100 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Feb. S, 1803. 



MASSACHUSETTS FISHCULTURE. 



Wb have received from Commissioner E. A. Brackett a 

 copy of the report of the Massachusetts Commissioners on 

 inland fisheries and game for the year 1893. Eighty-four 

 salmon "^vere seen passing through the Lawrence fish way 

 during Juno and -July, but there was no fall run up the Mer- 

 rimac, owing to the low stage of water. 



Fish appeared in the fishway in the following order: Lam- 

 preys, salmon, silver eels, black bass, suckers, alemfe, chubs. 

 The largest salmon mentioned weighed 201bs. One salmon 

 was taken by fly-fishing below the Lawrence dam, and sev- 

 eral betAveen Lowell and Concord. - A number of these fish 

 were killed by some explosive six miles above Nashua, and 

 many were reported to have been caught in Aveirs. The pen- 

 alty of not less than fifty nor more than two hundred dollars 

 for" taking salmon by any means except hook and line will 

 probably prevent illegal fishing in the future. 



Alewives continue plentifvil in the State; but shad have 

 almost disappeared. 



Massachusetts distributed about a half million of brook 

 trout in the counties of Barnstable, Bristol, Plymouth, Nor- 

 folk, Essex, Suffolk, Middlesex, Worcester, Hampden, Hamp- 

 shire, Franklin and Berkshire. A new hatchery has been 

 established at Wilkinsonville for raising brook trout, and it 

 is ali-eady well supplied with adult fish. 



Eflrorts are being made to protect lobsters by preventing 

 the capture of egg-bearing individuals and of lob.sters under 

 IQi^in. long. The action of the State against the owners and 

 crews of menhaden steamers fishing in Buzzard's Bay has al- 

 ready been published in this journal. Returns from weirs 

 and gill nets show a diminution in shad, alewiA^es, menhaden, 

 scup, squeteage. and bluefish, while mackerel and herring 

 were taken in^ increased numbers. 



At the conference of the New England Commissioners of 

 fish and game, lield in Boston, Nov. 16, 1892, Commissioner 

 McDonald was present by invitation, and explained the policy 

 and plans of the IJ. S. Fish Commission. "He stated that he 

 had come rather to listen than to present his views. He be- 

 lieved it was desirable that the State Commissioners should 

 underistand cleariy the policy of the U. S. Commission, and 

 its desire to co-operate with the State Commissions; and 

 pointed out the need of collecting such data as would enable 

 the Commission to supply material upon which to base 

 rational legislation. 



"The great question to-day is how to regulate the fisheries 

 so as to afford the protection needed without harsh restraint 

 in taking fish for market. The policy of the Commission has 

 always been to improve and mamtain a supply of fish for the 

 market, and for this we cannot depend upon the hook and 

 line alone— we must use the net. The question of how to 

 regulate the net fisheries is an important one. If the natural 

 supply fails, recourse must be made to restocking artificially, 

 wherever it is feasible, as with shad and salmon. 



"He alluded to the importance of fuller knowledge of the 

 spawning habits of fish, and referred to the need of such in- 

 formation last winter, when the Lapham. bill was before 

 Congress. Considerable attention has been given by the 

 Commission durmg the past summer, to the spawning habits 

 of the menhaden. "Tlie information so far obtained points to 

 the conclusion that they spawn all along our coast. Further 

 investigations will be made during next year. Requests for 

 observations on this subject have been made to all connected 

 with the menhaden fisheries. The supply may depend upon 

 the protection of the fish during their spawning season, the 

 same as shad and herring." 



A discussion of the Gilbert trout bill was entered upon, but 

 this has already been fully treated in Forest anjo Stream. 



IN REPLY TO GAME PROTECTOR BARBER. 



GrLENS Falls, N. Y.—EdUor Forest and Styream: I have 

 been somewhat delayed in replying to Mr. Barber's statement 

 in Forest and Stream of Jan. 12, but the delay was un- 

 avoidable. The statement bears the ear-marks of having 

 been draw^n by a lawyer, and a lawyer should have known 

 that I made no charges against Mr. Barber, as he asserts. 

