Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1882-12-21

/
is lost TO sight in the distance.
Daring its visit to the hatchery
yesterday, the party found itself
right in the nildIe Of the spawning
sc son, the peculiar process of com
pellin. the fish TO deposit their
stores of oga being in active opera
ton. Speckled trout, the only kind
OF fish propagated here, which were
fully matured, that is which were
fully eighteen months t. four or
I five years Of age, secured IN
nets from one Of the large ponds
near the building in which the spawn
I ing and incubatlug is in process. BE.
ing brought 10 this building, the fe-
males we're taken up car fully, one
Al time, and forced by The hands
Of a man experienced in his BUSH
ness, to dispose of their oya,-which
were Immediately imp egnated with
the semlna fluid Of the mdle,-in "A
shallow tin pau. Brook trout depus-
1t from 900 to 5000 eggs each, ac
cording 10 age, aud 5000 Is the max
iuum number which is received in 4
SIN lie pan After receiving the
treatment, which, because of It's un-
naturalness, cannot help but be HAIRS &,
the fish are allowed cir freedom
again, but in pond separate from
the one from which they were taken.
This precautiun has to be res rted
to, in order that the same fish ~
not be captured twice for their
spawn in the same season, though
they are used for several seasons
The spawn after being secured, is
placed with the pan in a trou IN
through which flows the cool water
from Il spring above, where tits per-
United to remain for twenty minutes,
at the expiration of which time all
foreign ingredients which may have
found their way among the eggs are
supposed 10 have been carried away.
The spawn is then taken from the
pans and placed on trays, some with
gravel bottoms and some otherwise,
and again put in troughs-all If
which are in the spawning building
and located SO that the shallow
stream just passes over it. dere it
remains from forty-fiye to fifty days,
when it ha ches During the latter
part OF this period, two black dots,
which are the eyes, ant the form of
the embryo fish AZ plainly perepti-
bic in each eng, when it is held in a
vial OF water between the eyes of
the beholder and the window For
about thirty days after the escape of
the little fellows, they subsist upon
the sack which has enclosed them
for 40 Long time, aud then demand
feed from man, which is furnished
them i'll the shape of beef liver aud
heart, reduced to almost fluid state.
The period of incuba ion depends
upon the temperature of the water
one degree Of heat causing the ovum
to hatch five days earlier than it
OAlA ~ bilC dOHtilAt VI VIC 0AAANs
However, considerable work is en-
tailed in watching the spawn alter
1t has been placed upon the trays,
AS soue of the eggs turn white and
great care has to be exercised in iui-
mediately removing these, for, were
they permitted to remain, the whole
tray would soon be ruined, rs the
bad eggs breed disease, if such it
can be termed, which will infest
and kill the eggs adjoining them,
Every day the trays are careful ly e1-
amined and the dangerous element
carefully removed.
As soon as hatched, or, rather, as
soon rs the enclosing sack has been
disposed Of and eXtraueous food is
demanded, the fish is ready for ship
ment aud rs "small fry" are sent to
the different quarters Of the State
from which orders have been receiv-
ed, and which in the judgment of
the commissioners require them.
The spawning season opens in
November with brook trodt, and con
tinucs through December and Janu.
AIRY. Thus, for this season, a trife
over 100000 spawn have been
taken, and it is anticipated that as
many more will be secured before
I it closes Last year about l 600 in
all were received, and in the four or
| five years previous the number was
considerably less, diminishing tc
a few thousand the year the Madison
/ hatchery was established. From
/ President Dunning it is learned that
over ninty per cent of the spawn
which are taken at the hatchery de-
yelop into fish, while, owing to the
yoracity Of the members Of the fin
ny tribe, together with other causes
less than ten per cent. Of the spawn
/ deposited by trout in their native
waters ever natures.
The commissioners of fisheries
! Gar Tho State are. Gov. ! NJ. Rusk,