212 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Oct. 2, 1890. 



land (secretary), J. 0. Brandon, Jas. Battle, Geo. Brad- 

 beer, Jacob Eastendorf, M. H. Chamberlin, Eugene 

 Diernel, Jobn E^st, Hobart Gray, A, S, Gray, Geo. Greg- 

 ory, J. M. Gies, Louis B. Grau. Thos. Jocker, A. C. Hem- 

 pel, A. G. Holland, Harry Holland, W. H. Holland, A. 

 T. Henderson, J. H. Mason, Jas. T. Brady, S. B. Grum- 

 mond, Frank E. Beeves, Ferd Kuhn, W. H. Gilman, 

 Chas. Galgier, Peter Ablb<=rg, Jas. A. Marshall, Chas. F. 

 Zielke, A. C. Mrlchers, Edward G. Gies, W. P. Radigan, 

 John C. Spindler, Antoiue Michenfelder, Jas. Dwyer, 

 Jas. C. Higgins, Peter Rush, F. G. Meimer, Wm. G. 

 Springer, Henry Wunch, R'chard Rice, Albert Schaub, 

 Hiram Jackson. H Koester. Thos. Kennedy, Geo. Mortz, 

 W. J. Mason, Jos. Nagle, Mathew Oliver, D. S. Revell, 

 W. A. Allen. J. S Sohmittdiel, A. Smith, C. Schweikart, 

 A. H. Ravnor, Theo. Ruhl, Jos. Ulrich, Peter Uberotb, 

 L. A. Wilcox, Jos. Winters, J. W. Daly, Geo. V. Candler, 

 W. R. Candler. DarviS Cole. John Olfs, Peter J. Becker, 

 Simon C. Karrer, Henry Dunnebach, J. H. Black, A. 

 Wiessenberg. Wm. Look, Geo. Erb, Fred Katus. H. 

 Brossard, Fred Zimmer. AV. F. Hodgson (steward of the 

 club). E. Hough. 



No. 175 Mormon Street, Chicago. 



Comnectiutt River Pound Nets, — On June 30 Fish 

 Warden A. C. Collins arrested a number of Saybrook fisher- 

 men for maintaining illegal pound nets on Sunday. They 

 were convicted, but appealed. The Hartford times of 

 Sept. 19 reports: The case of The State vs. George W. 

 Denison, D. C. Spencer, John F, BushnelJ, Frank M. 

 Chalker and Fred Kirtland, the Saybrook pound fisher- 

 men convicted of illegal fishing last May, and which was 

 to have been tried in the Superior Court of Middlesex 

 county, at Haddam, the 25th of tlii3 month, has been 

 settled by the defendants with the State's attorney. W. 

 T. Elmer, The defendants paid the fines and costs. It 

 is said the amount was less than $300. The defendants 

 evidently did not care to stand tri 1 in the higher court 

 and be found guily a second time. It -would also neces- 

 sarily have reopened the case in the public mind, while 

 the defendants don't care to have anything more said 

 about it, lest the Legislature might abolish the "pounds" 

 altogether. It would be a benefit to the shad fishery and 

 the public if the Legislature were to do that A r ery thing. 

 The Times has so thoroughly exposed the tricks and suh- 

 terfuges of the "pounds," and their selfish course in 

 destroying the shad without giving them any chance to 

 get to the river, that the public has awakened to the fact 

 that these few "pound" owners have already nearly ruined 

 a once valuable industry, in which the people livingalong 

 the Connecticut River had an ancient and never-forfeited 

 interest. The public cm be deceived no longer, and the 

 next Legislature will probably take steps to save this val- 

 uable food fish. It is a monstrous thing that a half dozen 

 men can monopolize and nearly ruin the whole Connecti- 

 cut River shad fishery, and even defy tin 1 explicit law of 

 the State and keep their all-capturing "pounds" fishing 

 all the time, Sundays included. 



Striped Bass at Havre de Grace. Md.— Mi-. John G. 

 Watmough. of Philadelphia, took about 6001bs. of striped 

 bass with rod and litre in one week in this vicinity. This 

 was one of the very large catches of the season, but 

 agrees with reports from many pares of the coast. On 

 the Rhode Island shores, for example, striped bass are as 

 plentiful as ever known, and are being caught by the ton. 



Maine Trout. — Springvale, Maine, Sept. 23. — Brad. 

 Wilson, of Acton, sent to Mr J. B. Stiles, of this place, 

 six brook trout, said to have been captured in Long Pond, 

 three or four miles from here, which weighed ll^lbs. 

 twelve hours after capture. The largest weighed BJlbs. 

 —Chas. Hartford. 



