National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-11-28
FISH CULTURE.

To the Editor Of The National Republican:
SIR: In the article headed Fish Culture in
your issue of the 2O:h instant, there occurred one
or two slight errors, which 1 beg you will allow
me to notice.
It is stated that "in addition to the large num-
bers Of eggs Of salmon secured by the commission,
Prof. Baird has succeeded in obtaining eggs of
the lald-locked salmon Of Lake Sober, in Maine;''
that this species Of salmon, though now fresh
water, is supposed 10 have run up thither from
the ocean, but never to have returned that
they are a small fish, weighing from three to
eight pounds, but very fine eating"
Prof. Baird procured the eggs Of the land
locked salmon from SebagO lake, a beautiful
body Of water Of extraordinary purity, about six
teen miles at its nearest point from the head Of
Caseo bay, and from which the city of Portland is
abundantIy supplied-with water, mot eggs)
from three 70 eight. weigh from three to eightee5
pounds. Not q long time ago postmaster at one
Of the towns on the lake, in letter, mentioned
after it was dressed for cooking, and left the
item at your office, notice Of which appeared in
THE REPUBLICAN. Many have been taken that
it's declared by men who are familiar with the
subject that this kind Of nsh is found in but two
places on this continent, viz: Sebago and Grand
lakes both in Maine. Sebsgo lake is interesting
in several respects. 1t receives the waters Of be-
tween forty and nifty lakes and ponds, and in
many places ts from four to hVe hundred feet
deep. Its surface is equal to circle twelve miles
in diameter, nearly, and is two hundred and sew
euty feet higher than Portland harbOr, conse-
quently, if pumped dry, the surface Of the Allan
tic would be from one hundred and fifty to two
hundred feet higher than some parts Of its basin.
Old fishermen, familiar with salt and fresh
water ish, have always had theory that those
black-spotted salmon trout, otherwise "land-
locked salmon" were cross between the red
spotted lake trout and the genuine salmon; that
before the settlement Of the country and the
erection Of dams across the Presumpscot river,
the outlet Of SebagO lake, the salmon passed up
and back at pleasure; that the dams caught some
Of them above, and that they could not again
reach salt water; that they mixed with the large
fresh water trout, and from the union came the
delicious hybrid.
By many people the land.locked salmon is pre-
ferred to its salt water cousin, and it always COM
msnds higher price in the Boston market The
purity Of the water Of SebRgo lake is prob
ably one reason why the flavor OF its hsh is so
highly valued.
Several years age the Oriental Manufacturing
Company, located on its outlet, few miles be-
low the lake, were preparing TO put in operation
a refinery for nitre, and required water as near
absolute purity as could be obtained. At differ
ent PERIODS in the summer of 1857 water was
taken from the Presumpscot river and sent to
Boston to Prof Jackson for analysis, and his re-
port was that the samples were the purest lake
or river water that he had ever dealt with chem
ically.
Whoever is lover of Jake and stream" can
find as much that is beautiful, whom another
summer comes, by going to Portland and taking
a seat in the cars on the Portland and Ogdens-
burg railroad, and riding about forty minutes to
the foot Of Sebago lake, then on board one Of the
neat little steamboats,, taking trip fourteen
miles across, then six miles up Songo river, next
two across Brandy Pond or the Bay of Naples,
then twelve miles up Long lake, as by any other
route known to the writer, who has enjoyed the
pleasure each year for several last past. On the
easterly shore Of SebagO lake the late Nathaniel
Hawthorne lived in his youth, and there he wrote
the Notes" recently published in the Portland
Transcript In one lively sketch the sea Of Cali
lee and SebSgo lake are compared, and the latter
awarded the Superiority both as to size and beauty
WASHINGTON, Nov. y, 1874 T.