Sept. 7, 1895.J 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



209 



This is a bad showing, if true; but, as his estimate of dead 

 breeding fish is 45,000 greater than he reported he had on 

 hand last year (and it is not probable that he then underesti- 

 mated his stock fish), and no breeders have since been added 

 to the ponds, it may be in order for him to explain, while in 

 the explaining business, why it is that the loss was 45,000 

 greater than the number of flsh he had on hand when he was 

 in charge of the hatchery. The truth is, there was no such 

 loss of breeding fish, and the condition of things in the creek 

 is not as bad as stated in that newspaper article. These 

 are the facts, as near as they can be honestly computed. 

 The loss of breeding brook trout was less than 1,000, about 

 3,000 hybrids classed as brook trout, about 2,000 to 2,500 Cali- 

 fornia trout, 3,000 brown trout, and 50 large lake trout past 

 breeding and kept in the ponds merely as show fish. So 

 much for the fish in the breeding ponds. In addition, there 

 was a loss of 4,000 to 5,000 two-year-old brook trout and Cal- 

 ifornia trout, and about 100,000 fry of various kinds. 



There are left at the station and now in good condition 

 about 1,000 of the largest brown trout, 100 or 200 California 

 trout and from fifty to seventy-five of the large lake trout, 

 perfectly useless except for show. There are also 3,500 one 

 and a half year old brook and California trout and 20,000 

 fry of various kinds on hand. The young fish have, how- 

 ever, been placed in the ponds since the visitation of the 

 wrath of Providence. 



Fish are being sent to Caledonia from other stations and 

 will be from ontside sources, and the station will soon be in 

 better condition than before the flood. As to the loss of fish 

 food, insects are rising in all parts of the creek and some 

 good catches of trout have been made in the waters of the 

 Caledonia Fishing Club. The hatchery foreman has made 

 catches of brook trout in the creek below the State ponds 

 with a fly, and has placed the fish in the breeding ponds, 

 where they may be spawned artificially in the fall. The 

 stock fish now on hand will probably yield 1,000,000 eggs and 

 they will be added to materially before the spawning season 

 commences, and all will be pure bred fish with no males in 

 the whole outfit. A. N. Cheney. 



Prof. Dodge's Report. 



To the Commissioners of Fisheries, Game and Forests, 

 Albany, N. Y.— Gentlemen: In pursuance of your request 1 

 made yesterday another visit to the hatcheries, creek and. 

 mill pond at Caledonia. 



At the State hatchery all of the young trout in the trough 

 are dead, except a few in one trough, in which the treatment 

 with salt was begun earlier than in the others. In this 

 trough there still remain a few young fish, though even these 

 will probably be dead in a day or two. It is significant that 

 the salt treatment has evidently enabled the fish in this 

 trough to survive for even so short a time as three or four 

 days longer than the others. The mature fish in the ponds 

 are still dying and present the same appearance as noted for 

 the past three weeks, viz.: some of the fish being covered 

 with larger or smaller patches of water mould, while others 

 show bleached spots on various portions of the body, but no 

 mould. 



In company with Mr. Annin, I went to the mill pond and 

 we walked around the entire pond at the water's edge, 

 examining the various refuse heaps and tracing every inflow- 

 ing stream to its source. The pond is almost entirely filled 

 with a growth of stonewort (Chara) or "moss," as it is some- 

 times called, and of water-silk (Spirogyra). The water is 

 very low and in some places has receded for several feet from 

 the natural margin of the pond. Many of the plants are 

 dead, and the greater part of the pond contains decomposing 

 vegetable matter. We found no place where a house drain 

 empties directly into the pond. Two barns stand so close to 

 the water (one being partly over it) that their drainage must 

 necessarily get into the pond. Two or three manure heaps 

 probably contribute their leechings after every rain. In 

 various places ashes, cinders, dead grass and branches of 

 trees, old iron, paint pails, broken crockery and refuse of all 

 sorts had been dumped into the water or stream along the 

 shore. In fact, the mill pond seems to be the general garbage 

 reeeptacle and dump for all of the houses in the neighbor- 

 Between the pond and the grist mill lies a filthy spring 

 hole from which the sprinkling carts of the town draw their 

 supply. The overflow from this place runs into Spring 

 Creek. The spring hole at present is filled with the decay- 

 ing branches and leaves which have fallen from the sur- 

 rounding trees, and which have been accumulating for 

 many years past. An immense growth of bacteria is now to 

 be seen in the water in this place. 



