Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1875-04-29

of preserving and propagating fish,
and in enforcing the laws for their
preservation.
We have not been able TO gather
much specific information in respect
to the fisheries Of the State. By
another year, in case the commission
is continued, We shall be able to col
lect much useful information. We
may assume as safe proposition, that
no State in the Union, disconnected
from the sea board, is better suited for
fish culture than Wisconsin.
There are 225 lakes in the follow
ing sixteen counties: Kenosha, Ra-
cine, Walworth, Waukesha, Jefferson,
Dane, Washington, Dodge, Columbia,
Sheboygan, Fond du Lac, Green
Lake, Marquette, Waushara, Waupa'
ca, and Winnebago. These lakes
cover sss square miles, or 24s,320
acres of water, which large surface is
now comparatively unproductive.
These beautiful lakes that adorn our
State, could, and ought to produce as
much food for man as an equal amount
of rich land. In most of these lakes,
valuable fish would thrive. Not until
the inhabitants of these counties can
catch trout, carp, grayiing, sc, will
they fully appreciate the Importance
of fish culture. Thus they will be
more sensible of the great good that
will surely flow from the judicious use
of a few thousand dollars annually.
These benefits should not be confined
to the lesser lakes, for it is in the
larger ones--Michigan and Superior
where the greatest interest should
concentrate. The white fish aud
trout, are, by the use of improved (0
modes of taking fish, becoming rapid
ly diminished in number.
We have taken pains to ascertain
how fast the supply of fish is becoming
exhausted by the use of pound and
gill nets as now extensively used.
At Racine alone there are four
boats in constant use putting out and
taking up not less than twenty five
miles of gill nets. During the sum-
mer their nets are set from eighteen
to twenty miles from shore, where the
water is from sixty>five to seventy
fathoms deep. We are told by jacob
Schenkenbarger, one of our oldest and
most intelligent fishermen, that with
an equal number of nets only one.
fourth as many fish are caught now
as were taken four years ago"
He further says: eve always have
the best success late in the fall, by
placing our nets over the spawning
grounds of the white fish and trout.
Late in October in 1870 / took with
a set of thirty nets, at one time, 1880
pounds of dressed trout by putting
the gang over the spawning beds.
Four years ago it was common to
take from 1000 to 1900 pounds OF
fish at each trip. Now we never go
over 500, and not unfrequently go
less than 200 pounds. The lake is
filled with nets and the fish can hard.
ly escape"
The fishermen will admit that it is
wrong to take fish when they are en-
gagged in spawning, and if there was
a law prohibiting the setting up nets
from the 18th of October to the lst
of April, they would be glad, and
would most cheerfully obey it, so that
the fish could repair to their breed
ing grounds unmolested by the de-
structive gill nets. Such law would
do much good, if rigidly enforced.
With q clearinghouse close by the
lake millions of young white fish and
salmon trout could be put in Lake
Michigan at a triffiing expense to the
State 1t is time that this work
should be jointly undertaken by those
States bordering on the great lakes;
that is Illinois, Michigan, Indiana,
and Wisconsin should unite to stock
Lake Michigan and Minnesota, Mich
igan and Wisconsin for Lake Super.
ior.
However, it is not fully proven that
fish do not ordinarily go many miles
from the spot where they were hatch
ed, SO that if Wisconsin were to put
100000 of young fry into Lake
Michigan, within the limits of the
State, it is quite certain that she could
reap the greater part of the harvest.
This is matter of the greatest i'm
portance, for the lake fisheries involve
a considerable amount of capital
which is employed in furnishing "a
large stock of healthful and nutriti-
Gus article OF diet, easily digested and
rich in phosphates.
We have great hopes of success in
introducing some of the varieties oi
salmon into the larger inland lakes
II. F. Dousman has just communicat
ed to us the interesting fact that two
years ago he Matched for the State a
10. of salmon eggs furnished by the
United States fish commissioner, Pro.
fessor Baird. A few of the young
salmon escaped being captured, and
have since remained with their little
cousins the speckled trout. The last
Of the past November, on examlna
ton, be found n female salmon thai
gave ripe spawn, these eggs were te
cundated by the melt of q male
SO we shall have the remarkable in
stance of salmon being hatched from
spawn taken from fish that were
Matched and grown in Wisconsin
However unfayorable this experiment
may possibly prove, we still have
enough of good fish that we know
will thrive and abundantly repay {
hundred fold the expense of q State
clearinghouse, which would be con
Quoted to the best interests of tht
State. The salmon trout, carp, white
and black bass, whitefsh and gray
ling could be turned into the lakes II
great numbers.
If members of the legislature were
10 visit the establishment of A. Pal
mer, of Boscobel, and Fl. F. Dousman
of North Prairie, they would be de
lighted to witness the successful ar
tificial nronaoation of fish. Mr.. Dous