The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-12-22
HATCHERY or FISH
FOR GOVERNMENT
--------------------
Well -Equipped Plant all Interest
ing Place on Mountain Crag
Near Wytheville.
MANY KINDS ARE PR0PAGATED
--------.----------r-
Several Varieties Of Trout, Bass,
Dream, Catfish, Carp and
Goldfish.
MANY KINDS ARE PR0PAGATED

wYTHEytLLE, VA. December 21.--
About four mics west from Wytheville,
located In a beautiful valley, on tho
crest OF the Allaghanies. and surround
cd BY picturesque mountain crags, is
located the United States Fish Hatch
es.t
This hatchery was established by
The State of Virginia In the tall Of 1879.
1t was operated by the state and the
United States Jointly for one or two
seasons 1t was then leased by the
United States Fish Commission for
number of years UP to 1896, when 1t
was purchased by the United States
government
The site was selected during the
summer of 1879 by Colonel Marshall
Mcdonald. who was then Commissioner
of Fisheries for Virginia and also
chief of division of fish culture in the
service of the United States Fish Com
mission, with headquarters in Wash
ington, D. c. The station was rebuilt
by the United States Fish Commission
in 1895. Congress having made spe-
cial appropriation of $4,000 for that
purpose. second appropriation Of
$1,000 was made by Congress in the
early part Of 1899, and with this money
tho principal bass pond of the station
was built during the summer and fall
OF 1899.
What II Embraces.
The station at present consists OF
thirty-one ponds. ranging in size from
10 by so feet to two and one-half acres.
Two buildings. each % by so feet, are
occupied by Matching and rearing
troughs for trout In these troughs
the eggs are incubated and Matched,
and large number of young fish
reared to the lingering stage, which
is from two TO four inches in length.
These buildings are supplied with
water direct from the spring. with a
temperature of 81 Iegrees in summer
and SO degrees in winter. In water
of this temperature rainbow trout eggs
VIII hatch In twenty eight or thirty
days. and brook trout in thirty to
;hirty-two days. The young trout re-
quire no food until they are about
,wenty-eight days old, as nature pro-
Sides them with yolk sac filled with
an oily substance. upon which they
subsist during the first four weeks Of
their life. AT the expiration of the
sue stage the fish must be fed. Their
food consists of freshly ground liver
or canned herring roe. After they
have reached about two inches in
length they are given small portion
liver. the proportion of musk being
increased as the fish grow, until the
food consists of equal parts OF liver
and musk.
a breeding stock Of about 5000 trout,
from one 10 fifteen years old, is kept
at the station. These fish produce eggs
ut three years of age, and each season
sitter that until they are from sixteen
10 eighteen years old. when they be-
come barren. The eggs are taken from
the fish by hand. being expressed from
the tish by gentle pressure, which
causes the eggs to flow from the fish
without injury to the parent FISH. The
eggs are also impregnated by hand, the
mtlt from the male fish being eXpresse>
from him and mixed with the egg.
IN pan. This work requires great
care and considerable skill to aocon,
plish IL well. The parent fish. both
male and female. must be handled with
care. and the fish culturist must know
the exact condition OF the fish. wheth.
er or not II is in a spawning condition,
etc, before he undertakes the work.
otherwise ne would kill the fish. and
the EGGS taken would be worthless.
The following species of fish are
propagated at this hatchery: rainbow
trout. steel-head trout brook trout,
large and small-mouthed black bass
rock bass, Dream, catfish. carp and
Y goldfish. The output of the station
amounts to about 1.a6o0o0 trout eggs
and 100000 yearltng and lingering fish
OF the different species. but chiefly
trout "a
SHIPPED to'Fsfetzn Countries.
Trout eggs are shipped not only t.
all parts Of the United States, but tt
many foreign countries. Shipments O.
eggs have frequently been made u
France. Germany, Belgium, England
Ireland Mexico. Venezuela, Argentin,
Republic, and other countries
The fish reared at the station ar,
5 distributed principally in the States o
New York. Pennsylvania Ohio, Rhod
Island. New Jersey Maryland, Yves
Virginia, Virginia, North and soutl
GsNolina.