SALT AND CLAY FOR TROUT DISEASE. 



THE diseases of trout for the most part are insidious, ob- 

 scure and deadly. Losses from unknown maladies 

 frequently discourage trout culturists to the point of giving 

 up the effort to rear the species in preserves. Who can tell 

 the cause of blindness or its remedy? Although not consid- 

 ered contagious, it is widespread, unexplained and, so far, 

 not amenable to treatment. Recently a new disease attacked 

 the rainbowtrout at the Wytheville station of the U. S. Fish 

 Commission and, as it was successfully overcome, we give 

 herewith full details, which we owe to the courtesy of the 

 Commissioner. Col. Marshall McDonald: 



WTTHEVILLE, Va., Sept. 4, 1890.— Hon. M. McDonald. Com- 

 missioner of Fisheries. — Dear Sir: I am sorry to inform you 

 that the yearling; trout, reserved here last fall for breeders, 

 are doing so badly. About a week ago they stopped eating 

 and they have not eaten a bite since and are now dying 

 rapidly. They seem to be affected with some contagious dis- 

 ease. The nsh turn a pale yellowish green, with dark spots 

 over the body and a dark yellow spot over the brain. We 

 have done everything we can for them. We have tried the 

 clay and salt remedy, but nothing seems to do them any good. 

 Their pond is clean and they have plenty of fresh water and 

 have had all the season, running into the pond from two dir- 

 ections, giving good circulation, etc. We have never had 

 fish to act this way before, and if you can suggest anything 

 for a remedy we shall be more than pleased to hear from 

 vou. Very truly yours, Geo. A. Seagle, Superintendent, 

 Wytheville Station. 



In response to this appeal, the Commissioner was consid- 

 ering the advisability of liberating the trout in Tate's Run 

 and recovering them as far as possible later in the fall. A 

 few days later, however, he was relieved of further anxiety 

 about the matter by the following welcome letter from Mr. 

 Seagle, and this may be of great service to trout culturists 

 in a similar emererency: 



Wtthevtlle, Va., Sept. 9, 1890. — Hon. M. McDonald, 

 Commissioner of Fisheries.— Dear Sir: I. wrote you several 

 days ago that our yearling California trout were 'in bad con- 

 dition and dying rapidly. Iam happy now to inform you 

 that they are about well again. Nothing seemed to do them 

 any good until we drew the water out of their pond, leaving 

 only about 1300 or 1500 gallons on the fish; to this we added 

 one bushel of salt and two bushels of clay, mixed thoroughly 

 with the water in the race way and allowed to flow into the 

 pond. The water was then cut off the pond and the fish 

 left in the muddy, briny water as long as they could live 

 without a change of water. This bath was given them twice 

 (two days in succession). Of course we made some experi- 

 ments on individuals before trying so much salt on the whole 

 lot. Ten hours after the first application, the fish showed 

 decided improvement, and began to eat— the first food taken 

 in over a week. We had tried salt ami clay before, but not 

 near such a large quantity, and without drawing off the 

 water. -~Yevy truly yours, Geo. A. Seaglk. 



TROUT CULTURAL CONTROVERSIES. 



Editor Forest a/nd Stream: 



I presume that but few of your readers care for or even 

 trouble themselves to read these controversies, and partic- 

 ularly that side which refuses all semblance of argument and 

 whose stock in trade is mainlv invective, which an old-time 

 author very truthfully defined as "a predatory course of life, 

 and indeed but a privateering upon reputation." The truth- 

 fulness of this saying was never more forcibly illustrated, 

 l b an in the communications of Wm. N. Byers which taint 

 your columns. His fulminations contain very little but mat- 

 ter which is grossly personal and intentionally false in spirit. 

 He is iudeed a beautiful specimen to charge, others with Bil- 

 lingsgate and cuttlefish tactics. He reminds one of the dis- 

 turbed shop-lifter who, as he flees through the streets and 

 alleys shouts at the top of his voice "stop thief." Readers 

 of the Forest and Stream, who take the trouble to wade 

 through his last roily emanation, will look in vain for any- 

 thing simulating an argument, until they reach his refer- 

 ence to my views concerning shad and whitefish culture, 

 where he asks "how do these utterances sound in view of our 

 present knowledge of the results in these branches of flshcul- 

 tural effort?" Of course he does not attempt to tell what 

 these results have beer., and one reason is that he does not 

 know. If he did know he would fight as shy of the facts as 

 he does of all facts connected with so-called trout culture. 