A tributary to Spring Creek, but not to the mill pond, is 

 the East Branch, which arises from a spring (Brady's 

 Spring) under a drug store in the village of Caledonia. At 

 the head of this stream stands a privy which evidently is 

 constantly used, and the refuse from which is carried away 

 down stream and into Spring Creek. House drainage from 

 the apartments over the drug store is carried in a trough 

 over the roof of the privy and dropped into the stream. 

 Further down this water runs under a livery stable and 

 carries away the drainage from this establishment as well 

 as the washings from the barnyard. Still further down is 

 built a pig pen and yard inclosing part of the stream. The 

 land inclosed in this pig yard slopes toward the stream, and 

 into the latter necessarily runs all of the drainage from both 

 yard and pen. Several pigs are at present confined here and 

 probably spend part of their time wallowing in the water. 

 Back of the drug store are piled barrels and various other 

 receptacles from which drippings may find their way into 

 the creek. 



Samples of water were taken from eleven different places 

 at the State hatchery, the mill pond and its tributaries 

 Spring Creek and Mr. Annin's hatchery. Culture experi- 

 ments were started upon the spot to endeavor to find which 

 waters are infected with the water mould, for this organism, 

 even though further developments may show that it is not 

 the only cause of death among the trout recently, is un- 

 doubtedly an exceedingly important factor in the epidemic. 

 It will be several days before these culture experiments can 

 be completed, and without awaiting their conclusion it has 

 seemed best to report at once upon the condition of the mill 

 pond. 



In view of what was found there only one recommenda- 

 tion is possible, viz. : to abolish the pond as such at the earli- 

 est possible moment. To do this will of course necessitate 

 the purchase of the pond and water rights from their owners, 

 but I am firmly convinced that this measure must be carried 

 out if Spring Creek is to be maintained as a trout stream and 

 the State hatchery is to be operated with any assurance of 

 safety and success. If left in its present condition the mill 

 pond will always be a menace to the work instituted at the 

 State hatchery and to the preserve of the Caledonia Fishing 

 Club. The destruction of fish witnessed the past few weeks 

 may be .repeated during any or every succeeding season. 

 The pond should be purchased, the dam removed and the 

 water from the springs allowed to seek their natural 

 channels. If this plan be adopted there will no longer be 

 any opportunity for the drainage from privies, houses, barns 

 and pig pens to get into the creek, there will be only the 

 natural amount of decaying vegetable substances present 

 and there will be no further trouble with hot water from the 

 pond raising the temperature of the creek many degrees 

 above normal. There will be no chance for water moulds 

 and bacteria to increase in such enormous numbers, for 

 there will be neither the abundant food supply now to be 

 found in the pond nor the high temperature needed for their 

 development. The water flowing from the spring in the 

 bottom of the pond will pass directly into the creek instead 



of being held in check until the sun warms it up to 85° or 

 more. 



For the present it seems to me that the pond, having first 

 been treated to a very liberal allowance of salt, should be 

 drawn down as low as possible and allowed to become as 

 dry as the sun can make it. This will destroy many of the 

 organisms (such as mould and bacteria) now in the pond 

 water and produce a very thorough disinfection of the bot- 

 tom. The water should be drawn off rapidly so as to get it 

 through the creek and out of the way in the shortest time. 

 Gradual withdrawal of pond water into the creek means a 

 longer exposure of the fish to the attacks of the moulds. 

 After the bottom of the pond has become somewhat dry 

 much of the refuse can be raked out and removed. 



The position of the privy drain and pig^pen on the East 

 Branch should be changed so that this stream will no longer 

 be polluted. 



All of the "hides" along Spring Creek should be thoroughly 

 examined and the bodies of the dead fish removed and buried. 

 Mr. Annin told me that under a single "hide" he found over 

 400 dead fish (if I remember correctly) in all stages of decay 

 and completely overgrown with water mould. I think that 

 this discovery goes far toward explaining the severity and 

 duration of the epidemic among the fish, for those affected 

 would naturally remain under the "hides" with the well fish 

 and infect the latter, while the bodies of the dead held by the 

 roots and plants growing down into the water have accumu- 

 lated in these places, and the water moulds have thus had a 

 wholly unsuspected location and food supply. It is little to 

 be wondered at then that in spite of the stringent and heroic 

 precautions taken at the State hatchery to save the fish the 

 latter were simply overwhelmed by enormous numbers of 

 the spores of the moulds and water polhited by the putre- 

 factive bacteria and other organisms developed on the bodies 

 of the dead fish. 