 But as Mr. Barber admits that he is the man who was at 

 Mechanicville aii the time my correspondent refers to, the 

 matter is simplified materially, for I did not think he would 

 ever be identified. 



First, I will reply to that part of Mr. Barber's statement 

 wMch refers to me personally. He desires to knowhoAV long 

 my information has been "most reliable," so as to be "a mat- 

 ter of course." I suppose hemeans the information I furnish 

 to Forest a^id Stream. If so it is a period of over 17 years, 

 during which time no one has successfully questioned any 

 information that I have furnished to this journal. If that is 

 arrogance, make the most of it. As to my "assumptions," 

 my correspondent will dispose of that matter later, over his 

 own name. My information was most reliable, as I stated it 

 was, and my correspondent authorized me to print the letter 

 from which I quoted, over his own name. I felt as I wrote, 

 that an imposter had been masquerading at Mechanicville, 

 and if the man was ever found it would be time enough to 

 give my informant's name. Mr. Barber need give himself no 

 concern whatever about the safety of my .skin, as I am com- 



Eetent to take care of that myself. If he wishes to exercise 

 imself about any part of any nmn's anatomy, I would ad- 

 vise him to guard his own official head. 



Mr. Barber does not seem to understand the case at all 

 when he says he will not be dictated to by me. When I 

 attempt to dictate to him it will be a proper time for him to 

 declare his sentiments on the subject. Certainly 1 have not 

 attempted to dictate to him up to this time. As a State 

 Game Protector Mr. Barber is a public servant, and as such 

 I shall most certainly exercise my right to criticise Ms official 

 actions, or lack of action. Now to the main point; but before 

 I give the letter from JMr. Johnson, which follows, I will 

 refer to one point which he does not mention. Mr. Barber 

 says that his report to the Commissionei's is, i)erhaps, one of 

 the causes for animus — meaning that his report as to dye 

 stuff and lime running into the river from the Mechanicville 

 paper mill. How are the paper mill people to know what he 

 reported? Has his report been made public, and if so where 

 can it be forind? He says he visited the fishAvay at North- 

 umberland and reported' upon it in June, and I would very 

 much like to knoAV what he reported. I Avrote to the New 

 York Fish Commission in May that the fishway at Northum- 

 berland was closed — closed- at a time Avhen it should be open. 

 In August Mr. John A. Dix, of Thomson & Dix, Avhose mill 

 draws water from the dam in Avhich the fishway is situated, 

 told me that the fishway was still closed; filled with drift 

 and useless, as it had been all summer, for the purpose for 

 which it was built. This is the reply that my correspondent 

 makes to Mr. Barber; 



MBCHJLNIC\^LLE, N. Y., Jan. 33, 189-3.— Yours of the 17th received con- 

 taiumg a request that I make a fuU statement coveriiig' the Barber 

 case. I shoM^ed the statement made by Barber m Forest and Stream 

 Jan. 13 to a number of the paper mill men wlio shav and ttilked with 

 him at the time of his A-isit here, about June 23. In the '-doaen or so" 

 of men that he refers to there was one blacksmith, one mason, three 

 machinists, five millwrights and one mill foreman. lam noAA-informed 

 that Barber stated distiuctlv to three or more of these men that he 

 Avas a fish commissioner. The men all luiew Mr. Henry Burden, one 

 of the old fish commissioners, as he often visited the mill, and they say 

 that they were given to understand by Barber that he had taken Jlr. 

 Burden's place. 31r. Barber was pointed out to me by one of the men 

 who had been talking Avdth him as "the man who had Burden's 

 place." I talked with ffli-. Barber, but he did not tell me that he was a 

 commissioner. He simply told me what he had done in enforcing the 

 game laws and what he was going to do at our lilace. 