 The cold facts in connection with shad and whitefish cul- 

 ture are, that up to the present time there has been no per- 

 ceptible result whatever. As for forty or more years past, 

 there contiuue to be seasons of plenty and seasons of partial 

 or total failure, precisely the same and no different, as when 

 artificial hatching and planting were unknown here. I refer 

 now to the Atlantic slope. Plants made on the Pacific slope 

 have been a fair success, and I have earnestly hoped that 

 whenever my plans for shad stocking were given a fair trial, 

 there would be some tangible returns. The matter is now 

 being tested and in a year or two we may know how the plan 

 works. 



Regarding shad, I think I stated years ago in Forest and 

 Stream, that I was personally familiar with the three prin- 

 cipal shad streams of the country, namely: the Connecticut, 

 the Hudson and the Delaware. Every old fish dealer as 

 well as old residents in the vicinity of these streams will 

 agree with me in the assertion, that there has not averaged 

 more than three good shad seasons in every ten, and that the 

 other seven have been partial or total failures, and these 

 results have been in no wise changed since artificial work 

 has been in vogue in connection with these streams. 



Our oldest whitefish men here on Lake Erie (the head- 

 quarters of the business) testify that there are intervals of 

 plenty and of failure in their business, precisely as in shad 

 business, only thes« intervals in the case of whitefish are of 

 longer duration, both as to nlenteousness and failure; and 

 they further testify that artificial propagation has not made 

 the slightest change in the situation. The more experienced 

 fishermen argue that the artificial operations can do them 

 no possible harm and that there is a chance of some benefit 

 accruing, and they therefore encourage these operations by 

 word of mouth, but no man of experience will either spend 

 time or money in this encouragement. They even refuse to 

 distribute the young whitefish unless paid for it. 



The only other points in the blackguard communication 

 requiring the least notice, are the references to my news- 

 paper work and a request for information as to the papers 

 for which I have written, etc., and also the assertion that I 

 have endeavored to impeach the honor and integrity of Prof. 

 Baird and others named. And right here I wish to call the 

 attention of readers to the fact that each of those named 

 have conducted their operations with public funds, which 

 they have expended as honorably, honestly and intelligently 

 as public funds are generally expended in experimental work, 

 such as theirs has largely been. I never did and do not ex- 

 pect to have a more courteous and gentlemanly friend than 

 Prof. Baird always was. An active correspondence com- 

 menced between us soon after the establishment of the U. S. 

 Fish Commission and continued as long as his health per- 

 mitted him to correspond with any one. I have an ordinary 

 spice (shipping) box full of his letters, and haverecentlyfound 

 another large package in addition. These letters are per- 

 sonal, official and semi-official, mostly the latter. As poor 

 as I am, it would take "big money" to buy them. After he 

 began to be prostrated from over-work and it became neces- 

 sary to intrust his office work to others, I had failed to re- 

 ceive certain promised publications and so wrote him, not 

 knowing of his physical disability. Not hearing from the 

 matter I addressed Congressman Ferrell, in whose district I 

 then resided. I received a prompt reply from himsayingthat 

 he had called upon Prof. Baird, who expressed mortification 

 because the publications had not been sent, ashe had directed. 

 They were then promptly forthcoming. The Professor in- 

 formed Congressman Ferrell that I was an indefatigable 

 worker in the cause of fish culture and that he aimed to aid me 

 in every practicable manner, as I was one of the most reliable 

 and prized correspondents of the Commission. I make this 

 statement in brief, almost verbatim, as imparted to me by 

 Mr. Ferrell, whom I have not been authorized to quote, and 

 should not now, but for persistent attempts of a disreput- 

 able ring (with whom Byers appears to be in communica- 

 tion) to make it appear that Prof. Baird did not recognize me 

 as an authority. The ring have evidently found in Byers a 

 tool that they can work, as they have attempted to others, 

 until he like them goes to the wall, the place which he is very 

 near to now. 



Another gentleman who was then and still is in public ser- 

 vice, often called upon Prof. Baird during the last year of his 

 life particularly, and on one of these occasions the Professor 

 had been reading one of my articles concerning the failure 

 of artificial trout culture. In the conversation which ensued, 

 the Professor spoke of me in the same vein as he did to Con 

 gressman Ferrell, and in addition said that I was undoubt- 

 edly right in the main, regarding the (then) status of trout 

 culture. I would give this gentleman's name but for the fact 

 that he is in public service. 



Byers appears to be very anxious to know something of 

 the papers to which I have contributed. It is of no material 

 interest to the mass of the readers of Forest and Stream, 

 for thousands of them know considerable of the matter al- 

 ready; however, I will give him a partial list to ponder over. 

