Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-28

miles from railroad. and all provisions
must be transported over a rough noun
tain trail by means Of pack ponies. winter
supplies being purchased in bulk and
brought in before the trail is blockaded
by snow. Yes bay, Alaska, Is about
forty miles from the nearest base of sup
plies. with only an irregular communica-
ton by water and the conditions at
Afognak are even worse Salmon cul-
ture for Alaska. whose salmon fisheries
amount to s1O,OOO.O00 a year. and whose
salmon run was once thought to be mex
haustible, is only one of the many direc-
tons in which the work of the bureau
has branched out during the Bowers adj
ministration. Much progress has been
made in sponge culture and the artificial
propagation of pearl mussel also in oys-
ter fattening. New methods of lobster
culture have been utilized. and expert
ments in clam culture and terrapin cul-
ture are being conducted Important in
vestigations of Hawaiian. Porto Rican
and Philippine fishes and fisheries have
been made. The output of the hatcheries
has been multiplied many times. New
fishes have been introduced into various
streams. and states have been aided in
extending greatly the area of oyster
ground. In 1901 marine biological
\. c.. meeting the demand for the study
of aquatic life in southern waters
The fine laboratory at Woods Hole,
Mass, with which is connected a hatch
cry for cod, founders and Holsters, is an
institution nearly as old as the fish com
mission itself, for it was established
nearly quarter of century ago by
.he first commissioner of fish, Spencer
F. Baird, who was also secretary of the
Smithsonian Institution. Baird's APP
pointment as fish commissioner was made
in 1871. pursuant TO congressional leg $
lation providing for scientific study of
the depletion of certain fisheries along
the southern New England coast, with
which the adjoining states had found
themselves incompetent TO deal because
the damage occurred in navigable waters.
Fish culture had previously been prac-
ticed to Il limited extent by few states,
New Hampshire. Massachusetts and YER
mont having taken the lead i'm public
culture. Massachusetts had the first fish
commission, but New Hampshire. in 1858,
Matched the first eggs. 1t was not a new
idea. because fish culture had been prac-
ticed many centuries ago in China. The
necessity for it, however. was then a new
condition in this country. Baird imme-
diately began studies at first hand at
Woods Hole and served without pay for
sixteen years. In 1871 Congress provided
for the first artificial propagation of fish
es and the culture of shad, Atlantic SAT-
mon and white fish was begun. On Baird's
death in 1887 he was succeeded by DR..
George Brown Goode. who had been one
of his assistants and who was also d.
rector of the National Museum Goode
was an able administrators aid an en-
thusiastic fish culturist, as well as one
Of the most eminent ichthyologists of his
time. but he regarded the duties of fish
commissioner to be important enough to
merit the creation of an independent and
salaried office and his IDEAS prevailed.
In less than a year after Goodies appoint
ment. Col Marshall Mcdonald became
the first salaried fish commissioner
The names of both Goode and McDon-
aid are written large in the history Of
fish culture. One of Goodies great
works was the publication of a descrip-
tive catalogue of American fishes. which
was later revised by Theodore y. GIL,
now the nestor of Washington ichthyoIo-
gsts later work of the same charac-
ter is American Food and Game Fish