In this connection it is interesting to notice that in every 

 sample of water, except the one from Mr. Annin's hatchery 

 and the one from the spring west of the mill pond, there is 

 seen this morning (about fifteen hours after collection) a 

 large development of bacteria. Further, two small trout 

 taken while still alive from a trough in the State hatchery 

 are now nearly dissolved by putrefactive bacteria, while two 

 similar specimens taken from Mr. Annin's hatchery have 

 scarcely commenced to decay. 



The spring hole near the grist mill should be treated with 

 salt and then raked clean. 



I believe that the measures mentioned above must be car- 

 ried out if the trout in Spring Lake and at the State 

 hatchery are to be saved. Charles Wright Dodge. 



FIXTURES. 



BENCH SHOWS. 



Sept. 9 to 13.— Industrial Exhibition Association's annual bench 

 show, Toronto, Ont. 0. A. Stone, Sec'y and Sup't. 



Sept. 10 to 13.— Binghampton Industrial Exposition's fifth annual 

 bench show. Binghampton, N. Y. A. P. Fish, Sec'y. 



Sept. 17 to 20.— Rhode Island State Fair Association's third annual 

 bench show, Narragansett Park, Providence, E. I. 



Sept. 17 to 20.— Orange county Fair Bench Show, Newburgh, N. Y. 

 Robert Johnson, Sec'y. 



Sept. 17 to 20.— Montreal Kennel Association's show, Montreal, Can. 

 Geo. K. Lanigan, Hon Sec'y-Treas. 



Sept. 17 to 20.— Milwaukee Kennel and Pet Stock Association's first 

 annual bench show, Milwaukee, Wis. F. 8. Morrison, Sec'y. 



Sept. 18 to 20.— Omaha Kennel Club's second annual show, Omaha, 

 Neb. E. L. Marston, Sec'y. 



Oct. 8 to 11.— Danbury, Conn.— Danbury Agricultural Society. G. L. 

 Bundle, Sec'y. 



1896. 



Feb. 19 to 23.— Westminster Kennel Club's twentieth annual dog 

 show, Madison Square Garden, New York. James Mortimer, Supt. 



FIELD TRIALS. 

 Sept. 10.— Morris, Man.— Manitoba F. T. C. John Wootton, Sec'y, 

 Manitou. 



Oct. 22.— Columbus, Wis.— Northwestern Beagle Club's third annual 

 trials. Louis Steff en, Sec'y, Milwaukee. 



Oct. 29.— Assonet Neck, Mass.— New England Field Trial Club's 

 fourth annual trials. Arthur R. Sharp, Sec'y, Taunton, Mass. 



— . Morris, Man.— Northwestern Field Trials Club's Champion Stake. 

 Thos. Johnson, Sec'y, Winnipeg. 



Oct. 30-31.— Monongahela Valley Association Trials, Greene connty, 

 Pa. W. H. Beazell, Sec'y, Homestead. 



Nov. 5.— Chatham, Ont.— International F. T. Club. W. B.Wells, Sec'y. 



Nov. 5.— Oxford, Mass.— New England Beagle Club trials. W, S. 



Nov. 7.— Newton, N. O— U. S. Field Trial Club's Trials A. W. B. 

 Stafford, Sec'y, Trenton, Tenn. 



Nov. 11.— Hempstead, L. I.— National Beagle Club of America, fifth 

 annual trials. Geo. W. Rogers. Sec'y, 250 West Twenty-second street, 

 New York. 



Nov. 18.— Eastern F. T. Club, at Newton, N. C. W. A. Coster, 

 Sec'y, Saratoga Springs, N. Y. 



Nov. 25.— Continental Field Trials Club's quail trials at Newton. 

 P. T. Madison, Sec'y, Indianapolis, Ind. 



Dec. 2 to 4.— High Point, N. C— Irish Setter Club's trials. Geo. H. 

 Thompson, Sec'y. 



1896. 



Jan. 20.— Bakersfleld, Cal.— Pacific Coast Field Trial Club. J. M. 

