New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-09-24
a TALK ON THE GROWTH or FISHES.

IMMENSE NUMBER OF SALTWATER CLANS IN
MUD LAKE.
IRON AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE rRIBUNE.l
The RAoUETTE, Aug 25.-I saw, a day or two
before started for the woods newspaper article In
which it was stated that years Prof. Agassz
suggested to George g. Page Of NewYork President Of
| the OquossOc Angling Association, a method OF de-
termining approximately the age Of the famous Ran
gelys trout which grows to the weight Of seven eight
| and ten pounds. The mode adopted was to take
q small platinum wire pointed at one end and hattened
at other and marked at the fiat end with the weight
and the year. Then insert this wire in the dorsal I'm,
selecting mark according with weight and time. and
return TO the water IL that in 1870 fifty trout
were caught and marked in this manner and returned
the water. This year. among lot caught by the ARTIST
Moran and friends, was one marked lightweight
half pound. 1t weighed nearly p pounds, showing
of nearly Il pounds In three years or little
over half pound year. Now this may be very far
test for that particular lake, but the annual growth
OF fishes depends much on circumstances that
1t is impossible to establish general rule from any
local test The increase OF all fishes changes materially
both with abundance OF feed and extent OF range.
difference arising from kind and abundance OF food
would be expected. but 1t is not 80 easy to see why
extent of range should have 80 marked an effect on
size Yet you put trout in well small spring. and
give all the food 1t will eat and its annual increase is
hardly perceptibe. But give 1t wide range and full
supply of food, and it increases rapidly. One might
think that its cramped condition in well by combining
Its exercise destroyed its appetite and prevented its
eating sufficient quantity to hasten its growth. But
that fish vary size according to the size OF the
sheet Of water they in This is true OF catfish.
every one knows and of pickere In this State or New
England take ponds, only quarter OF mile apart,
and wholly disconnectedhe ten rods in diameter,
and the other q half mile. and the pckerel In the
latter though in the kind Of water and living on
the same kind Of food will average nearly double In size
those found in the former. should like some ex-
PLANTATION Of this weknown fact. No man goes TO
small pond for large pickerel.
rapid increase in growth still more marked, and
often something marvellous, when the fish is trans
ferred 10 different waters which is different food.
remember years ago. when was at Lake Schroon, on
nv first trip TO the Adirondack party Of brought
IN large quantity Of pckerel, some OF them weighing
TO- 12 and pounds The fish had been put in the
lake yearsbeore and act Of Legislature obtained
orbiddng any fishing 1t for four The four years
having expired the fishing commenced, and the above
was the result. Now supposng the largest taken was
one OF the original number put into the lake; he had
increased nearly three pounds year. or three times his
SIZE This is wonderful. still more remarkable in
stapce has here in Long Lake and in the
Raquette River. -Four years ago. the last time hoaed
down this wild, beautiful river, no pickerel had ever
been seen in it, Now 1t Is absolutely swarming with
them. They crowd IL so that verify believe good
fisherman might half fill his boat good day. The
change has about In this way. Five years ago
some men put IS pickerel in Long Lake, much to
the disgust OF the colonists there, who feared
they would destroy the trout, they
doubtless WILL That very Winter four of the number
were caught through the ice, leaving only nine TO stock
the lake and river This year, four years from the
time they began breeding the lake is found to be full OF
Them and the Raquete River also for 100 or 140 miles,
clear to Potsdam The original nine fish averaged about
pound in weight. This Summer they take them weigh
unda her aV n Of
nv old Indian friend Mitchell Sabbatis boy only nine
wears old took weighing pounds, fully long
himself The fish lowed him half across the lake and how
the little fellow managed to capture him is surprising
None but young Indian could have done it; but he
would have stuck him till he dragged overheard,
and have no doubt, even after. Now granting this
TO have been Of the original nne he had increased
about four times his size every for four years
Others may have heard Of such rapid growth before,
but never have. In four years those nine pickerel
have stocked to repleon Long Lake, IA miles long and
Raouette River 100 miles, and Trapper Lake and
several small ponds, till millions apparently swarm in
Them At first sight, the increase in numbers may
seem quito as marvellous the increase in sze but
reflection it is not II Is doubtless owing to the fact
that for some the spawn escaped the destruction
that usually overtakes It, The pckerel of the most
voraeious OF fishes eats its own young In immense num-
bers but the abundance OF better food in these waters
especially such delicate morsels young trout would
prevent this and hence greater proportion reach ma
turity Now do not know how many thousand Of eggs
are in pickerel weighing pound but there are
than one thousand Surprising fraction Of these, say
one hundred reached maturity that would give from
the nine pckerel hundred saved. The same ratio
in four years would show the total OF ninety mil
lionsa number large enough TO stock many hundred
miles OF water. II the ratio saved larger the
Der would be proportionably increased But with the
OF the size of the fish, the number OF spawn
would be doubled aud trpled that the result would be
still more Astonishing The fact is that the number of
fishes that usually reach maturity in proportion to the
eggs laid Is enthusiastically small.
As | am on the marvellous, Will mention one other
thing should like some scientific explain. Fresh
water CLANS musses they called, having long
black groenish shells. plenty, every knows,
in all our fresh waters But up In Bog River. whore 1t
leaves Mud Lake. of the most distant gloomy and
forbddnR shoots OF water In the whole wilderness
immense beds OF clans shaped precisely ike our salt
water CLANS They would he mistaken for them any
where Now why. when other waters abound with the
ordinary musse should this pecn liary shaped Clam,
iookna FOR All the world as n II been
I'm the sea and only ged In by being removed
fresh water be found alone In this lonely remote
place. nearly 1000 feet above the sea level and more
than hundred miles from the 81. Lawrence, Is prob
lem should like solved. l wish the clam found
there could be ransplanted TO tide water TO SOC III
it would turn regular salt water clam.
The experiment would DO well worth trying III after
hoodings water, t should become ordinary
salt clam 10 would seem TO Indicate that IL was
one at some former time. But Ihy II should be confined
this peculiar locality is another dlfouty not easily
overcome To mysfy the matter sl more, these beds
would be of recent origin Fourteen ago
when | first there and almost the first except
hunters that visited It, there were but two beda
about six miles apart This year they are found ex
tended greatly that II they continue at the same
ratio Of progress for 20 years 10 come tay Will MI the
whole SIX miles OF river aud probably the whole bed Of
the lake. scientific denied tho fact OF the
existence OF such clam I'LL he was shown the shell, and
then though con ynced did not pretend explain 1t.
Tlegf IA