 Commencing on the East; the Massachusetts Ploughman, 

 Boston; the Union, the Homestead, the Farm and Home, 

 Spingfield, Mass.: the Berkshire County Eagle, Pittsfleld, 

 Mass., (I have written for this paper nearly forty-five years); 

 Tribune, Sun, Forest and Stream, Turf, Field and Farm, 

 New York city, and nearly all the leading papers published 

 in Philadelphia, also quite a number of papers published 

 in the smaller cities of Connecticut, New York, New Jersey- 

 Pennsylvania and some other States; also two syndicates of 

 newspapers, embracing nearly one hundred country papers, 

 and of which I was chief editor; also for two of the English 

 Quarterlies. The bulk of my writings for these papers has 

 been on the subject of fishculture. As is well known to 

 readers of the Forest AND Stream, the leading papers 

 named make a specialty of answering questions. Several 

 of the papers named still continue to send to me all questions 

 relating to fishculture, and I return the answers, which are 

 dulj r published by them. It would seem that they think me 

 more of an authority upon the subject than the great fish- 

 culturist Byers does. It will be noticed that I have not men- 

 tioned the publications issued by the Rural Publishing Com- 

 pany, and which seem to be sufficiently valuable to be kept 

 on file, years after their suspension. I hear from them every 

 week, and (except from Byers) in commendatory terms. They 

 were suspended in consequence of my being stricken with 

 paralysis, resulting from an old army injury. Since Novem- 



ber 1887, I have'been able to write but a few pages of manu- 

 script, and my little newspaper work and correspondence is 

 only executed by the aid of a type writer. I will send here- 

 with to the editor of Forest and Stream copies of docu- 

 ments sent out to patrons of the publications (which Byers 

 attempts to libel) to show the honorable treatment of them 

 by the publishers. Of course they are only of interest to 

 those to whom they were sent. 



Readers will remember perhaps that Byers in his first at- 

 tack upon me stated in effect, that there was a large number 

 of persons now engaged in trout culture in Colorado, partic- 

 ularly in the vicinity of Denver. In past years I have had 

 numerous correspondents in Colorado, some of whom noted 

 the steady decline of trout culture there as elsewhere. After 

 Byers's gauzy statement, I re-opened correspondence with 

 Coloradoans, and chanced to find a reliable party in Denver 

 who was thoroughly posted upon the suhjpct. *Up to date, 

 I can only learn of four p irties in all Colorado who continue 

 in the business, and they in a small way, and two of the 

 parties run the business as a side attraction to summer 

 resorts, the same as is done bv a few parties in the East, but 

 most of the trout served at their tables are from the wild 

 streams which have never been artificially stocked. 



While prosecuting investigations concerning fishculture 

 in foreign countries, I naturally expected valuable infor- 

 mation from France, where trout culture was first practiced 

 in modern times, and where it was fostered bvvarious scien- 

 tific societies, and by the Government I was .somewhat 

 surprised to learn that after a few years' experiments con- 

 ducted with a degree of intelligence and thoroughness un- 

 known outside of France, trout culture has been adjudged 

 a total failure there, and the business had been abandoned, 

 ts it practically is in this country except where kept alive by 

 public money. There are hundreds of trout culturists in 

 this county who have tested the matter with more or less 

 thoroughness, and, beyond the ''fry" stage have found it a 

 pronounced failure, and have given it up, generally in dis- 

 gust and often in sorrow. They are oid men now, those yet 

 living, and the next generation are upon the stage. Very 

 few of them will repeat the trout-cultural experiments of 

 the previous generation, but they ought to be induced to 

 try the plan explained in my article in your issue of Sept. 4, 

 (page 134) as it is comparatively inexpensive and will cer- 

 tainly aid very materially in perpetuating a supply of this 

 peerless fish, both for the angler and the epicure. 



As I am about closiug, 1 glance at the last paragraph 

 of Byers's last effort, particularly the closiug threat It is 

 really fearful to contemplate He now wishes readers to be- 

 lieve that the "burning question" is whether or not I am an 

 authority on fishculture. I suspect that readers will recall 

 the fact that Wm. N. Byers simply made an attack upon mv 

 assertion that artificial trout culture is a failure, and in 

 order to fortify his line of attack made the offer to furnish 

 me a list of from fifty to one hundred streams (presumably 

 in Colorado), which readers were led to believe were barren 

 but had been rendered fruitful by artificial stocking. I very 

 properly asked him to furnish the proffered list, but has 

 any reader seen it? Certainly not, and they never will, be- 

 cause such streams do not exist. The statement, like several 

 others made by him, has no foundation in fact. Tourists 

 are led to believe that some such conditions exist. Railroad 

 and hotel men understand this business to perfection and 

 work it for all it is worth. And I happen to know of parties 

 who will not go to Colorado the second time on a trout-fish- 

 ing excursion, but have already gone further uorth where 

 streams have never been arti ficial ly stocked . Byers has been 



rolific in building imaginary structures and asking me to 



nock them down. If be carries out the awful threat con 

 tained in the last clause, of his latest effusion, readers will 

 hope to hear something concerning the question at issue. 