 Kilgarif, Sec'y. 



Jan. 20.— West Point, Miss.— TJ. S. F. T. C. trials. W. B. Stafford, 

 Sec'y. 



Feb. 3.— West Point, Miss.— Southern F. T. C. seventh annual trials. 

 T. M. Brumby, Sec'y. 



COURSING. 



Sept. 24.— Lisbon, N. D.— Cheyenne Valley Coursing Club's meeting. 

 H. C. Waterhouse, Sec'y. 



Oct. 1.— Aberdeen, S. D. — Aberdeen Coursing Club's meeting. J. H. 

 Davis, Sec'y. 



Oct. 8.— Huron, S. D. — American Waterloo Cup. F. B. Coyne, Sec'y. 

 Oct. 23.— Goodland, Kan.— Altear Coursing Club's meeting. T. W. 

 Bartels, Sec'y. 



Oct. 28 — Goodland, Kan.— Kenmore Coursing Club's meeting. C. F. 

 Weber, Sec'y. 



Monongahela Valley Trials. 



Homestead, Pa., Aug. 30.— Editor Forest and Stream: 

 The Monongahela Valley Game and Fish Protective As- 

 sociation will hold its first field trials on the preserve 

 grounds, Green county, Pa., Oct. 30 and 31. Derby and all- 

 age stake to be run ; pointers and setters to run together. 

 Entries close Oct. 1. Entrance fee $10; $5 to nominate 

 and $5 to start. Ten per cent, of entrance money to be 

 deducted by the Association. The balance to be divided 

 into 50, 30 and 20 per cent, for winning dogs. Eastern 

 Field Trial rules to govern. 



This Association was formed last winter by a number of 

 the leading sportsmen of Pittsburgh and vicinity, who, 

 having hunted and fished in many sections of the 

 country, recognized the fact that the game and fish were 

 fast being depleted and little was being done to preserve 

 them, saw the necessity of taking steps to protect and 

 stock the fields and streams within easy access of the 

 members. About 8,000 acres of land, particularly well 

 adapted to the protection and propagation of game and 

 fish, have been leased. One hundred dozen quail were 

 liberated last spring and one hundred dozen ordered for 

 delivery this fall. Deputy Game Warden J. W. Phillips, 

 overseer of the preserve, reports birds more plentiful 

 than for years, this having been a favorable season for 

 hatching. 



We are now raising a number of Mongolian pheasants 

 with the object of stocking the preserve with them. 



Arrangements have been made for bass and salmon fry 

 to stock the streams that flow through the grounds. 



A great feature of the Association will be the annual 

 field trials, in which all are invited to participate. Visit- 

 ors can be assured of a royal welcome and a good time. 

 We hope the local and nearby sportsmen will take an in- 

 terest in the trials and give us their support by entering 

 and running their dogs. Mr. W. S. Bell, the well-known 

 field trial judge and treasurer of the Association, will 

 judge the trials. 



The Association, which is limited to sixty members, is 

 composed of some of the leading professional and business 

 men of this city. Dr. George Gladden is President; W. S. 

 Bell, Treasurer, and W. H. Beazell, Secretary. The Direc- 

 tors for the ensuing year are Drs. Gladden and Doyle, 

 Messrs. W. H. Beazell, W. S. Bell, A. C. Peterson, W. T. 

 Lindsey and S. B. Cummings. Solicitor, C. G. Mcllvaine, 

 Esq. Any information concerning the trials will be 

 cheerfully given by applying to 



W. H. Beazell, Secretary, Homestead. 



Manitoba Trials All-Age Stakes. 



Manitou, Man., Aug. 22.— I inclose you herewith list 

 of entries for the club's All-Age stakes. The number 

 exceeds our expectations and there will no doubt be a 

 grand gathering at Morris next month. 



ENGLISH SETTERS. * 



L. Rauscb, St. Louis, Count Bondhu II. 

 F. R. Hitchcock, New York, Tory Dotlet. 

 C. W. De Pauw, Indiana, Auld Clootie. 



E. McKenny, Manitou, Val Lit. 



Ed. A. Burdett, Pennsylvania, Anne of Abbotsford. 

 Arthur C. Ely, Chicago, Mattie Ringold. 

 Frank Richards, Minnesota, Molly R. 

 John Wootton, Manitou, Bonnie Lit. 

