The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-09-02
English Ring-necks Will Be In
trOduced Into Kansas.
State Is to Be Stocked With
Imported Game Birds.
BE MATCHED BY HENS.
Warden Travis Will Distribute
Settings of Eggs.
improvements Planned for Fish
Hatchery at Pratt.

When Game Warden Del w Travis
carries out his plans for the improve
ment of the state fish and game station
at Pratt, he will have an institution Of
which the state may be proud
Among other interesting ideas en-
bodied in Mr.. Travis plans is a game
hatchery, at which he proposes to prop
agate the famous English rinE-necked
pheasants, which hunters say is the
best and gamest wild bird that flies.
Ring-neck pheasant eggs will be ship
ped to anyone who is interested In the
culture of the birds, and Matched un-
der the good old fashioned hen. The
, young pheasants will stay with the hen
until their wings gain sufficient
strength, and then. according to Mr..
Travis, they will evaporate.''
In five years." says Mr.. Travis, "I
oelleve we can have Kansas well stock
ed with ring-necked pheasants. The
breeding of pheasants win be the means
of introducing into the state q very de-
Slrable bird. These birds thrive in a
climate similar to that Of Kansas, and
| by sending out eggs to parties who will
| see that they are Matched and that the
birds are allowed to escape, we will in
a very few years have the state will
stocked with pheasants.''
| But the principal feature of the recon
structed game and fish station viii be
| IAlS ISL AL QT66SLL LQeI6 Is Only
one, which is heavily stocked with black
| bass This one is shown in the upper
left hand corner of the diagram Three
other large ponds will be added, besides
several smaller cement lined culture
ponds. These ponds will be about 200
feet square, and from to 5 feet deep.
Black bass, rock bass and croppies
will be the main product of the fish
/ hatchery, but Mr.. Travis plans to have
a small gravel pond for the exclusive
purpose Of experimenting with brook
trout.
The important part of the whole
scheme is the water supply, and the
location of the fish hatchery is ideal in
| this particular. It is on the banks of
| the Ninnescah river. The water is clear
and cold. and Mr.. Travis proposes to
pipe this water through a large iron
| pipe to a stand pipe at one side of the
grounds and allow it to flow through
each of the ponds in turn, and back to
the river.
The last session of the legislature
dealt literally with the fish hatchery.
The following are the items of the APP
preparation bill:
Three propagating ponds. s.......-...$ $4,000
Four nursery ponds ...--......-.... 500
Water main and water supply. -. 1000
| Iron pipe for drainage. 300
/ Hatchery buildings .......-........ 1000
Equipment for buildings. s........... 300
Trees and shrubbery- ry-............-. 200
Fence around grounds. .........-... $50
LABOR .:..-.s..'...- oVv
| Salary of fish culturiSt. .--........ 1000
The expenditure of 7,40O in the addi-
ton equipment for the station will put
| the state in possession of an institution
which will be of great Importance to
the people of the state who like to get
| out in the woods and enjoy a good days
fishing for bass and croppies.
In speaking of his plans for the work,
Mr.. Travis said yesterday: 'I came to
Topeka principally to talk to State
Architect Stanton about my plans. !
believe have decided what is needed,
and am now having the working plans
prepared.
"I have not let any contract for the
work 1 believe I can get more for the
money by staying on the ground as sup
erintendent and hiring the work done
by day labor. The work of excavating
for the three new ponds is now practi-
caIly complete. If we had more money,
we could use it into beautifying the
premises but with the present appropri-
alton we can put the fish hatchery in
good condition.
I'VE also expect to change the chan
mel of the inenscah river. so that the
sharp bend which now cuts close to one
of our new ponds will be eliminated.
The channel of the river will be straight
ened and this will give US room for
another pond near the end of the new
croppie pond. We will use the old chan
mel of the river as q drainage for the
ponds In the old pond, we now have
two crops of black bass. I don't have
any idea how many bass are in there
| hut there must be a vast number.
| expect to drain this pond very soon, and
use the bass for stocking"
/