Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1881-10-27
The State Fish Hatchery in
Oconee County.
rFon THE KsowsE Coun1En. /

of the Comr,, ,,issioner Of Agriculture, Col. A. p.
Butler, to carry out and enforce this legislation,
has brouglS the fish question prominently be-
fore our people. havo thought therefore that
report Of what is now being done by Commits
sioner Butler in Oconeo County in this interest
will not be unnteresting to tho readers of the
CoURIBRi
The people Of tho State have been thoroughly
informed as.to what was done on the Edisto last
spring, and no further rotico Of what was done
there 10 necessary.
The success however Of this ehterprlSe EN-
couraged the Commissioner of Agriculture 10
new effor;sts!tto stock the streams of the State
with fish. iGt,nder resolution of tho Board of
Agricultura (Which by law has the control Of
this suniecS Commissioner Butler authorized
Mr., G. j. iIuskc, Tho superintendent of the
hatcheries, to visit tho tier of counties in the
location for hatchery. by invitation of somo
of our citisns, who have recently built carp
ponds and were anxious for tho success Of the
efforts Of tho commissioner, Mr.. Huske came TO
Walhala on the first Of July last. After q
careful survey Of the country surrounding Wal
hala, and visit to other counties, Mr. Huske
came back TO Walhalla and selected site on
my farm, about one mile from tho court house,
and hogan at once to build house, reservoir,
tanks, troughs, SC.
The Matching house is q substantial but plain
building, 30x2O feet, and is situated on clear
and bold little branch, in grove about 800
yards from the source of the stream or spring
whence tho water flows. The spring and branch
arc hcdged in on all sides by thick woods
which protects tho water from the impurities
which usually seeks water from cleared fields.
The water is carried about 100 yards from tho
spring in what is commonly called .'blind
ditch,' and is then caught up in troughs
inches wide and inches deep, made of pine
planks and coated with coul tor, and thus carried
in tho open dir into reservoir 10 feet long,
feet wide and s feet deep, l8 feet distant from
the Matching house. The water, in lis passage
from the blind ditcl, to the reservoir, passes
over six falls into fltering tank adjoining the
reservoir. In this tank the water passes
through two wire sievcs and nine flannel filters
and thus passes into the large settling reservoir
above described. Tho tank and reservoirs are
also coated with coal tor to prevent the planks
from rotting and gathering impurities. The water
thus purified is carried by a fume over so feet
long into and along the South side of the
Matching house. From this flume the water is
let into the Matching troughs by guage cocks.
These troughs are in number, s feet long, ID
inches wide and inches deep aud are placed on
benches feet high, parallel with each other,
across the house and at right angles with the
ilume. Thence tho water passes by outlet pipes
,rr1, into >;,>o ;oh
emptics into the original bed of the stream.
| For cach one of the troughs there arc large
number of wire trays 80 inches long and l3
inches wide upon which the fish eggs arc
placed. These are also coated with coal tar
which prevents rus,ng Of the wires which it is
liie iaItalfg' house and its upp,
thus completed on the 10Th of September. On
the 1th of October Mr.. Huske, the superintend-
ent, received from tho United States station in
California, through Prof. Spencer +. Baird u.
5. Fish Commissioner, SOC, 900 California salmon
eggs. These eggs were shipped from Barrirs
Station, California, via Chicago to Walhalla,
packed in crates thrco feet square, with moss
and ferncs, SUR oundcd by leo chambers to pre-
vent tho eggs from heating. The eggs are
about The size of large English pea, of beau.
tlful pale red color After being unpackcd ON
the 8th they were placed on the wire trays in The
Matching house, 5000 eggs to the tray, IL trays
TO the trough, thus making $4,000 eggs TO the
trough. Assisted by Mr.. s. G. Adams, of
Aiken, MIR. lluske has watched the eggs for the
last twelve days with great care and anxiety,
Keeping the water flowing through the troughs
its temperature being about GO degrees Fahr.,
taking out all the damaged eggs and clearing
the troughs and trays from sediment. At this
time the eggs are nearly oil hatchcd out and tho
trays removed. Out Of the 5000 600 eggs re :
ccived 100000 fish have been Matched The
troughs are alive with the finny tribe. After
tho egg she'll is burstcd the fish retains on its
neither parts q small sack of oil. This sack is
gradually absorbed by the fish and upon it sub
sis.s from four to six weeks After the sack
disappears they are ready for distribution and
arc carried from the hatchery. One-third of
tho eggs hatched are TO be placed in the
Tugaoo, the remainder in the Saluda, Broad
and other rivers of this State The State of
Georgia pays the expenses of shipping one third
OF the eggs and they arc placed in the Tugaloo
for the benefit of the people of both States
Thus far Mr. lluskc, aided by Mr.. Adams.
has had great and good fortune. They propose
to hatch other fish during the winter.
To make this experiment beneficial to tho
people of the State tho Matching of fish will
have to be largely continued, the streams of
the State bept free Of all dams that prevent The
fish from coming up tho streams. Commits
sioncr Butler and the Fish Commissioner of
Georgia, VIC havo learned, are cndcayornp to
have fish ways constructed through the dams at
Augusta. If this is accomplis he'd Tie salmon