 W. F. Ellis, Manitou, Colombus. 



N. T. Harris, Kentucky, Cynosure, Dixie's Flag and Tony 

 Boy. 



Philip M. Essig, Mississippi, Rod's Top. 

 Herbert Ames, Massachusetts, Lady Mildred. 

 A. P. H. Lonsdale, England, Roma. 

 Thomas Johnson, Winnipeg, Trilby, Patti, Psyche and 

 Sancho. 



C. G. Stoddard, Dayton, Gladstone's Speck, Anto Glad- 

 stone and Hal Pointer. 



Chimo Kennels, Winnipeg, Larry Noble and Ortolan. 



Manchester Kennel Co., Tennessee, Gleam's Dart and 

 Gleam's Ruth. 



T. G. Davey, London, Brighton Dick. 



Chas. W. Graham, Winnipeg, Gladiator II. 



R. Bangham, Windsor, Dash Antonio. 



POINTERS. 



Charlottesville Kennels, Virginia, Selah. 

 W. N. Kerr, Pittsburg, Little Ned. 

 N. T. De Pauw, New Albany, Jingo. 



F. R. Hitchcock, New York, Tory Joe. 



R Merrill, Milwaukee, Lady Peg II., Daisy Rip Rap and 

 Stridemore. 



Dr. J. R. Daniels, Cleveland, Plain Sam and Belle of 

 Lancaster. 



Theo. Goodman, New York, Ridgeview Regent. 

 Dr. G. Chisholm, Alabama, Komus. 

 A. P. H. Lonsdale, England, Deemster. 

 J. Lemon, Winnipeg, Mack. 



C. G. Stoddard, Dayton, Don Upton, Blythe's Lad, Lady 

 Rush and Charlie H. 

 James Phillips, Winnipeg, Lonsdale. 

 Stoddard & Kidwell, Tick Boy. 

 Albert Gale, Winnipeg, Frankie Paul. 

 Ashford & Odom, Alabama, Von Gull. 

 F. W. Dunham, Alabama, Elgin Dash. 



John Wootton, Sec'y. 



Toronto Show. 



Toronto, Aug. 27.— Editor Forest and Stream: C. H. 

 Mason, after two weeks' consideration and without even 

 notifying the committee until asked last Saturday, has 

 declined to judge the classes allotted him at the bench 

 show of the Industrial Exhibition Association. Mr. Mor- 

 timer will take Boston, bull, fox and black and tan ter- 

 riers; Mr. Davidson, wolfhounds, greyhounds and deer- 

 hounds. 



The following specials have been added for beagles: $10 

 for best kennel; $5 for best pair, dog and bitch; $5 for best 

 stud dog with three or more get; $5 for best pair dogs; 

 $5 for largest number of beagles entered by one party or 

 kennel. 



The Rochester-Pittsburg Kennels, now holders of the 

 Grogan cup, offer the same for competition under the 

 original terms — for the best bull-terrier owned and exhib- 

 ited by a resident of Allegheny county. Puppies for sale 

 may be placed in a large tent adjoining the building, in 

 which benches will be built at the charge of 85 for care 

 and feeding. The entries for this must be sent in at once; 

 only a limited number to be entered. 



C. A. Stone, Sec'y. 



A. K. C. Meeting. 



New York, Aug. 20.— A Special Meeting of the Amer- 

 ican Kennel Club will be held at the office of the Club, 

 No. 55 Liberty street, this city, on Thursday, Sept. 12, 

 1895, at two o'clock, to consider and vote upon certain 

 amendments to the Constitution and Bench Show Rules, 

 as recommended by the Committee on Rules. These 

 amendments are of vital importance. 



The regular quarterly meeting of the Executive Com- 

 mittee of the Club will be held at the same place, immedi- 

 ately following the meeting of the Club. 



By order of the president. 



A. P. Vredenburgh, Sec'y. 



Sulphur for Fleas. 



Manchester, N. H., Aug. 29. — I think I have found a 

 simple way to rid our dogs of flpas. Cleanse the bed thor- 

 oughly, sprinkle a good supply of dry sulphur on the floor, 

 and place clean hay or straw over it. 



Previous to treating the kennel as above I could comb 

 from thirty to fifty fleas per day from my beagle. Now I 

 am surprised if I rind a half dozen at a combing. 



J. B. E. 



