Ellsworth American., 1883-12-20

The works are situated on Dead Stream,
in GRAND. seven miles from salt water, and
here a preserve Of about a half-mie has
been constructed in the stream, and the
shores protected so that there NAV be no fish
lost during the spring ireshets. The senti-
ment of the people in the vicinity is f4vora-
bic 10 the protection Of the salmon. and so
no trouble Is experienced from poachers
Last June, $50 live salmon for spawning
were purchased Of the fishermen and placed
IN this preserve to remain till they we're ripe
which occurs the latter part Of October or
first Of November. a, this time approach
6, a weir az the head Of the preserve il
opened and the fsh cap;urtd in their en-
deaNur> 10 so up stream. This wear the
captured salmon averaged larger than usual,
hut instead Of about fifty per cent. Of the
number being males there was only about
one-haf a. many. ard the result will be
larger number of eggs than usual. upwards
Of 100000 All these eggs are not Le-
signed for Maine waters. but will be distrlb-
uted by Professor Baird according to the ap-
Preparations Of the different States. OF the
New England States, Maine New Hamp-
shire, Massachusetts and Connecticut ap-
propritte money 10 aid the United States
Fish Commission IN restocking their rivers.
and when the books are made up al the close
of the season. to ascertain wha; it has cost
TO secure the eggs and develop them to the
proper stage for distribution TO the different
States, then each will receive a number pro-
por,ional TO It's appropriation.
About the 18th of October the work of
stripping" is begun and continued till the
B.,lo ,TE E.b bn. IA
] lie fish when wanted are taken from tie
water in dip net and their condition read
lily ascertained by gently pressing the abdo-
men just back of the pectoral fin. If the
ova are ripe they will be felt like so many
peas beneath the skin. and slight pressure
Will cause them to be deposited in pan
placed for that purpose. If the ova are not
ripe, or the fish is not disposed to yield
them, She is returned to the water for few
days longer. After the ova have been de-
posted, the milt IS obtained from the male
in the same manner, and immediately after
falling upon the ova it dffuses itself among
them, causing them to at once indiyidualize
and grow harder, till in two hours they will
be as hard as unripe peas and perfectly glob-
ular in form. AT once after this fertilizing
process the ova are washed several times in
cold water, and then set away in cold water
for couple of hours, that all impurities
may be removed. The number of eggs OBJ
tanned from each fish varies from 1000 to
10000, the latter number having been OBJ
tanned this season from 44-inch salmon es-
tmated to be dozen or more years old, and
about as old as any are ever obtained for
spawning purposes, as the age of such fish
are estimated TO be from four to fourteen
years. At the expiration Of the two hours
mentioned above, the ova are prepared for
the Matching troughs by being placed upon
wire screens with meshes about an eighth Of
an inch square. These screens are inclosed
in frames foot square, and thick enough to
allow half-inch Of water to flow beneath
each one, to assist which an eighth Of an
inch is removed from the bottom Of each of
the four sides for three-fourths of their
length Ten of these Matching frames are
then placed above each other in skeleton
frame to form "nest," and the whole then
deposited in the Matching troughs of depth
and width just sufficient to contain a row of
these nests, after which the water is turned
on and steady flow maintained through
the latter part of January, when the ova will
have developed as much as it is safe to al
low before distribution among the several
States, under whose care they are finally
hatched and disposed of as desired. About
1000 ova are placed upon each of the hatch
ing frames in single layer. After being
placed in the Matching troughs, the frames
are taken out every three or four days and
the ova examined, SO that the poor ones may
be removed. These are readily distinguish
ed by their white appearance, and generally
constitute about four per cent. Of the whole
number of eggs. OF the balance about four
per cent. will be injured by transportation or