The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1876-01-31
FISH CULTURE IN MASSACHUSETTS
Interesting Features Of the Commissioner
Annual Report.

AhtSiOSsihB &Ootuioo VI bho Nohimiooiohoio
Annual Report.
The tenth annual report OF the fish COM
missloners, which has just appeared, is
full of interesting matter, besides contain
ing a general review of fish culture in the
state, and tor the past ten years ia psrticu-
lar written by Theodore Lyman, chairman
of the commission. The report says that
the fish-ways throughout the state have
generally proved successful, especially
those over high dams. The great difficulty
has been to find the kind of way best suit
ed to shad question rendered more than
usually difficult by the fact that shad do
not return above their own spawning
ground and as all shad above The high
dams were destroyed long SINCE as the fe-
male shad do not return 10 spawn until
about three years old, and as those shadets
put in above the dam are hardly old enough
yet To return, no iair test has yet been OBJ
tancd of the efficacy of the shad-wsys
Especially Is this true on the Connecticut
river and AT the Holyoke fisn-way. But as
several shad passed freely through this
way, last year. i,- efficiency is established,
and all further efforts there will be direct
ed toward making improvements about the
entrauce OF The way and to putting the
sha1ets in the river above the dam, SO that
their natural instinct will lead them to
seek the upper waters of the river fol-
spawning This fish-way is the only one
built over any considerable hight of dam
where shad are positively known to have
passed. rhe eamon way at Turner's falls
ia nearly completed.
rap,ovl~o ba ~
great stress is laid on the fact that large
and stagnant ponds are not favorable for
trout, as the water becomes too warm fol
the health of the fish owing to this reason
many attempts at trout raising have failed
About 250, 900 salmon were Matched, last
year, from spawn received from the Bucks
port (Me.) establishment, and distributed
in the head-waters Of the Merrimac. A
large amount of land-locked salmon spawn
will be received from Maine, next year
over IS, 600 California salmon have beer
Matched from 80 600 eggs received from
that state, and have been distributed
through the state. Last year, about s.,
| 100000 young salmon were sent from
| California to the Atlantic states, besides
| 1000 900 placed in rivers in that state
For the completion Of the Lawrence fish
way and for improvements of the one a
Holoyke, the commissioners recommend
an appropriation of $4,000 and $1,000 fo
other expenses of the commission. Tit
total expense of the commission, last year
was So 0Gl. Among the POI d leased, las
year, was Lake Pleasant In Montague t,
that town for 10 years ; there are 8!
leased ponds in the state. Il. ii. kellogg
OF Pittsffeld, for the lesses of Pontoosut
lake in that town, reports that 400 or 50(
1874, that they are doing well, and that Ii;
leasing of Pontoosuc lake will result great
lY to the advantage Of the pubic.
The report of Assistant United State
Commissioner J. w. Miner, who superin
tended the sbad hatching at Holyoke, las
year, shows the following disposition O
the young fishes Connecticut river, from
Smiths Ferry to South Vernon, VT
1,205, 900; at fishery, 5S0,000 streams il
New England other than the Connecticut
100000; started for Germany, 100000
rivers in United States other than New
England, $50, 900 total, 3,035. 900.
The sketch of Mr.. Lyman, in speaking
of the increase of shad by artificial propa
CATION says In the Connecticut river
marked, 'and, so to speak, special result ha
been obtained. The average of the fisher
les for 1864 to 1860 was only two-fifths o
| tudt ITOIu 1871 10 1000, ana eacn yea
showed a rapid decrease. Suddenly, il
1870, the river was filled with shad Their,
had been no such take for generation
before And so, in the main, it has sine,
continued the season of 1875 having beel
the best one in 90 years. In view of tn,
alarming and rapid decrease of the shor;
fishes, the commissioners recommend an &C
severely Furnishing persons fishing wi,hou
license from their board the license to b,
taken out before March /, and to expire
December /, yearly the license to apply
to stationary fishing apparatus, and to {
certain locality the licensee to make &C
curate return to the commissioners of al
fish taken under the license no licenset
10 use his apparatus from April 90 to Jun,
10, between p. m. Friday evenings anc
a. IN. on the following Monday nC
llcensee to enter upon private lands with
out permission all unlicensed persons t.
be punished by fine of not less than $50 OIL
more than 500 for each day they use thu
forbidden apparatus, and the apparatus t
be forfeited all violaters of license t
pay not less than $50, or over 500 fol-
each violation, and, besides, to suffer The
loss OF apparatus for fishing in the times
| forbidden between April 90 and June Is
one half the penalties to 60 to the prosecu
tor. the rest to go to the state.