St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-03-15
THE FISH. HATCHERY.
What is Being Done at the State Fish
hatchery Near st. Pa ul.
Large Schools Of the Finny Tribe for Stock
ing Our Rivers and Lakes.

Superintendent Watkins, of the state fish
hatchery, has occasion to rejoice at the condi-
ton of his charge of little pisces about
two miles below st. Paul. Altogether he has
over one million of the little ones and they
are all doing well. The manner of
breeding and keeping the fish after
they are brought into this
world of trouble is of considerable interest to
all who like to observe the ways of nature in
connection with the superadded ways or art.
LAKE SUPERIOR TROUT.
Of this species of fish he has 500, 600.
These are-very small having been but re-
Gently Matched. They will probably average
half an inch each in length. They are
at present kept in troughs
about twenty feet in length,
two in width and six inches
in depth. This trough is about half filled
with cold, spring water which is kept run
ming all the time night and day. This water
comes from the springs in the hill adjoining
the hatchey and is very cold. The same
quantity of water runs into one end OF the
trough that runs out of the other, and the re-
suit is that the little fellows are kept contin-
ually headed up stream. The troughs are
too full even now and as
the little fish grow quite
rapidly it means that they must be divided
and subdivided; that is, half of them must
be taken out and placed in some other trough
where they will have chance to grow, and
when again they have increased in size they
will have to be divided again, and so contin-
ue till the springtime comes, when
they will be placed in the wa
4ofa Thn a1-
Superior trout will go into the lakes while the
brook trout will be placed in the various run
ming streams of the state, manyof which are
being well stocked up.
BROOK TROUT.
The brook trout number 400, 900, that is,
this number has been Matched out this sea-
son, and this number does not include the
old supply of breeders that are always
kept on hand. The eggs that produced the
400,0 900 Young trout were obtained by Mr..
Watson last fall from trout in the Lake Supe-
rior region. The produce of these eggs ap-
pear to be very hardy, strong and vigorous.
These are crowded together in the
same way that the Lake Superior trout are,
and will have to be separated in
the same way soon. The fish are all in prime
condition. They are all kept in the water
just as it comes running from the streams.
The little fellows like it as well at 80 below
as they do at any other degree of tempera-
ture.
DEPOSITED THIS WINTER.
Mr. Watkins has depos-
tied, of course according
to the general instructions of the fish COM
missioners 100000 white fish eggs in the
lakes this winter. 1t is difficult and
exceedingly unpleasant job to do, as he has
to cut hole through the ice and then put
in the eggs.
MATCHING IN JARS.
The superintendent has determined to
avoid this winter work as far as
possible. He has accordingly got some glass
jars and placed tube down through the
middle, and the water is thus introduced into
the bottom of the jar and naturally rises.
This causes motion in the eggs and keeps
them rolling over and over as the water is
forced up. The consequence is that the hatch
ing process is delayed and the fish
will not be brought out till the ice has disap-
peared. Of course the delivery of the fish is
made much easier and convenient. Mr..
Watkins has now, in six glass jars, l, 500, 900
white fish eggs that are being daily and
nightly kept rolling over and over, and will
so continue till the last one is Matched.
AS the eggs change and the
fish appears it rises to the
surface and swims off in the
water through the escape opening and i'm
mediately finds itself in plenty of water where
it remains till it has been deposited either in
the lakes or trout streams.
MISCELLANEOUS.
All the streams that have been stocked are
continually giving evidence of the benefit Of
this system of artifcially breeding fish, and
large quantities of fish are being taken out
every year.
Next year the commissioners will have
5000 additional breeders and will undoubt-
eddy double up the supply.
This hatchery is one of the most interest
ing points in the vicinity. Besides the
younger produce, in some of the ponds
there are trout that will wei gh three or four
pounds each.