 Let him point out some of the places where trout culture has 

 been a success. I do not make it a practice to "dodge the 

 question" in the remotest degree, but I would like to know 

 if Byers has yet found a sucker to lease that wonderful trout, 

 stream which in his first article was alluded to in a manner 

 "so child-like and bland?" Milton P. Peirce. 



COLUMBUS, Ohio. 



FIXTURES, 



DOG SHOWS. 



Oct. 6 to 11.— Ninth Annual Dog Show of the Danbury Agricul- 

 tural Society, at Dauburv Coim. B. C. Lvnes, Secretarv. 



Dec. 30 to Jan. 3, 1891.— First. Dog Show of the Buckeye Poultry 

 and Pet Stock Association, at Canton, O. James Sterling, Sec'y, 

 39 North Market street. 



1891. 



Jan. 20 to 25.— First Annual Dog Show of the Louisiana Poultry 

 and Pet Sto~k Association, at New Orleans, La. A. E. Shaw, Sec- 

 retarv, Box 1058. 



Feb. 21 tn 27.- Fifteenth Annual Dog Show of the Westminster 

 Kennel Club, at, Npw York. James Mortimer Superintendent. 



March 24 to 27.— Second Annual Dog Show of the Massachusetts 

 Kennel Club, Lynn, Mass. D. A. Williams, Secretary. 



FIELD TRIALS. 



November.— Second Annual Field Trials of the Brunswick Fur 

 Club, at Brunswick, Me. J. H. Baird, Secretary, Auburndale, 

 Mass. 



Nov. 3.— Fourth Annual Field Trials of the Indiana Kennel 

 Club, at Carlisle, Ind. P. T. Madison, Indianapolis, Ind., Sec'y. 



Nov. 3.— Second Annual Field Trials of the Car.arlian Kennel 

 Club, at Chatham, Oot. C. A. Ston<>, Toronto, On 1 ., Secretarv. 



Nov. 4 to 8.— First Beagle Field Trials of the National Beagle 

 Club, atHyannis, Mass. F. W. Chppman, Secretary, 364 Wash- 

 ington streot, Boston. Mass. 



Nov. 7.— Ninth Annual Field Trials of the Ptobins Island Club. 

 W. L. Wellington. Secretary. Brooklyn, N. Y. 



Nov. 17.— Twelfth Annual Field Trials of the Eastern Field 

 Trials Club, at Otterburn Springs, Va. W. A. Coster, Saratoga 

 Springs, N. Y/., Secretary. 



Dec. 1.— Second Annual Field Trials of the Central Field Trials 

 Club, at Lexington, N. C. C. H. Odell, Mills Building, New York, 

 Secretary, 



1801. 



Jan. 19.— Eighth Annual Field Trials of the Pacific KennolCluh, 

 at Bakersneld, Oal. PL H. Brings, Secretary. 



Feb. 2.— Third Annual Field Trials of the Southern Field Trials 

 Club. T. M. Brunby, Secretary. Marietta, Ga. 



COURSING. 



Oct. 21 to 25.— Fifth Annual Meet of the American Coursing 

 Club, at Great Bend. Kan. L D. Rrougher. Secretary. 



OTTAWA BENCH SHOW, 



HPHIS pleasant little show, held in the capital city of Can- 

 JL ads, opened Sept. 23, continuing till Thursday evening, 

 the 25th. Mr. James Watson was to have, judged all classes, 

 but at the last moment i ef ore entries closed, he was com- 

 pelled by other business engagements to forego that pleas- 

 ure, and H. W. Lacy was engaged in his stead. The build- 

 ing set apart for the dogs by the Fair Association is a poor 

 one, just an oblong inclosed shed with room for about 150 

 dogs comfortably benched. At Toronto show there was such 

 a rush of entries made with Mr. Geddes that the committee 

 had to put up another row of stalls on top of those alreauy 

 fixed, and this brought the total up to about 230, leading to 

 considerable ABC business in the catalogue, 1 must say, 

 however, it did not lead to the confusion I had anticipated. 

 The quality of the show on the whole was good, and I am 

 told a vast 'improvement on last year. There is but little 1 

 doubt but that Ottawa will fall into line as a regular dog i 

 show fixture, for the attendance was very good, especially , 

 on the second day, when over 10,000 people wei«e registered 



