The Iola register., 1889-11-29
STOCKING THE STREAMS
How the United States Fish Commission
noes It's Work.

How the United States Fish Commission
Does Its Work.
When the summer tourist, In the en-.
joyment of his vacation, hooks carr
or trout from the depths of some shady
pond or cool mountain stream, or the
purvcyor for Motel or houshold pur.
chases supply of tempting fish from
the market very little, if any, thought
is given to what the Government is do
ing through the Fish Commission, in
aiding nature in increasing the edible
fishes of the country.
While large amount of money is
spent by Congress annually in provid.
ing for the work which is being done,
millions of fish are annually Matched
and distributed in the public and pri-
vate waters of the country. In differ
ent parts Of the United States there
are already sixteen stations devoted to
the propagation of fish, and five more
are in course of construction. From
these stations eighteen different spe-
cies of fish are Matched.
The principal fish however. are
shad, white-fsh, lake trout, carp,
salmon, and several species of the
salmon family. Last year 101, ,9S4. 900
shad were distributed to the public
waters of the United States and IS. 000,-
600 whitefish. Goldfish were Matched
to the extent Of 5000, 900 and pollock
to the number of 100000. There
were also distributed so, 100, 900 WALL
eyed pike. over 10. 900 carp, and 169.-
S03 trout of different varieties.
Where are the propogating stations
located?" Assistant Commissioner
Rathbun was asked.
.'Of the completed ones two are in
Maine, one on Grand Lake stream in
Eastern Maine, and the other on Craigs
Pond, East Orland, Me. They are
both devoted to salmon, but of differ
ent variety. Massachusetts has two,
at Gloucester. devoted to Goldfish. and
at Woods Holl, where attention is paid
principally to cod and lobster, but
where experiments have been made
with other species. The station at Cold
Spring Harbor belongs to New York.
but has largely assisted the United
States in propagating salmon for that
and bordering States. One of the most
important shad stations is that at Bat
terry Island, at the head of Chesapeake
Bay, and four miles south of Havre de
Grace. At Fort Washington, down the
river, we have station devoted to
catching shad eggs. These are sent
to the central station on Armory square.
In the Monument reservation there is
also a pond devoted to the cultivation
of carp and trout and gold fish to linn
tied extent The station at Wythe-
vile, Va, like that in New York, is
owned by the State. but is operated for
the United States in the propagation
of salmon, black bass. perch and carp.
In the region of the Great Lakes
there are three completed sta
tions, all devoted to Matching the
fresh water whitefsh. These are at
Sandusky, O., and Worthwhile and AL
pena, Mich. On the Pacific coast
there are two stations, one at Baird,
Cal. and the other at Mcleod. The
former is devoted to propagating Cali
fornia salmon; the other to California
or rainbow trout. On the east coast
again the steamer Fish Hawk serves
as a floating station for shad on the
Delaware river. The incompleted
stations are five in number and are on
Lake Erie, at Duluth, Mimi; Lead
vile, COL; Neosho, Mo-, and Clacka-
mas river, Oregon"
.'How is the work of artificial hatch
ing done?"
The eggs are secured by purchase
from the gill or seine fishermen along
the banks of the stream every year.
These eggs are placed in glass jars
containing about seven quarts each.
The jars are covered with metal tops,
through which two tubes extend. one
reaching to the bottom of the jar and
the other only part of the way below
the surface of the water Through
the longer tube water is forced into
the jar, and the eggs are kept con-
stantly in motion. In this way they
are Matched. and the young fish passed
through the shorter tube into a tank
in which they can swim about and
from which they are afterward taken
and distributed. The Matching season
usually extends through May and June.
Matching requires from three to eight
days"
Where are these fish sent?"
.'Our report, l think. indicates that
they are distributed in every State and
Territory in the United States. The
fish are received by private individ-
uals through their Congressman on
application to us. The carp is very
popular in stocking still ponds. Over
$4,000 were sent out to private per-
sons last year. The fish is very hardy
one. and in addition to growing very
rapidly lives largely without having to
be fed. 1t obtains its sustenance from
worms. Larvae and plants. The culti-
walton of the gold fish. which is only
carried on in small way, only 9,610
having been propagated last year, was
begun for the supply of fountains and
public reservations. A good deal has
been done by the commission in es-
tablishing runs of shad in sections
where before they were not to be
caught These are in several tributa-
ries to the Mississippi and in the waters
of the Pacific. in Sacramento river,