The Oskaloosa herald., 1906-09-13
FISH HATCHER|ES
DOING GREAT WORK
NEARLY TWO BILLION FRY OUT.
PUT FOR LAST YEAR.
WIDE FIELD is COVERED
Artificial and Natural Lakes Are Filled
for Rich and Poor with Every
thing from Perch to the Lus-
cious Toothsome Shad.

Washington, Sept. S.--A preliminary
statement made by George H. Bowers,
United States commissioner of fish
cries, to the secretary of the depart
meat of commerce and labor of the
operations of his bureau for the past
fiscal year, says that the aggregate
output of fry from the commissions
hatcheries during the year was only
a trifle less than 2,O00,OOO,0OO. The
actual figures were 1,931,854, 500, an
increase of nearly 100000, 900 over the
output of 1905.
THE fish cultural operations of the
government" the statement points
out, appeal to the tastes and satisfy
the needs of all sorts and conditions
of men. For the people of the New
England coast, where from the earliest
colonial days the rich harvests of the
sea have been gathered by hardy fish.
ermen, cod, founders and Holsters
have been produced in immense mum.
bers, and nowadays when one Of
these is caught it is very likely to bear
Uncle Sans hall mark if a person
only knows where to look for it. The
very successful operations of the new
marine hatchery in Maine will do
much to keep up the abundance of
fish in these waters"
Fears Shad May Disappear.
Millions of young yellow perch,
white perch, rock fish and shad have
been liberated in the streams of the
eastern seaboard from the government
hatcheries. The only unsatisfactory
feature Of this work cited in the
statement is the condition OF the shad
fishery, about which Commissioner
Bowers sounds a note of alarm. So
long as the supply Of shad eggs for
Matching purposes is ample, the main.
tenance of the fishery is assured; but
under the conditions which have been
becoming more and more pronounced
the run of fish for spawning purposes
has been practically wiped out in
many of the important streams, and
unless the state promptly takes some
action by which a fair percentage of
the shad may reach their spawning
grounds, the future of this fish is
gloomy.
Saves Fish in Great Lakes.
On the great lakes the plant Of
white fish, lake trout and wall-eyed
pike has been commensurate with the
operations of an army of net and seine
fishermen, who would long ago have
exhausted these inland seas had not
natures efforts been supplemented by
artificial propagation.
The waters of the interior have
been replenished with what are re.
garded as the most desirable indi.
genous fishes, and each year large
numbers of large-mouth and small.
mouth bass are planted. Innumerable
small lakes and ponds, many of them
artificial, have been stocked, and
these often constitute the only source
of food fish for the community. I'm.
der the bureaus policy, the small
farmer, the owner of private reserves,
the sportsmen's club may have
waters in which they are interested
planted with the most suitable fishes;
and even the humblest negro in the
cotton fields or sugar plantations in
the south may have delivered for his
own pond or creek broodstock of
gamy sunf1sh or plebian catfish which
will soon give good account of them.
selves and provide food and fun for
the entire family.
Salmon Most Important.
The cultivation of the Pacific sal.
mon affects, directly or indirectly, &C.
cording to Commissioner Bowers,
more people than any other branch of
the work, when in addition to the null.
titude of fishermen and factory hands,
the millions of consumers of fresh,
smoked and canned salmon are taken
into consideration.
The quantity of salmon eggs taken
and Matched by the bureau at its sta
lions on the western streams was
last year over 400 bushels. The
year was marked by the inception of
governmental salmon culture in Alas
ka, through the completion and opera
ton of the new hatchery in the south
eastern part of the territory. Mr..
Bowers, who has recently returned
from Alaska is pleased with the out
look for successful salmon propaga-
ton on the part of the government,
and has determined on the Island Of
Agognak as the best site for another
hatchery soon to be built by the bu-
reau. the money for this purpose hav-