The Portland daily press., 1875-12-29

Pembroke lion Works, Cor the streams empty
ing into Lubec and connecting waters. These
eggs were successfully Matched and distributed.
Ine STA e, through her Commissioners, can
have no traffic in her fishes. All that they
have in their power to do for our sister states,
or any of our citizens, is to grant permits to
take the spawn of our fishes at the proper time,
upon the condition that they put back the
parent fish alive after being used, and that they
hatch and put back into the waters whence the
parent fish were taken % per cent of the
spawn taken from them. Arrangements on a
small scale have been made for Matching the
ova of Sebago salmon. Mr.. Atkins, at his
breeding works in BuckspOrt, is taking spawn
of the same fish, and it is hoped that this fine
fish may be distributed throughout the country;
200 of the Sebaso salmon fry were turned into
Weld pond, Franklin county; the remainder
into Rangely and Mooselucmaguntic lake. Of
the remaining 7,000,a part were turned into Mat
hancock pond in Lincoln, and the remainder
consigned to the care of Mr.. Cushman at Lee.
The commissioners are Of the opinion that
the presence of the anadromous fishes in our
rivers to breed. not only does not infringe up
on the supply of the food of our native fishes,
but largely increase it, and upon it depends
the existence of our coast fisheries, as our cod,
our paddock, and our pollock. There can be
no substitute in our rivers for our anadromous
fishes
Six years since several ponds in the state
were stocked with black bass, most valuable
purposes have been taken from Phillips pond
in Dedham and Duck pond in Falmouth. The
bass is not deemed more destructive to the
young of other fishes than the trout, much less
SO than the white or yellow perch. The black
bass feeds mostly on little fish called the
"breme." For stocking ponds infested by
pickerel, no fish is equal to the black bass:
They breed more rapidly than other fish. and
the young grow with wonderful rapidity Their
flesh when cooked has the same intense white
4loA1 H. o1. k.H sCr InInu n
, sweet in flavor. Many ponds have been stock
ed with this excellent fish.
The bue-back trout has ti0urished in the
Rangeley waters for several years. 1t is an ex-
cellent table fish, most persons deemlng 1t
equal in flavor to the brook trout. 1t is deemed
important that the fish be introduced into all
ponds that are stocked with either trout o.
fresh water salmon. A valuable species Of
smelt, of most delicate flavor, are found in
Belgrade, Sebago and several other ponds IN
duced the past year into the following waters
Weld pond, 1000; Wilton pond, 1900; Sosgo
lock, 500; Bear brook, (Lons pond, Harrison
1000; Whitney pond, Canton, 1000
Three fshways have been constructed on the
Modomac. The new ways are required al
Warren, the old one being almost entire '
worn out. The first way on the Presumpscot
was finished last spring. Two have been COLI
structed at Saccarappa; one has been built over
the dam at their works in Windham, by the
Il
sumpscot will be completed by the month OF
May. Three ways have been constructed al
Surry. Fishways are petitionsd for from diff
ferent parts of the state faster than the Com.
missioners can find time to attend to them. A
way will be built over the dam at Treats Falls
in Bangor, the coming spring. One will be re-
quired at Milo aud one at Sebec the coming
year. Although the proper notice has been Sc
cured, and legal steps taken, the desired fish
way over the Kennebec dam at Augusta has
Hoo. h,,;l Nv Nhoff hn ra1fo tive
owner of the property, is now under Indictment
by the Grand Jury of Kennebec county. Va
rious matters are proposed for the action OF the
legislature, relating to the fisheries.
Annexed TO the report is communication
from Mr.. Charles G. Atkins, superintendent of
the fish breeding works at Bucksport and Grand
Lake. 1t will be read with great interest by
naturalists and psclculturiss throughout the
country. At Bucksport the whole number of
salmon bought the past year was 4Sl, of which
AL were turned alive into the pond. During
the summer and fall the number of salmon lost
by death was 60. None escaped from the en-
closure The success attending the capture OF
the fish was equal to that Of 1874, aud better
than that of any other year. The averagelyield
of eggs was not quite up to that of other years,
being only about 8400 per female fish But the
handsome total of about 1000 900 Of eggs are
in course of incubation. and promise to be equal
to the best we have ever distributed. The pro-
portions of the sexes among the breeding fish
did not differ much from the average, there be
ing 62a per cent. females, against 65a per cent
in 1874, and smaller per centage in previous
years
Grand Lake stream is a foe breeding ground
for the spawn Of the Schoo1iac salmon, varie-
ty of fresh water salmon. During the past
year the total number Of fish taken was 1926
The whole number of eggs obtained will reach
nearly one million.
Following the letter of Mr.. Atkins are all the
game laws of the state, and the names OF the
fish commissioners in otLer states.
The report when issued will be greatly sought
by those who desire 10 possess themselves Of
literary curiosities. Indeed, there has beer
nothing so famous in the line of state reports
since the days of the late Adjutant Genera
Webster