 He was a yti-anger to me, but from his appearance and 

 and actions 1 thought he might be one of the new game 

 protectors and I asked him if he was Ifat Barber, tlie new game 

 pi-otector of Ureeuwich, and he said he was. But aftei-ward, 

 W hea I heard the men tell their story, I did not believe that he had 



any business here, either as a game protector or fish commissioner. 

 I am informed that he did say m the presence of five men that he had 

 been notified by the Fish Commissioners to get one of the salmon and 

 send it to them. I did not heai- him ask for a gun, but three or more 

 men, one of them a constable, did hear him ask for a gun, but there 

 Avas none to be had. I remember that the men, in talking the matter 

 over at the time, said that if they could have procured a gun for him 

 when he asked for it and he had shot a salmon they would have fired 

 him down A^'here the fish Avere, for they Avere convmced of one or two 

 things — that he was either a fraud or he was trying to put up a job on 

 somebody. I arrived at the mill before the Avhistle blew and know 

 that no one was prevented from getting a gun on that accoimt. I saw 

 Wheeler, the Avatchman, this evening, and while he did not wish to 

 talk about the matter, he admits that the man supposed to have been 

 Barber did call upon him about . 5:30 P. M. and talked to liim about 

 spearing salmon. Wheeler says Ba rber asked if he had a spear and 

 tried to put up a job on liini to spefir a salmon. 



I do not see that Mr. Barber has proA-en his innocence to all the 

 charges. He may bluster and call other men liai's, but that does not 

 prove that he is not a liar lum,self. All the men I have mentioned will 

 swear positively that tiiis statement is true at any time that tliey are 

 subpoenaed. A dozen men stand ready to prove that Mr. Barber's 

 "pLain and unvarnished statement" so far as it relates to w^hat took 

 place while among them is a he, that does not contain a particle of 

 truth. Barber inquired of me and of others if the fishway was all 

 right, but I cUd not see him go straight to it and find out for himself, 

 as I have often done. As a tact the fishway is flUing up so no fish can 

 pass through it. I Avent with Barber to show him where there should 

 be a fishway sign board, the old one having been covered up by the 

 contractor when. the new mill was built. Tbere has neA-er been any 

 dye stuJI used in our mill to this date, for we do not make colored 

 Iiaper. So how could he see dye stuff in the water. Yours "most 

 rehably," A. C. Johnson. 



This letter shows conclusively that I assumed nothing, and 

 that my correspondent bears out eA'^erything I said. According 

 to this letter Mr. Barber assumed to be a Fish Commissioner, 

 and also said that he Avas a game protector, which disposes 

 of his reasoning in his fourth paragraph, which leaves noth- 

 ing more in his reply to be disposed or. A. N. Cheney. 



UNITED STATES AND CANADA. 



Ottawa, Out,, Jan. 26.— The report of the Department of 

 Marine and Fisheries states tliat the following basis, pro- 

 posed by J. W. Foster, United States Secretaiy of .State, for 

 an agreement to be reached by a diplomatic exchange of 

 notes, has been accepted by Canada, the Governments of the 

 United States of America and of her Majesty, the Queen of 

 the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland: 



A commission of two experts shall be appointed, one on 

 behalf of each Government, to consider and report to their 

 respective Governments either jointly or severally, or jointly 

 to both Governments, in regard to matters in which they 

 may be in accord and severally to their respectiA^e Govern- 

 ments with regard to matters of non-concurrence concerning 

 the regulations, practice and restrictions proper to be 

 adopted in concert on the following subjects: 



(la) The limitation or prevention of exhaustive or destruc- 

 tive methods of taking fish and shellfish in the teriitorial 

 and contiguous waters of the United States and her Majesty's 

 possessions in North America respectiA-ely, and also in the 

 Avaters of the open seas outside of the territorial limits of 

 either country to which the inhabitants of the respectiA^e 

 countries may habitually resort for the purpose of such 

 fishing. 



(b) The prevention of the polluting or obstructing of such 

 contiguous centers to the detriment of the fisheries or of 

 navigation. 



(c) The close seasons expedient to be enforced and observed 

 in such contiguous waters by the inhabitants of both coim- 

 tries as respects the taking of the several kinds of fish and 

 shellfish. 



