The Portland daily press., 1888-12-15
ESTABLISHED JUNE %, 1se2-voI. 81.
WEALTH IN WOODS AND STREAMS.
How the Commissioners Care FOR
the Fish and Came.
The Wealth that Their Efforts Secure
to the State.
Deer and Salmon Both Found In In
creased Numbers.

Deer and Salmon Both Found In In
creased Numbers.
AUGUSTA, Dec. 1.-THE State Commission
ers Of Fish and Game place their biennial re-
port, 1888, before the Governor tomorrow.
They say in the opening that their work dur
ing the term covered by the report has been
one of greater success than they had reason
to expect. after the ill-iudged changes made
in the fish and game laws Dy the last Legisla-
ture. Our game has exhibited an almost phe-
nomenal increase. while our fish planting
and protection has resulted in more than
bountiful return to our crippled resources for
law enforcement. How such success could
have been achieved under the mistaken
changes of our laws by the late legislative
amendments is only to be accounted for by
the moral support we have met with from
the press Of the State and the country, and
the aid and sympathy of the reputable class
of our population, from the artisan and
farmer to the professional man. Notwith-
standing this aid, the Commissioners record
some of the worst cases of poaching crimes
that have ever occurred. One of these was
that OF the killing OF nursing cow moose,
killed In June last, near Moosehead Lake:
and another occurred at Seven Ponds, which
case involved two boat loads of Massachu-
deer In early summer when chiefly nursing
does are killed.
SEA SALMON.
The run of salmon in the Penobscot river
has been large in both years. but in 1883 far
exceeding 1887 both in size and numbers The
capture in the weirs in tide waters was of
corresponding numbers, the present year ex-
ceeding in quantity the record of many
years past. The angling at the pools below
the water works dam has been excellent;
many fish captured by experts and many
more hooked and lost by tyros. The fishway
over the new dam at West Great Works is
the large salmon. heavy with spawn, were
imprisoned In the water below the mills. Al
though the waters of the east and west
branches of the Penobscot have shown the
which much lessen the States loss, yet the
untoward act of the company in destroying
the State ishway without proper notice and
authority, and summarily constructing an
impassable fence to the fish, however blame
less the animus may have been, has subject
ed the State to great loss.
THE PENoBscoT RIVER.
the Penobscot, among them the one built at
Plscataquis Falls for the new pulp mill at
Enfield, which will require that all that Sec
tion of the river be patrolled by wardens for
their protection from the spear and net. In
deed, all the Penobscot river now requires
protection from the Water Works dam above
Bangor to the mouth of the Wissattiquoik on
the east branch. and the twin dam ON the
west branch Ii the salmon fishery of the
Penobscot river ana of the Atlantic coast of
the United States is preserved, there must
be no fishing above tide water with hook
and line. This is open to all without favor.
No salmon ascend above the Water Works
dam but to breed. Every fish killed above
that point Is Just so much deducted from the
States fish production. To grant tight
for two days per week netting above tide
water, as application has been made for, is
to open the door to unlicensed de-
structien to every fish.
Complaints have bee1 made and much re.
mark curreDt about the disregard of the tide
water fishermen 10 the close time for salmon,
and the facts seem to show that IN many
should clearly define the Opening" of the
weir or pound, to be at It's very bottom. Th
commissioners say they have been consulted
by both parties, up-river and the tide water
fishermen, as to the shortening of the Open
ing time for salmon. and have proposed
fractional date of the month. They suggest
that the close time for weir and net fishing be
July 1st.
OTHER RIVERS AND WATERS.
The State is joint owner, with the Domin-
ion government. of the river st. Croix, and
the Commissioners think this river is des-
tined to become an important one for the
salmon fishery. Several paintings of salmon
for the Kennebec have been made in the
Sandy river, and salmon Of one or two
pounds weight were taken last summer at
Pennington Falls. The Penobscot salmon
works at Orland, are engaged in interesting
experiments on retaining young fry in their
preserve for at least one year, when it is be-
lieved they will be better prepared to take
care of themselves. The United States Com
missioner will probably apply to our State
Legislature for lease of Craig's pond in
Orland, to b. used as preserve of young
salmon, from which to draft colonies of
yearling fish for distribution, which the
Commissioners hope the Legislature will as
sent to.
DISTRIBUTION OF SEA SALMON EGGS.
In 1887, 104, 900 sea salmon eggs were sent
to Grand Lake and put into st Croix waters.
There were hatched at Orland, under care of
Charles G. Atkins, whe put into Craig's
brook, 25,000. These eggs were presented to
Maine by the u. S. Fish Commission in 1888.
In 1888 Maine purchased 232, 900 eggs, and
the U. s. Commission presented the State
las, ,000 Of this number &C, 900 were put into
the st. Croix at Vanceboro, and 800, 600 were
put into the Penobscot and Mattawamkeag
rivers.
LAND-LoCKED SALMON.
The wide popularity Of this fish, its splen-
did game qualities and its rare excellence as
an edible fish have created to great call for
1t, almost amounting to enthusiasm. The
bae haa Ill
for young fry with which to stock ponds.
The commission say they have never found
the land-locked salmon indigenous to any
waters in Maine where the smelt was not
also native. Notwithstanding the many
applications for this fish there is hardly one
case out OF ten, which, If granted without in
vestigation by the commissioners. would not
prove failure and disappointment. The
following statistics show the distribution of
the iand-locked salmon In the years named:
1887. Eggs taken at Sebag0 Lake, 100000.
Planted as follows, viz: 5000 in Fnompson's
pond, Oxford. The balance put into tribu-
taries Of Sebago Lake, viz. Burgess brook,
Pleasant pond, Crooked river, Smith brook,
Painters pond, Raymond, Brandy pond,
JoneS's brook and about 100000 In streams
near Bridgton leading into Highland and
1883. Fifty thousand hatched at Orland
from eggs taken at Grand Lake and present
ed to Maine by the United States Fish Com
mission and distributed as follows, viz.
1900, Patton's pond, Surry; 1000, Chain
ponds, franklin county; 5000 to j. s. Blank
pond, in Mt. Vernon; 1900, Orford's pond,
Rocklapd; 1000. Fits pond, Eddington; 1900,
Alligator lake.
MOOSE, DEER AND CARIBOU.
The Commissioners report wonderful
increase" Of our venison game animals.
Moose have been more numerous than can
be accounted for unless by immigration from
the Provinces. Some cause has undoubted-
ly affected this movement. and whether 1t be
wolves. dogs, continued pursuit, or whatever
be the cause such is the fact Moose have
been seen in parts of our State where scarce
deer has strayed for years. This has like
wise been the case with deer. Wherever
the law against dogs has been enforced, both
deer, moose and caribou have made their ap-