know- 
ledge and other good authority. The results indicated above 
can be obtained with reasonable ceitainty by fishculturists 
who understand their business. 
Twill now give my ideas and experience with the California 
mountain trout, which I consider the coming fish for the St, 
Lawrence River. My reasons for this opinion are briefly 
these: They will live and thrive in any waters where black 
bass will live; they grow larger than the black bass; they are 
very hardy and easy to propagate; they possess better game 
qualities than any fish of their size; they will rise to the fly or 
‘trolling spoon readily; they are not excelled by the brook 
trout as food; they have mottled rainbow stripes and are 
pertectly beautiful; they also grow very fast. I haye them 
two years old that are eighteen inches long and will weigh 
nearly two pounds, They are the tish for our bright running 
waters, and preter rather deep water; they will live where 
water is shallow, but will not grow so large. 
I have tested the California trout in vats with black bass, 
and in every case they stood as high a temperature as the 
bass and generally the bass would suffer first and jump out of 
the vat, which most fish will attempt when the temperature 
gets too high. J have kept them with bass all summer where 
a brook troub would die in five minntes if compelled to remain 
in the yat. These are practical tests and there are no doubts 
about the California moutain trout thriving and increasing if 
suitable numbers are planted in the St. Lawrence River, 
M, B. HIn1. 
Crayton, N.Y, 
SALMON CULTURE IN MAINE. 
SCHOODIC SALMON EGG CROP OF 1584. 
Ce work performed at Grand Lake Stream this season 
has been almost wholly of a routine character. The nets 
Were placed in the stream as usual in September to preyent the 
escape of the breeding fish from the Jake,and late in October the 
pounds were arranged for capture. The manipulation of the 
fish began October 31 and was completed November 22. The 
total catch was 1,179 Schoodic salmon, of which 378 were males 
and 801 females. The eggs taken from T75 of the latter 
weighed in the aggregate 775 pounds 3 ounces, and are 
estimated to count about 1,727,000. 
In number of fish taken,in their size and in the fecundity of 
the females, this season leads 1883, he gain in size of both 
sexes during the past nine years is extraordinary. In 1875 
the average weight of the males was 1.6 ib., and of the females 
1.9 lb. ; in 1854 it is 4.06 lbs. for the males, and 3.98 lbs. for the 
females, a gain of 150 per cent, on the part of the males and 110 
per cent, on the part of the females. The increase in fecundity 
is still greater, the yield per fish being 755 eggs in 1875 and 
2,228 in 1884, a gain of 196 per cent. Possibly some allowance 
should be made for the greater waste of eggs that occurred in 
1575, the arrangements for prompt capture and manipulation 
of the fish seeking the spawning grounds being much better 
now than at that time, but after all such allowances are made 
the feeundity of the female salmzon will still appear to be 
175 or 180 per cent. greater than in the early days of these 
operations. The gain, moreover, has been gradual and almost 
constant. The increased size of the tish is a fact familiar to 
the sportsmen who frequent Grand Lake Stream in spring 
and summer, and has been not a little discussed. The cause 
of such a phenomenon isnot evident. I think it most reason- 
able to connect it with the food supply. The fish probably 
grow larger because they are better fed. But why are they 
better fed? Well, we do not know hovw this has happened, 
because we do not know all the essential facts about the food 
supply, what it consists of, whether any species composing it 
have become more abundant, whether any competiting 
deyourer has become scarcer, etc., but it might come about in 
such a way as this. If some other predatory fish, the togue, 
for instance, shoulé by overfishing be thinned out, the small 
fish upon which they feed would increase, and if the salmon 
eat the same species they would thus have a larger supply 
than formerly, and would grow faster. Some maintain the 
view that the decrease in the numbers of the salmon them- 
selves accounts for the increase in size, While this may 
possibly be the case, there are some considerations against it. 
Should the inerease of numbers from 1583 to 1884 be main- 
tained in the future, it will be very interesting to observe 
whether the fish decrease again in size, 
Last year some of the lots of fry hatched from the Schoodie 
eges in the West and South perished utterly before the allvin 
stage Was passed, and in other years there have sometimes 
been at certain stations similar great mortalities in fry from 
eres transported long distances, while those hatched at the 
Grand Lake and other not yery distant stations from eses 
taken at the same time and subjected to the same treatment 
have come through without loss, The practice has preyailed for 
several seasous of developing those egps to be sent to warmer 
climates in the comparatively warm water of the main house at 
Grand Lake Stream, that they might be shipped early enough 
to secure their hatching and distribuation ata favorable date in 
the spring, This year the entire stock of eggs has been placed 
in another house which is fed exclusively by water taken 
from the streams immediately after it leaves the lake. This 
water is very cold, and the eggs will not be ready to ship so 
early as usual, but it is hoped that when sent south and west 
they will hatch healthy iry. Should such be the result, it 
erik add another to the indictments against spring water, 
though the water used in the main house at Grand Lake 
Stream is exceptionally aerated, thanks to the favorable 
location of the house. ‘This house is used for the hatching out 
and developing of the fry destined for Grand Lake, but in the 
spring of the year the character of the water is wholly 
changed by the melting snows and spring rains, which 
inerease its volume many fold and lower its temperature 
many degrees. 
