The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-02-27

The Minneota state game and fish
commission now has on hand at the
Willow Brook fish hatchery, for dis
tr1button this spring, 100000 trout
spawn. This is a larger number of
spawn than the commission has han
dled IN any four years up to this time.
1t is expected that the commission
Will distribute, in all throughout the
state 100000 pike, bass and croppie
spawn before the year is out.
This will be the largest number cf
spawn ever distributed before by the
commission.
The exceptionally large number Of
spawn to be distributed this year is
made possible by the new acquisition
to the Willow Brook hatchery of the
new battery for Matching wall-eyed
pike, and the other facilities which
have been recently attached to the
institution. The battery, Mr.. Fuller
ton says, is the finest in the world
Executive Agent Fullerton said yes
terday that the game and fish laws
now in operation in this state are all
that could be desired. Public opinion
was, he said, fast shaping itself to the
Importance of the protection of the
game and fish preserves Of the state
The increased demands from all over
the state for trout spawn was evil
dence of an awakening on the part
of the people to the utility of the COM
mission in stocking the rivers and
lakes of the state with the choicest
game and food fish.
The next legislature would probably
be asked to do something toward in
creasing the number of game Wardens
In the state, but the most important
matter which would be proposed would
be the purchase by the state of the
site of the Willow Brook fish hatchery.
The commission has for years been
paying rent for their present quarters,
and 1t has always been the policy of
buildings used for public enterprises
1t was the temper of the last legisla-
ture to make an appropriation for this
purpose. but owing to the condition of
the exchequer the appropriation was
not forthcoming.
If all conditions are favorable, as
the indications now point to, the TAX
ing Of spawn will be. the largest on
record
In about four weeks corps of en-
perienced men will leave for Pike river
which empties into Vernillion lake in
the northern part Of the state. The
commission will send man up in a
couple of weeks to watch the river, and
just as soon as the pike commence to
run up stream the commission will send
up men with all the paraphernalia
necessary to the work of taking the
eggs away from the old fish.
In doing this the old pike are not In
jured in the least. The eggs are placed
in glass Jars and Immediately shipped
to the Willow Brook hatchery, where
they are Matched by the new battery
process. The apparatus consists Of 200
jars and is the largest in the country.
After the eggs are secured, the pike
are put back into the river, and per-
form, maybe, a similar service for the
commission pear.
Pike river is one of the best pike
streams in the world, 1t is said, and
the stream is kept stocked from the
fact that the old fish are uninjured, and
plenty of them necessarily get away
from the commissioners agents and
hatch their eggs on their own hooks.
They don't fool with unknown bats
and consequently have no unseen hooks
to fear.
In speaking Of the workings Of the
state game law as touching the pro-
lection of game and fish throughout
the state, Executive Agent Fullerton
yesterday said that it had been better
obeyed during the last year than ever.
The demand for spawn had doubled,
almost tripled In fact, since the last
legislature, which had necessitated a
recent addition to the hatchery and an
increase Of force there.
There were, he said, many unScrupu-
lous people all over the state who de-
fled the law, but they were being kept
down to large extent, as the results
of their industry had been in many
cases confiscated.
Selling their shipments has injured
their business.
The commission is getting ready for
a very busy spring in stocking the
Minnesota rivers and lakes.
Wisconsin has three working hatch
cries, but the statistics show that the
results of the Minnesota hatchery have
almost come up to the three Wiscon-
sin institutions, which places the North
Star state in the lead Of the Western
states in stocking and protecting their
game and fish preserves.