The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1891-08-19

We have no river Tay stocked with salmon, but nesting
among our green hills between four and five hundred
ponds and lakes with total area of some 1875 600 acres
AS tributaries outlets to these bodies of water we have
lnnumerabe mountain streams which broaden into rivers
as they flow into and through the valleys ferized by
them.
The ma orty of these waters the native haunts of
the specked trout In addition the trout many of our
waters abound in great variety of fish, the leading ones
beng bass and-locked salmon salmon trout pike pike
perch, and pickerel.
On our western border, and more than half of within
our limits is historic Lake Champan noted it's beauty
and remarkable for its varieties of fish Many sportsmen
attracted to its shores by the abundance Of aquatic
birds in the vicinity This may be said also of Lake
Memphremagog on our northern border For the hunter
cartridges will always be the which gives the most
sport and the best results food supply Nearly all
the large native to forests has become extinct
but deer increasing rapidly evidenced by the fire.
quent reports OF their being in rural districts
Under the wise law enacted by last Legislature their
protection from slaughter has been continued until No
vember 1, 1900 At present they very tame and it is
question whether it will not be advisable to continue
their protection for indefinite PERIOD they would be
quickly disseminated if the fostering of the State
withdrawn
Woodcoc furnish good sport as in other States of
New England Quail have been introduced several times
but 1t appears doubtful they endure the severity of
our winters
English pheasants have recently been introduced by
Dr. Webb at his Shelburne FARMS and the result of his
experiment is watched with interest Many new varieties
of game birds would undoubtedly thrive in Vermont and
any efforts in this direction should receive the hearty en-
dorsement of everyone Rabbits and squirrels though
decreasing in numbers, still abundant and are
source of much sport to the hunter.
have attempted to briefly state resources in the
way of fish and game supply 1t has been asserted by
the authorities i'll the Fish Commission and Geological
Survey of the United States, that within century the
waters of this country will supply as much food as the
land Produces and by that time water farms will have
become plentiful as land farms Water farming is far
more profitable now given area than the till
inc of the fertile soil Were DOSSblp tO
accurate report of the fish and game taken in Vermont
during season, the value il food supply would
doubtless be surprising. The chief value State
however, not in the fish and game Themselves either for
the market consumption food 1t is in the attac
ton afforded not only to residents Of State but
thousands of summer visitors who flock to our lakes and
hills every season. that our fish and game supply is be-
coming such an important factor in the economy of every
rural community.
With the efforts being put forth by the railroad compa
MES, and very generayy the inhabitants to call outside
attention the attractions of Vermont, it is but natural
to expect tourists in greater numbers each year
If we would retain hold upon this desirable element
in the economy Of our State, must keep up at
fractions
Farmers are not without when they make
some such remark "Fishemen nuisance anyway.
But they must admit when taking broad view of the
question: that the fishermen patronize the railroads. and
better accommodations for everybody They
hotels be built and bring their families They hire
boats and guides and paronze the country Last
but not least they buy much abused abandoned
hillside farms" and make summer homes Of them. The
farmer sells his Chickens eggs butter lambs, and
gets better price at home than formerly at distant
and uncertain market 1t is the fisherman or summer
tourist who the demand for what he raises and
he gets his pay in hard cash.
Clubs being formed in various parts Of the State,
whose membership is made up largely Of non-resdents
These clubs are buying up land for fish and game pre-
serves By dammng the brooks to form ponds series
of pools, many of abandoned farms be turned
into fish and game preserves indirectly productive
to the wealth of the State than many fertile farms
now under state OF cultivation
1t has been demonstrated in other States that artificial
propagation will do much towards restoring depleted
waters to their former condition The New Y DIRK Com
missoners in recent report say that there better fish
ing to-day than when the Commission organized
some twenty years ago There is nowhere a prac-
teal illustration of the effects of restocking streams,
perhaps than in Rutland County, where twelve
years ago few thousand rainbow trout escaped from
private pond into East Creek About in three
now taken from this stream the rainbow variety.
Previous to this event the rainbow trout unknown
to our local fishermen Several have been taken this year
ranging in weight from to three pounds There is
probably no State in New England in which so little prac
cal attention has been paid either to preserving what fish
and game have to restocking woods and waters
ms Vermont The Legislature has made any appro
priaons which would permit commission to devote its
time to the subject of fish and game preservation and
propagation. At the last session. however in addition
the regular allowance to the commission appropr
alton was made sufficient to provide for the construction
and maintenance of hatchery 1t is hoped that this
will soon be "hatched that may lose time in
plenishng depleted waters, and introduce new varie
ties for which we'll adapted.