(d) The adoption of practical methods of restocking and 

 replenishing stich contiguous territorial waters with fish and 

 •shellfish and the means bv which such fish life may be there- 

 in preserved and increased. 



(2) The commissioners to be appointed shall meet at the 

 City of Washington within three months of the date of the 

 agreement and shall complete their- iuA^estigat ioii and sitbmit 

 their final reports thereof, to the two governments as herein 

 proAdded, within two years from the date of their first meet- 

 ing. 



(3) The contracting governments agree to place at the ser- 

 A^ices of the said commissioners all information and material 

 pertinent to the subject of their investigation Avhich may be 

 of record respectively in the ofiices of the United States Com- 

 mission of Fish and Fisheries, and in the Dspartment of 

 JNlarine and Fisheries of the Dominion of Canada, and further 

 to place at the disposal of said comnrissiouers acting jointly 

 any vessel or A-essels of either of said Fish Commissioners of 

 the United States and of Canada, as may be convenient and 

 proper to aid in the prosecution of their "in A'estigatiou in the 

 contiguous or adjacent AA'aters aforesaid. 



It is further agreed that, if required by either or both of the 

 said Commissioners, a competent employe of either or both of 

 the said Fish Commissions of the United States and of Can- 

 ada shall be detailed to assist the said Commissioners in the 

 preparation of their report. 



(4) Each Government shall defray the expen.ses of its Com- 

 missioner, and of .such employe as may be detailed to assist 

 him, as provided in the preceding section. 



(5) The tAvo GoA-ernments agree that, as soon as the reports 

 of the Commis-sioners shall be laid before them, as aforesaid, 

 they will consider the same and exchange A-iews thereon, to 

 the'end of reaching, if expedient and practicable, such con- 

 ventional or other understanding as may suffice to carry out 

 the recommendation of the Commissioners )jy treat.y or con- 

 current legislation on the part of the respective Governments 

 or the Legislatures of the seA'eral States and Provinces, or 

 both, as may be found most ad\dsable, but nothing herein 

 contained shall be deemed to commit either Government to 

 the results of the iuA^estigation hereby instittited. 



The Mississquoi Bay Nets. 



Bearin,g on the aboA^e, Vermont's last experience with 

 nets in Lake Chainplain is interesting and instructive. In 

 their last annual report the Vermont Commissioners said: 



"When similar conditions and seasons prevail in neighbor- 

 ing States the operations of the laAvs for the protection of the 

 fish and game which shall inhabit such States should be uni- 

 form. Many departures from this rule occur in the operation 

 of the laATs as between Vermont and the States and proA'inces 

 contiguous thereto." 



' ' As an illustration, the close season for black bass inVermont 

 ends fifteen days earlier than in NeAv Hampshire, and the citi- 

 zens of the'former State can take bass from the Connecticut 

 Avhen it is unlawful to do the same thing from the Ncaa' 

 Hampshire side of the same waters. In fact it is a question 

 Avhether it is illegal in Vermont to take bass from the Con- 

 necticut at any season, as Sec, 3873, 1^ S,, relates to the pro- 

 tection of black ba.ss "in the VN'aters of the State," but the 

 west bank of the Connecticut river is the east line of Ver- 

 mont," 



"^A^lile the above mentioned defects have been the subject 

 of remonstrances from the Fish Commissioners of Nbaa* 

 Hampshire, they are lost sight of when the condition of af- 

 fairs in the Avaters of Lake Chamjjlaiu bordering on the Do- 

 minion waters of the same lake is brought to the attention of 

 the Commissioners by the lack of uniformity of existing laws 

 for the protection of fish in these contiguous waters, resulting 

 in a serious injustice to the citizens of Vermont." 



"Reference is made to the Canadian custom of licensing 

 fishermen to catch fish by the means of seines in the Domin- 

 ion waters of Lake Chaniplain, generally known as Mississ 

 quoi Bay. While only a small portion of Lake Champlam 

 is in Canada, the Canadian portion appears to be the spawn- 

 ing ground for nearly all t he wall-eyed pike of the entu'e 

 lake. 



