Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1909-07-21

are even anxious to find hunters to WHOM
they can credit the deer they shoot beyond
the legal quota.
PROTECTING AND PRoPoGATING FISH.
The laws for the protection of fish have
been even more beneficial, viewed from
the standpoint of financial return. These
laws not only provide for the appointment
OF shore and inland fish commissioners
with their lieutenants, the district fish
wardens, but also for the Establishment OF
hatcheries at various points. The value
OF hatcheries can be understood when it
is stated that under natural conditions
not more than two per cent. Of the eggs
maturity, while under the protection
afforded by the hatcheries sixty per cent.
or more are grown.
With the product of the hatcheries the
various lakes, ponds, rivers and bays are
kept well stocked with the best kind OF
sporty and edible fish. This naturally
costs the State good deal of money, for
the hatcheries are perfectly run, but as the
fish commissioner says: .For every dol
lar the State expends in restocking its
lakes, ponds and streams MANIFOLD is re-
turned to the people OF the State, in one
way and another, by those who come here
from other states and in profits to the peo-
pie OF the State"
As one enthusiastic resident said: at
is business for the State OF Maine to pro-
vide the fish for these outsiders to catch,
for it brings back to US in cash ten times
the cost" To this might appropriately
be appended the remark Of the inland fish
commissioner, when speaking OF the
money the visitors, bring into the State:
1.-THE cost does not seem to count for
much among the great majority OF these
people, provided they can catch the fish,"
The results Of the propagation and pro-
lection of the fish, from commercial
point of view, are most gratifying, the
total production for market purposes in
1905 being valued at s4,154,115, and for
1905, u, 04S, 1923, while those for 1907 and
1908, the exact figures Of which have not
at hand, are equally good. Then it must
be borne in mind that these figures do not
include the pack of the sardine factories,
which are to be found in numbers all
along the coast. Thus the catching of fish
gives profitable employment to a large
number of men, and hence fish propaga-
ton, even if it did not bring the hordes of
visitors and their money into the State, is
we'll worth the money the State spends.
GOVERNMENT HATCHERIEs.
To get an idea of the extent of the work
Of stocking the waters, let us look at the
figures on Holsters and cod at one station,
Boothbay (Which, however, is Federal
hatchery, the United States giving Maine
great assistance on the shore fisheries).
Here is summary Of what was done there
in one year.
In round numbers 100000 900 Holsters
and "a, 000, 900 cod eggs were collected, the
former producing O,0oO, 900 fry, and the
latter 60,000,000, all Of which were let
loose in carefully selected localities along
the Maine coast. The lobster eggs were
the fruits.o 14,0OO 'sseeders", which were
purchased from the lobster dealers in the
summer and autumn Of 1907, confined and
cared for in the government pound at
Pemaquid until last April, when they were
removed, deprived of their eggs at the
hatchery, and the mother Holsters given
their liberty in the open sea.
Then note more particularly what the
State has done alone, as that is more to
the point in this connection; here is a re-
port OF one years WORK at two of it's
hatcheries:
The Lake Auburn hatchery planted 3d.
900 trout and 105,00 salmon in some twen-
ty or more lakes and ponds.
The Rangeley Lake hatchery did even
better, planting 100000 trout and 1850
salmon.
The other hatcheries are of course
equally active, and the result is that the
of Maine is enormous.
PROFITS FROM VISITORS.
While all this has done much toward
making business for citizens of the State
providing them with plenty of good
marketable fish-the greatest profit has
come from the summer visitor who has
been drawn hither by the alluring attrac-
ton. What has been accomplished in
this direction has gone far beyond the
greatest expectations of the originators OF
the policy.
Whether or not at the outstart the
solons dreamed of the marvellous tide of
summer travel that was to pour into the
State on account OF the fine fishing and
hunting they were providing, is problem
atical, but it is certain that they came to
realize the fact later on, and to act on it
by increasing the attractions. The de-
lightful summer climate, the grand seen
cry, should have attracted the summer
visitor without the fish and game, but it
did not do so. The plentitude of this al
lurement OF the sportsmen started the
travel, while the salubrious air, the lovely
waters, the beautiful hills and woods, did
their part in increasing it. In compare
lively few years the tide OF summer travel
hither has grown to enormous proportions.
The coast, from end to end, is now dotted