Morning journal and courier., 1880-03-29
SETH GREEN ANn HIS EIsm

1 New Hampshire Republican Convention, Concord 1 Msy6.
 SETH GREEN AND HIS FISH. l Those who make two blades of grass grow where but one grew before are very properly l calIsd bensfactors of their kind, and this 1 being so those who make two fishes grow | where but one, or none, grew before are en- titled to 8 high rank among those who are striving to better the condition of | their fellow men. Of this class is Seth l Green, whose success in propagating and l distributing food fishes has made him 1 famous The accounts given of some of his operations are not only exceedingly | interesting, but they reveal some of the possibilities of development of this compara- lively recent branch of work.
 At the fish hatchery over which Mr Graen prssides Cat Caledonia, New York;, bu- siness is unusually lively st present, for the trout are now ripe for spawning and are being stripped A female yields about 5000 eggs. The stripping process is 8 very deli cate operation, and requires great skill. It is necessary to know exactly the time when the spawn and milt may be ejected from the fish
 
 spawn is gently stripped from them. If a trout, or whatever the fish may be, begins to squirrn In the operators hands, he drops it at once into tho water, for if it is injured in any way no more eggs can be obtained from it. If a female is bruised while being stripped of her spawn, fungus will form on the injured spot, and she will die Of mountain trout not very large number are to be distributed this season, but next year it is expected that no less than 3, 500, GOO will be turned into the streams in different parts of New York This year, however, there will be distributed LOGO, 900 brook trout fry, 2,00o, 900 salmon trout and large quantities of other game fish fry. It will surprise many to learn that large proportion of these fry go to restock Adirondack waters and ether streams and lakes generally supposed to be part of the sportsmen's paradise. Peseco Lake, Round Lake, Pleasant Lake, Schroon Lake and others famous in the North Weeds, have been fixed up" annually for several years by the Caledonia fish farm, principally with salmon trout.
 Two members of the salmon family hithsr- to unknown to waters east of tEe Pacific slope have been successfully propagated by MT. Green--the California mountain trout and the MsCioud river trout. The former is Q very wild fish, ''chunkier" than the common brook trout, md less brightly colored. It is hardy fish, easily raised, and lives and thrivss in water six degrees higher in temperature than that which suits tho brook trout. It grows to twice the sizs of the Eastern brook trout in the same length of time, and is larger fish when fully grown. Sixty four thousand fry have been distributed throughout tts State, and 34,000 more arc being prepared for dis tribution. This has been accomplished in five years from 800 spawn sent to Mr. Green from California.
 Not the least interesting of the experiments et the New York fish farn arc those of cross- ing breeds. The product of. the cross be- tween the female samca !gout and the male brook trout is & hy5r that resembles its mother in appearance, but has the crimson spots of the father as We; aa tbs dark mark ings of the mother. L-- G.5ea believes that these hybrids will perpetuuts their species and produce superior game fsl.
 What can be done in the way of making fish thrive in plecs not naturally adapted to them fs illustrated in the case of Lake George, where black bass were introduced. At first they did not do we'll and the cause was sought. Black bass like plenty of crayfsh, and it was found that there wore none in the lake, but it was stocked with them, and now promises to become one of the leading bass lakes Of tho country. The experiment of stocking Lake Ontario with shad was not quite as successful. Seven years ago millions of them were placed there, but, queerly enough, they are dwarfs. None of them grow to be over seven inches long, and they are not fit to eat. They propagate prolifoaily, and have become choice morsel of food for the pick erel and bass. Fishermen say that since the advent of this dwarf shad the fishing for bass and picksrel and other fish has been greatly injured, as they are so gorged with the new fish that they refuse to take othsr bait as read. fly as formerly.
 So much for the progress made and making in New York in tho propagation and distribu tion of food fishes. In the course of his close intimacy with fish MT. Green has become con- vinced that they have reasoning powers and memory, and those who have pursued the crafty trout will bsincined to agree with him. In one of his ponds MT. Green keeps 5000 brook trout that were all captured with the fly in the Adirondaoks. When they were hooked, he says, and were reeled slowly to the boats, they had time and opportunity to note the form and character of the tackle that made them prisoners. They will follow MT. Green as he walks about the pond. Let him have walking-stick and a fishing-rod hidden behind his back. If he reveals the former to the fish, by holding it out over the water, they pay no attention to it. But the moment he produces the rod, with it's tackle, away they all scamper to distant parts of the pond. Five years ago these trout were caught, and since that time their treatment has been such as would tend to obliterate from their minds the recollection of that cruel day when in eager pursuit of the deceitful fly they lost the liberty that is dear alike to the brook trout aad to man. But though like slaves taken from the wilds of Africa to fertile plantation and placed under the care of kind master, they have grown fat and apparently happy, they do not forget, and when they see the lure that led them into bondage they obey their impulse, and flee to the remotest and most secluded part of their present ranging place, there, it may be, to weep over the days that are no more- And yet we eat brook trout and ask to be helped at least twice
 EDITORIAL NOTES.