"While tons of these fish are taken in seines on their way 

 to and from the spaAvning groimds in Dominion AA'aters, it is 

 not laAvful to take them in any manner in Vermont waters 

 or to have them in possession. 



"With this condition of things, our laws are not sustained 

 by public opinion, and consequently it is impossible to en- 

 force the laws against netting in Avaters contiguous to 

 Canada Avithout great and unwarranted expense. 



"The Commissioners do not intimate that the laws of 

 Vermont for the protection of fish in Lake Chaiuplain are 

 defective or perfect, but that the Canadian laAvs should be 

 in unison Avith them. Much correspondence on tliis subject 

 has been carried on betAveen the Commi.s.sioners and the 

 Canadian authorities. Finally a full statement of the case 

 was commuiucated to the Hon. John W. Foster, Department 

 of State, Washington, D. C, and the United States Govern- 

 ment is now considering the question with the government 

 of Canada. The Commissioners entertain hopes that this 

 correspondence Avill result in necessary measures being taken 

 for the protection of fish in the waters contiguous to the tAvo 

 countries." 



Commenting on the new law empoAvering the Commission- 

 ers to license nets in Mississquoi Bay the Argus an d Patriot 

 said: "The object of this move is to place the Commissioners 

 on a basis of equality with the Mini.ster of Fisheries in Can- 

 ada. By being empowered to grant licenses to Vermonters 

 to place'their seines across the channel named, the bulk of 

 the fish which the Canadian fishermen usually capture on 

 the Dominion side of theTiay, AAdll be cut ofljand the fishing 

 interests thereabout Avould suffer heaAul.?. Heretofore these 

 Canadian fishermen haA-e been stich a poAA^erf ul constituency 

 that they have dictated the course of the Dominion ofiicials, 

 the result being that it was useless to attempt negotiations 

 looking to prohibitive legislation on their part of the same 

 nature as that in force in Vermont. Of course, if thebusiness 

 is practically ruined and the Canadians see our people taking 

 the fi.sh awaj'' from them they Avill be anxious to effect some 

 compromise which will be equally beneficial to people on 

 both sides of the line. If such an arrangement, as is equita- 

 ble, can be made, then the Vermont Commissioners can re- 

 A'oke any licenses they may have glA^en, and the situation 

 Avill be just as it has been heretofore, as far as Vermonters 

 are concerned, while the power to reissue the licenses tvill 

 stand as a menace to our Canadian neighbors, that if they do 

 not liA'e up to their agreement then the seines will be again 

 stretched across the entrance to the bay." 



Wisconsin Rainbow Trout. 



The fish commissioners of this State have decided to plant 

 10,000 rainbow trout fry in the Fox River just beloAV the 

 loAver dam in this city in February or March. The proposi- 

 tion to construct fishwaysfrorn Lake Wiimebago to Green 

 Bay .should be carried to a successful termination. This will 

 make it possible for fish to pass fi-om Green Bay to the lake, 

 up or down; now they are prevented by the dams.— ,^2^p/-(;*o/fc 

 {Wis.) Crescent. 



FIXTURES. 



DOG SHOWS. 



Feb. 7 to 10.— C^hieago Kennel Club, Chicago. G. H. Goodrich, Sec^y. 



Feb. 21 to 24.— Westminster Kennel Club, NeAV York city. Ja/ues 

 Mortimer, Supt. Entries close Feb. 6, 



Feb. 28 to March 3.— Ive.vsTone Kennel Club, at PWladelphia, Pa. 

 James Watson, See' V. Entries elo.se l^'sb. 17. 



March 7 t<j 10.— Alarvlaml Kennel Club, at Baltimore, Md. W. S. 

 DiEEenderffer. Seo'v. Entities close Feb. 25. 



March 14 to 17.— AA^'ashington, D. C. F. S. Webster, Sec'y. 