PENOBSCOT SALMON HGG CROP OF 1884. 
The large percentage of deaths among the salmon 
impounded at the Buckport-Orland establishmens, which 
amounted in 1885 to 58 per cent., led to an experiment this 
season, looking toward a larger inclosure.. Eastern River (or 
Nayramissic, the aborigines called it) to which Dead Brook, 
the site of the main inclosure, is immediately tributary, is a 
small stream draining perhaps 200 square miles of country. 
At the head of the tide, at Orland village, isa dam with a 
lock. Some two miles further up, at Orland Falls, is another 
dam. The stretch of water between the two damis is quiet 
and deep, with a muddy bottom, wholly destitute of spawn- 
ing ground except for a few rods near thefalls. The only 
oints of egress for fish are at the lower dam, and at Dead 
rook which is commanded by the inclosure. Barriers at the 
dams, which, owing to the extensive lake suriace of the valley 
would be nearly safe against serious treshets, rendered this 
basin a tolerably safe inclosure for salmon, At the spawning 
season ib was held they would move up stream in search of 
spawmog ground and would then easily fall into our traps 
either at the falls or in Dead Brook, With a more extensive 
range, greater depth of water, and consequently access to 
lower temperature, it was hoped that a Jarger proportion 
of them would survive the summer season. Accordingly 
50 salmon were placed herein June, The result answered 
the anticipations but indifferently. Out of the 50 there 
were found dead during the summer 6, and 39 were re- 
captured ih the fall, leaving 5 to be accounted for; total loss 
22 per cent. Known to have died 12 per cent. In the Dead 
Brook inclosure out of 472 inclosed 66 were found dead and. 15 
were not accounted for, Total loss 17 per cent. Known to 
have died 14 per cent. The watching over fish in so large an 
inclosure and the recapture in the fall involved a good deal of 
work, so that if a second experiment does not give better 
results the fish will hereafter as heretofore be confined in 
Dead Brook. ‘The aggregate losses were little more than half 
PeNELeRy as in 1883, possibly owing to the smaller size of the 
sh. 
One interesting fact in connection with this experiment 
was the greater relative number of males among the fish 
received at the end of the season, It has been a matiter of 
theory that among the salmon caught early, say from April to 
the middie of June, females were in preater proportion than at 
a later date, but there has been no opportunity of obtaming 
data af the establishment until this year. ‘The salmon 
inelosed at Dead Brook were received between May 21 and 
July 1; those placed in the river between June 30 and July 5. 
The survivors of the former were 42 per cent. males,38 per cent. 
females, Of the latter 62 per cent. males, 88 per cent, fe- 
males. These data, it will be seen. strongly confirm the theory 
which finds its practieal application in the purchase of breed- 
ing salmon early in the season, so. as to secure a large propor- 
ion of females. No attempt has ever been made at this 
establishment to distinguish the sexes at the time of purchas- 
ing. They resemble each other so closely that ib wouid be 
clearly impracticable to do so. All that are caught by the 
fishermen engaged to furnish salmon are receiyed at the 
inclosure. Yet it has always turned out that the majority 
are females, though there is some fluctuation in the propor- _ 
tions. In 1883 there were 78 per cent. females, a very unusual 
proportion, in fact the greatest in our experience. In 1684 
there were but 55 per cent, females, which is less than the 
usual proportion, 
Another observation, which it would have been pleasanter 
not to have made, was that the salmon were very much 
smaller than in 1883. In that year they were the largest ever 
known in the Penobscot River; such was the universal 
testimony of the fishermen. ‘The average of those bought in 
for breeders was 18.28 Ibs. This year they ayeraged 12.53 
lbs. The latter is about ordinary size for Penobscot salmon, 
pat es the experlence of 1883 they seemed very small 
indeed. 
The fish were mannipulated between Oct. 27 and Noy. 11. 
