The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-12-22

The Whigis indebted to Hon. E. NJ. Still
we'll for the following items of interest from
the report of the Fish Commissioners for 1881.
The run of salmon commenced unusually
early this year and was remarkable for the
large size of the fish. AS to numbers the run
was the smallest of the past three years, but
the largest for the previousten or twelve years.
They seemed to have made their way up to
their Businesses aud were not taken at the usual
fishing places, owing 10 the very high stage of
the water and the very early movement OF the
fish. 1t is thought that We may look for a
large run Of smelt this and the coming year as
a result of the undisturbed spawning of the
salmon. There has been distribution of over
half million salmon in the Penobscot, Ken
nebec, Androscoggin, Saco, Presumpscot and
Machias rivers.
For this years work, the contribution to the
Bucksport and. OrIand Salmon works was
$1,000; dividend of salmon eggs, 1,0S0,000, all
of which are to be contributed and Matched in
the above mentioned rivers. The contribu-
tions to the Orland works were as follows: By
Maine, 5000; dividend of eggs, 100000. BY
NASSAU husetis, $500; dividend of eggs, 10000,
By Connecticut, $500; dividend of eggs, 162,-
600. By the United States, S1757; dividend of
eggs, $4,000 Total. money, 81 557 eggs
2,462,000. The Penobscot river is the only riv-
or on the Atlantic coast of the United States
from which supply OF sea salmon eggs can be
OBJ aimed Tor propagation.
Inc OOmIulSSlOuof IbpUft5 tuty nave Uut w.
GOO landlocked salmon eggs from a $500 con-
tribution. There are two great hatcheries in
the State owned by the United States and asso-
ciated States, one at Orland and the other at
Grand Lake Stream. The contributions to the
Grand Lake stream fund were as follows:
Maine $500; dividend, 60,000 eggs. New
Hampshire $3.50; dividend $4,000 eggs. Mas
chusetts, 500; dividend 100 600 eggs. Con-
necticct $500; dividend 100 000 United
States, $3.50; dividend, 100000 eggs. Total
money, 5000; total eggs 100000.
During this year 100000 shad were given
by Prof Baird, of the U. S. Commission of
Fisheries, which we're sent in charge of Prof.
Ellis. These fish were divided between the
Penobscot and Kennebec rivers, 1000, 900 hav-
ing been turned into the Sebasticook at Water
Vile, and l,000.O00 into the MaItawamkeag,
near It's junction with the PenoBscot.
The following ponds have been stocked with
black bass this season "Trip pond, in Minof;
Gardiner pond, in Wiscasset; Gun Point Ice
Company's at Harpswell; Hosmer pond, in
Rockport; Kezar ponds and Heald and Cush-
man ponds, in Lowell and Little Pushaw pond
in Corinth.
Eighty alewives have been put into the pond
at Merrill's Mills, on the Kenduskeag stream,
as an experiment These fish will find their
way out to sea, but in returning to spawn they
can, of course, ascend no farther than Morse's
Mills Much interest is felt in the result of the
experiment. A large fshwav has beeu con-
structed at the new dam at Calais, superiDtend-
ed by Mr.. Harry Buck, OF Bucksport Other
fishways for alewives, of minor importance,
have been constructed in various parts of the
State.
The salmon fisheries of Maine are of the
highest importance to the State and are worthy
all reasonable legislation Their money value
cannot be justly estimated at present, but that
they are we'll worth all that has been expended
them no one, we think, will deny. The COM
nissioners have displayed commendable zeal
in their work, the effect of which is now very
apparent, inasmuch as in localities where a
lew years ago salmon were a rare curiosity
many hundreds of these delicious fish are
now obtained every season.