Marcii 21 to 24.— City of the Straits Kennel Club, at Detroit. Mleh. 

 Guy D. Welton, Sec'y. 



March 22 to 25.— Elmira, N. Y. C. A. BoAvman, Sec'y, 



April 4 to 7.— New England Kennel Club, at Boston, Mass. J. W. 

 Newman, Sec'y. 



May 5 to 6.— Pacific Kennel Club, at San Francisco, Cal, Horace W. 

 Orear, Sec'y. 



June 13 to 17.— World's Fair, Chicago. W. L BuchaTiatt, CEbM Dept. 

 of Agriculture. 

 Sept. 7 to 10.— Hamilton, Ont. A. D. Stewart, Sec'y. 



FIELD TRIALS. 



Feb. 6.— Southern Field Ti-ials, at New Albany, Miss. T. U. Brumby. 



^ Feb. 18.— United States F. T. Club Trials, New Albany, Inch P. T. 

 Madison, Sec'y-Treas., Indianapolis, Ind. 



Remember, the entries for New York sliow close 

 Monday next, Feb. 6, with James Mortimer, 44 

 Broadway, New York. 



FLAPS FROM THE BEAVER'S TAIL. 



Toronto, Can. — Some time ago I Avrote that the collie dog 

 Finsbury Dude had been purchased by a Canadian breeder. 

 His owners, Messrs. Saunders & Mighton, Harriston, Out., 

 adA'ise me that he lias arrived and is in good shape. His 

 Avinnings in Europe are two fir.sts and two special.^*, Halifax; 

 second, third and two spi'cials, Bradford; second, Bradford 

 Canine Associati(ui and t\sT) seconds, Auistertlam. His 

 breeding is of the Ijest — Edgbasiou Excelsior ont of High- 

 land Annie, .going back on the sire's side to champion. 

 Christopher, champion MetcLiley Woudei-, ekanipi(jn Peggie 

 II., etc., and on the dam's to champion lOclipse, champion 

 Charlemagne and champion Carlyle. 



Mr. W. P. Fraser, Toronto, received off the Allan boat this 

 week a good little Scottish terrier dog from Mr, Ludlow. 



The Bowmanville St. Bernard Kennels are sending the 

 smooth-coated bitch Celtic Las.sie, by Celtic Rector out of 

 Countess, to Mr. J. H. Dobson, Albugnerque, New Mexico. 



A meeting of the committee in charge of the details in con- 

 nection with the selection of dogs for the World's Fair, Avas 

 held on Jan. 26; the members present lieing Messrs. A. D. 

 Stewart, Hamilton; C. A. Stone and W, Brodie, Toi onto, and 

 Mr. Stewart acted as secretary. It Avas deemed inipcra.ti\'e 

 that all dogs sent to Chicago must compete at the selection 

 to be held in Toronto ne.xt April. Messrs. Donovan and 

 Mitchener are to act as a commictee to select a building and 

 see after all printing, and jMcssrs. Stone and Brodie to look 

 after the benching and feeding. Ii. A\-as recommended that 

 Mr. Stewarts's expenses be paid to Ne'tv \ork dnrin.g the 

 shoAv, to interview Mr. Mortimer with regard to final ar- 

 rangements. The C. K. C. Avill be asked to appoint one out- 

 side all-round jud.getoact in conjunction with the ju dicing 

 committee already appointed. The catalogue is to be in Mr. 

 Stone's hands. ' H. B. Donoa'a>4. 



OHIO FIELD TRIAL CLUB'S MEETING. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



On Friday evening, Jan. 27, the O. F, T. C. held a meeting 

 at the office of G. V. L. Mellinger, The object of nu'eting was 

 to incorporate the association imder the la\\-tf of tlie .Sr-rre of 

 Ohio. The membership Avas opened to brothei' sportsmen 

 throughout" the couufcry. Any AvLshing to a\ ail themselves 

 of the opportunity, can correspond with the secretary and re- 

 ceive necessary information. Arthpe H. Smith. Sec'y. 



Canton, Ohio. 



