Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-13

teresting operations of this branch of the
Department of Commerce and Labor In the
propagation of food fishes and their distri-
button to the waterways of the United
States.
One of the improvements will be the erec-
ton of a fine brick boiler house on the res
ervation. Plans for this structure have al
ready been prepared, 1t is said
The old wooden fences about the ponds
will be removed and the banks of the little
lakes terraced .prettily. The buildings Will
be in the colonial style and colors-stra"
and white-which are those also of the bu-
reau of fisheries, the new designation Tor the
former fish commission"
The Evidence of Springtime.
The ponds and their Enclosures are al
ready beginning to take on a springtime
appearance. There is a faint tinge OF
green appearing on the surrounding lawns.
Some of the song birds have arrived; jet
black crows the sure harbingers of spring,
have established a roost on the trees south
of the White House. near the Washington
monument; white and gray piumaged guns
float gracefully over the nearby Potomac,
and the signs that gentle spring is coming
are multiplying.
During the past few days water snakes
and land moccasns have been seen crawl
ing out of their winter retreats under
ground and this according to the weather.
wise, is one of the surest signs that the
season of sunshine and warmth is near at
hand These reptiles are also among the
worst enemies to the young fishes in the
ponds, and there is a standing order for
the employees of the bureau of fisheries on
duty there to destroy them. For this pur-
pose loaded shoteuns and rifles are kept
near at hand.
Superintendent Green said the outlook is
for prosperous propagatng season of bass
and crappie. The spawning season will
begin in few days. The adult bass will
then he taken from the retaining ponds
where they have wintered. and be placed in
the partitions of the breeding ponds. These
bodies of water are now being cleared of
the marine growths and debris preparatory
to the beginning of the propagating work.
There is still a trace of the ice which COW
cred the ponds to depth of eight inches
during the latter part of the winter, but it
is rapidly disappearing.
Hard Winter on Fish
This winter is said to have been the worst
that those employed in the breeding work
have experienced and the ponds have been
almost constantly covered by ice. For
this reason the pools had to be carefully
watched and air holes cut in the Ice every
day the fish would not suffocate.
The work of Commissioner Bowers as
sistants at the propagating ponds last sea-
son is said to have been successful indeed
1t is estimated that more than $4,000 young
bass and several thousands of crappie were
reared 10 the proper size and then shipped
10 streams III All paftS Oh the country.
The officials are pleased that the prospects
of a flood from the Potomac are said to be
past they realize that an overflow into
the fish ponds would have caused meal
culable damage. An old employee recalled
the serious freshets several years ago when
the swollen tides swept over the ponds, and,
in receding, carried all the fishes into the
river. This populated the Potomac with
game fish as we'll as the pretty gold fish
from the ponds reserved for that species,
and it is related that seine haulers in this
vicinity, before the stringent fisheries laws
went into effect. caught many of the
"sparklers' in their nets.
An old colored woman, who had a string
of gold fish that had been thrown away
by the seine haulers, was told by by
stander that she could have a dish fit for
the gods in a platter of fried gold fish,
"Yaas,' she replied, an eff 1 only had
some canary birds to go wild 'em it would
make er set out fit fer de King OBJ Ingland.
Fried gof feesh an canary burds on toas' !?
Whew, honey, go along"