Eggs were taken from 240 female fish and 817 pounds 2 ounces 
obtained, estimated to count out 1,880,000, Thisis an average 
of 7,833 per fish—three and one-half times as many as the 
landlocked salmon yielded. _ Another comparison is sug- 
gested by the weights recorded. The landlocked eges count 
out about 2,254 per pound of eggs, and the sea-going salmon 
2,621 per pound—the latter being thus a good deal smaller 
though the fish is so much larger, two and a half times as 
large at the spawning season this year. 
The stock of eggs haye had warmer water for their deyel- 
opment than usual, and will be ready for shipment in Janu- 
ary probably, CHAS, G, ATKINS, 
THE UNITED STATES WORK IN MICHIGAN. 
HE stations of the United States Fish Commission in 
Michigan, in charge of Mr, Frank WN. Clark, are now in 
full operation. The receipts of eggs at the Northville and 
Alpena stations thus far this season, in round numbers, are as 
follows: Whitefish, 150,000,000; lake or salmon trout, 425,000; 
brook trout, 400,000, 
About 50,000,000 of the whitefish were taken from Lake 
Huron fisheries and placed in the Alpena hatchery, and 
100,000,000 from Lake Erie for the Northyille house. The 
brook trout eges were taken from the breeding stock at the 
Northville station, and the lake trout from the trout fisheries 
off Alpena. The latter were forwarded to Northville, as the 
hatchery at Alpena is equipped only for whitefish work. 
On the American side of Lake Huron the cateh of whitefish 
during the spawning season was rather light, owing to the 
heavy northeast gale which washed the entire west shore 
from November 4 to 6, and damaged or destroyed a large 
amount of twine and drove the runs off the coast reefs. On 
Lake Erie, however, the weather was more favorable, and 
the catch larger than for several years. 
The water used atthe Alpena hatchery is drawn from Lake 
Huron; temperature during the hatching season, from 55 to 
30 dex, At Northyille the trout eggs are held in spring water 
varying in temperature during the season from 53 to 44 deg.; 
and the whitefish eggs are kept in river water of a mean tem- 
perrture of 34 to 35 deg. 
McCLOUD RIVER. 
THe heavy blasting operations of the Central Pacific Rail- 
road Company, at the mouth of Pit River, during the 
summer and fall of 1888, almost entirely preyented the salmon 
froin coming up the McCloud River, which is a tributary of 
the Pit. One of the results of this was that only one million 
salmon eggs were taken by the U. S. Fish Commission on the 
McCloud River that season, against an annual average of 
eight millions during the preceding ten years. In consequence 
of this Prof. Baird concluded to intermit the salmon breeding 
operations on the river this year (1884) and accordingly 
nothing was done there by the U. 8. F. C. in taking salmon 
eggs. 
ron the other hand, ths trout breeding station four miles 
further up the river, gave a good account of itself in 1883 and 
has been kept in uninterrupted operation ever since. The 
time for taking and distributing the rainbow trout eggs from 
this station is close at hand, and those desiring to secure any 
of these eggs should make applivation at once to Prof. Baird, 
U. 8. Commissioner of Fisheries, at Washington, D. C. The 
trout will probably begin to deposit their eggs in a week or 
two, and it is hoped that nearly half a million willl be taken. 
NEW YORK OYSTER COMMISSION.—The fourth exam- 
ination of eystermen before Commissioner Hugene G, Black- 
ford, was held in Stevens Hall, Northport, L. I., at 12 o’clock, 
Dec. 22. The general drift of the testimony given seemed to 
be in favor of some control of the property by either the State 
or town in the direction of deeding the land to the oystermen 
for oyster purposes, and thus making the industry permanent 
and of more valne than under the present irregular system of 
leasing. lt was shown that the oysters in this locality take 
from three to five years to grow to a marketable size, and, 
with this time required for the growth of the oysters, an en- 
larged territory seemed to be necessary in order that the 
oystermen may have sufficient land to keep them fully 
occupied, Since it seems necessary to “‘rotate the crops” 
more, it is claimed that an oysterman here should have from 
four to fivesections upon which to plant his oysters; one sec- 
tion for the spat, and an additional section for each year’s 
growth up to marketable size. This, then, would necessitate 
at least ten acres or more, in proportion to the ability of the 
individual to work hisland. The principal points upon which 
any legislation is desired by the Nortuport oystermen, besides 
what has already been mentioned, are, that no natural ground 
should be leased; that no working shall take place upon the 
beds from sunset to sunrise, and that there should be a closed 
season in which no oysters should betaken during the months 
ot August, September and October. 
WAntep.—500 black bass’ for stocking purposes. Address Russell 
Thayer, Superintendent, Fairmount Park, Philadelphia.—Adv, 
