Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1906-05-16
GREEN LAKE HATCHERY.
Distribution of Trout Fry Now
Under Why.

Distribution of Trout Fry Now
Under Way.
At the Green Lake fish hatchery the dis
tributIon OF trout fry has commenced.
Just now the fish are being shipped ~
rail in the fish commission car TO points in
other parts of the State.
The Green Lake hatchery, from a small
beginning some fifteen years ago, has
grown to its present place as the largest
fresh water hatchery in the United States
The present years product OF this hatch
cry is some 10000 fish. During the past
few years extensive Improvements have
been made. The water supply so impor-
tant a feature both as to quality and
quantity-is well-nigh perfect. Last year
something like $1,000 was expended in
building new supply fiume from Rocky
pond to the hatchery. An Improvement
which it is hoped will be made this year,
Is the building of a new carriage road
from the hatchery 10 connect with the
present road which extends from Green
Lake station part way around the lake.
The work which this hatchery is doing
in the improvement of the fishing waters
in the State cannot be estimated. In Han
planted something over 100000 fish. The
eject of this constant planting was
shown this year at Green Lake, where
more fish were taken during the first two
weeks after the ice went out than in any
previous year known. At Branch pond,
also, the season opened well. Many OF
the fish taken were young and well con-
ditioned, and presumably from the hatch
cry plants.
Both these ponds abound with smelts, the
natural food OF the salmon and trout, and
the wonder is not that so few fish are
caught, but that so many can BE- fooled by
dead smelt dragging along behind a
whirling spinner, when they can gorge
themselves on live smelts at their pleasure.
Recently the absurd statement was made
in Bangor newspaper, quoting Bangor
cottsger at Green Lake, that the hatchery
there was running the fishing at the lake.
Many of the statements made in the ar
tiele can be excused only by ignorance,
Experiments OF years by fish experts have
PAbFNh AhAk AasNhNAy thItAAO4S NhSNl =
great saving 10 the fish. The loss OF eggs
in the natural course of breeding because
of natural enemies, or from imperfect fer
tilization, is very large, while in the
hatchery the loss is infinitesimal in COM
parison.
The hatchery is required to plant in the
lake from which spawn was taken,
25 per cent. of the fry Matched, and
this percentage is very much larger
than would ever reach the lake il the fish
were allowed to take their natural course
AS matter of fact, Green Lake has re-
eeived from the hatchery there much more
| than % per cent. of the spawn taken.
An interesting sight at the Green Lake
| hatchery just now are the albino salmon,
which have been reared from the egg al
| the hatchery, and are now two years old
and from eight TO twelve inches long
| They are beautiful fish, of creamy white
| color.
| The hatchery for the past eleven years
has been under the efficient manage
ment of Z. r. Race, " no has made wide
| study of fish and their artificial propaga-
tion. Under his management the hatch
cry has been developed to its present inn
portance as the leading one of its class.