The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-12-24
Report OF the Uomnissia ners Of Fisheries


pared their animal report to be submitted to
the Governor and Council. They have made
tour OF inspection of all the tishways in the
State, and find them of thatFoster" pattern,
answering for salmon, but not adapted to shad
or alewives. Mr.. Bracket, one of tho Massa-
chusetts Commissioner, has fishway every
way adapted to use here, and has offered the
Commissioners the gratuitous use of the patent
tor Maine. A fishway has been constructed over
the Ledge of Rocks at Dennysville The Com.
missioner at New Brunswick requests that the
: law o. the American side be enforced against
throwing saw dust and waste lumber into the
river The dshway at the Bason Mills Orono,
should be enlarged, as this is the only passage
for salmon on the Penobscot to their spawning
grounds. The inhabitants of all the up river
towns are moving for fishways Sebec, Dover,
Foxcroft. Milo, Brownville, Rowland, Malta
wamkeag, Sc, all demand the restoration of
salmon shad and alewives, to their rivers. A
good, clear, practical highway, must be insured
the fish from the most remote tributary where
they spawn, to the ocean. The provisions of
the statute allow the Commissioners to order
such fishways to be built, the cost to be paid by
mill owners; but they need an appropriation of
$1,000 to pay the expense of engineering, etc
Not much has been done in the direction of
putting new varieties of fresh water fish in the
streams, lakes and ponds. Black bass turned
into Fits Phillips and Newport ponds three
largely, and will furnish material for stocking
other ponds. The Commissioners, however,
regard the raising of trout and land locked
salmon of more Importance.
Twentw-One thousand Young salmon the
product of ova placed in Matching troughs at
Norway, were turned into a small brook empty
ing into the Androscoggin river last Nav.
The little fish were visible last summer, and
were very lively, but they left for the ocean
early last fall, to reappear as grilse and in due
course as salmon.
Considerable space is given in the report to
the extensive salmon breeding operations at
Bucksport the past season. under the direction
of Mr. G. G. Atkins of Augusta.
In view of the increased and constantly in
creasing price of living, the Commission ers
argue that the products of the water should be
increased, and food that is now confined to the
tables of the rich, should be afforded the poor
at a cheap price. A great wrong was done the
people when the salmon, shad and alewives
were excluded from our rivers. Fshways
must be constructed over every dam and made
accessible to eyerv species of migratory fish
and the construction of these fishways will not
detract an iota from the value of the water
power, but viii ensure to the prosperity of the
manufacturer, whose interest it is to-
have cheap food. So vital is this
| point that the Commissioners procured
letter from Prof. Baird sof the
Smithsonian Institute, and Chief of the u. s.
Bureau of Fish and Fisheries, in which he ex-
| presses the opinion that something of the old
| time experience can be regained when the
| streams and rivers of New England emptying
~.
tain seasons, by the numbers of shad, salmon
and alewives seeking to ascend for the purpose
! of depositing their spawn. At that time the
deep sea fisheries of the coast were also of
great extent and value. Now however, things
are entirely different The erection of impass-
sible dams has prevented the upward course of
the fish and they have dwindIed away. With
their decrease there has been corresponding
diminution in the numbers of the cod and
| other deep-sea species near our coasts: hut il
NOT until 0llita racnnt1y he a1.+;o
ships between the two series OF phenomena
| were appreciated as those of cause and effect.
| Halibut can be reduced in abundance by over
fishing with the hook and line, but experiences
| IN Europe and America coincide in the con-
tirmation of the opinion that none of the
methods now in vogue for the capture of fish
of the cod family Gncluding the cod, haddock.
pollock, bake, ling, etc. can seriously affect
their numbers. Fish, the females of which
deposit from one to two millions of eggs every
year, are not easily iaterfered with during the
spawning season, and as this takes place in the
winter and in the open sea, 1.-THE spawn floating
near the surface of the water,) there is no DOS
sibility OF any human interference with the
process. Still, however, these fish have be-
come comparatively scarce ON our coast, so that
our people are forced to resort to far distant re-
gions to obtain the supply which formerly could
De secured almost within sight of their homes.
1t is now a well established fact that the
movements Of the fishes of the cod family are
determined; first by the search after suitable
places for the deposit of eggs; second, by their
quest OF food. Thus, the cod, as summer fish.
IS comparatively little known on the coasts of
northern Europe; but as winter approaches, the
schools begin to make their appearance on the
northwestern coast of Norway especially
around the Loffoden Islands, arriving there
nnally IN SO great numbers that the fishermen
are said to determine their presence by feeling
the sounding lead strike on the backs of the
fish. Here they spend several months in the
process OF reproduction, the eggs being deDo,it
ed in IN January, and the fishery being prosecuted
sand men are employed in this business for
several months; at the end of which the fish
disappear, and the fshermen return to their al
ternate occupations as farmers and mechanics.
The fish are supposed to move off in body to
the Grand Banks which they reach in early
summer, and where they fatten up and feed
until it is time for them to return again to the
northeast 1t is believed that the great at-
traction to the cod on the Banks, consists in
other wandering fish. that come in from the
region OF the Labrador and New Foundland
seas, and which they frequently follow close tn
the shore, so that they are easily captured.
The anadromous fishes of the coast bring the
cod and other fishes of that family in upon onr
shores, and it 10 therefore safe to assume that
the improvement of the line fishing along The
coast OF Maine is closely connected W tn the in
crease in number of alewives, shad and salmon !.
ana that Whatever measures are taken to faci-.
to their pristine abundance, will act. in Al,
equal ratio, upon the first mentioned interest.
this, of course, if necessary provision is made
for the passage of the fish in the shape of fish
ways.
The report contains two or three suggestions
as to legislation and the commissioners. in snn,.
ming up, say: A liberal expenditure in re- |
storing the salmon, shaa and alewives to evan
the upper and remote tributaries of ali rivers
where they were once plenty; firm, manly CO. |
operation OF all our population in enforcing orr
laws tor the preservation of ali our fishes. a |
of the LIBERAL kindly feeling of our
UNI omners, ana thelr aid, advice and energy In
our fishways; these will Ering
back prosperity and plenty to many far back |
country home, will restore many a sea coast
village now lamenting its lost fare for net or
inc. 90
ODD FELLOWS UNIFoRM.-At the late Odd
Fellows Convention in Boston. of Patriarchs
II the Grand Encampment of New England.
! resolution was adopted recommending the
GLOWING as the uniform for encampments in |
Jew England
]. Black frock coat and black pants.
z. Black chapeau with three plumes two
lack and one royal purple running between !
be black, and over the centre of the chapeau. !
'ellow metal crossed crooks on black rosette,
nth purple centre, on the left side of the l
hapeau.
8. Gauntlet gloves, the hand part black kid .
auntlets to be of royal purple with yellow :
rossed crooks embroidered ON the back Of each s
lff, which is to be five and a half inches wide 8
nd braid similar to that on the baldric, '
round each cuff .
T. A baldric, to be four inches wide, trimmed
18th yellow lace not over one-half inch wide,
18th one row of gilt braid one-eighth inch |
lde, with yellow lace fringe across each end, | :