Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1901-04-24
FISH CULTURE. I
GROWTH OF THE SCIENCE FROM
A SMALL BEGINNING.
STORY IS FAMILIAR TO MOST HANCOCK
COUNTY READERS WHO NEVER
TIRE OF IT.

mon, trout and tcgue fry have been
placed In the waters OF this or that
pond few have any idea of the amount
of work and careful study and research
that has made it possible for the car to
come to Maine or to stock the ponds,
lakes and streams of the State or any
other state with these fish, and do it in
the extensive and at the same time sue
cessful manner that it is done. The per
centage that even stop to think and won
der how it is made possible, is small, but
the percentage that know about the
work is infinitely smaller.
Most any of us, especially il we go a.
fishing, know in hszy sort OF way, to be
sure, that both the national and State
| governments maintain commissioners
and hatcheries for the artificial propaga-
tion OF fish, and that they do the work
and do 1t well, too. How they accomplish
it is a hidden mystery far too complicated
i for most of US to fsthom, and we give it
up with the same thought that brings 1t
to our minds.
Sometime, perhaps, we may visit
hatchery, but unless we are very observ-
ing and not afraid to wag our tongues in
an effort to gain knowledge in regard to
the art of artificially cultivating fish, we
generally return home knowing but little
more than when we left it, SO far as the
knowledge of how fish are reared. We
| retain an impression OF numerous wooden
| troughs in which we saw thousands of
tiny fish no longer than a pin. scores OF
home made ponds in which were fish any
| where in length from an inch and half
| to three inches. There, too, were trays
of small round things looking for all the
world like dried peas, which our guide
said were fish eggs. Over these eggs
poured running water, and the guide said
the eggs were being Matched. After all,
we haven't learned much, but we've had
the satisfaction OF seeing fish hatchery
in operation, and can tell our friends all
about how 1t looked.
Candidly, we haven't learned much
about the whyness of the work OF artifi-
cial propagation OF fish. The reason is
plain. Our guide, while probably knowing
all about it theoretically and practically,
is wise chap, and knows that ordinary
mortals know little and care less about
| scieutiuC tueOfltS, anu nus IelEdiueQ from
| telling about them, knowing that il he
started in to tell us he would but mystify
us and get himself lot of wearisome
work explaining what he meant. Had we
possessed a knowledge of the sciences and
asked about these things, right willingly
would he have gone into the minute de-
| tails.
| FIRST STOCKING OF PONDS.
1t would be difficult to say when the
first attempt at critically propsgating
fish was made, and equally as difficult
to tell when the. first lake, pond or river
was stocked with new species of fish,
| for both events took place a great many
| years ago, the latter preceding the for
mer by long period. Just what first
caused men to introduce species OF fish
into waters that had previously been I'M
| inhabited by them, is answerable in two
ways-frst, that the fish were OF
| more palatible nature than those already
| in the waters; second, that they were
| more gamy and furnished more sport for
| the angler. Probably the first theory is
| correct.
| The methods employed In the first at
| tempt at stocking waters with fish were
| primitive indeed, when compared to the
present methods. Some lake, pond or
river that was in close proximity to the
waters to be stocked, and which was
abundantly supplied with the species of
fish with which it was proposed to stock
the other water, was found. Nets were
strung and teams with barrels were
| m g..
drawing the nets arrived. The barrels
were filled with water and the nets hauled
up. The fish were taken from the net
and placed in the barrels, not more than a
dozen in each, and the teams driven has
tily to the place where the fish were to be
liberated in their new home. The jolting
of the carriages as they were driven over
| the road aerated the water in the barrels
| to a considerable extent, and few of the
| fish died. The deaths that did occur re-
suited more from the injuries received
| in the nets than from those received
| in transportation. 1t took long time to
| stock pond or lake in this way, but 1t
| was done, and successfully. From this
| small beginning the present perfect sys-
J tenn OF transporting live fish has grown.
| Whereas in these first attempts not
| more than few dozen fish could be
| transported at time, now the fish COM
| mission cars take thousands and thous-
ands of fish at a load, and carry them
| safely to their destination. These cars
are fitted up with all the appliances that
| years of careful study and thought can
| devise, and which an abundant supply OF
money can secure, for the nations law
| makers recognize the value of the fisher
| les OF the country and are liberal in the
appropriations for the benefit OF the COM
mission that has these in charge.
| ARRANGEMENT OF THE CARS.
| The exterior OF the cars of the fish COM
mission do not look unlike an ordinary
combination passenger coach, excepting
the lettering close up under the caves
which tells that it belongs to the fish