Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1910-05-14

soil had been trodden by the foot
of man. For the Turtle Mountain
country is q mine of wealth to the
geologist and naturalist. The peo-
pie of North Dakota will some day
open this unsealed book of nature
and read the wonders written thele-
in.
CAPTAIN Main discovered, or learn
ed, no matter which, that Gravel
lake; a circular body of water about
three miles in circumference and
about half q mile southeast OF Fish
lake, is twenty-eight feet ligher
than it's neighbor. He further ascer-
tanned that the natural outlet OF
Gravel lake was obstructed by beav-
ers, and that the water, seeking the
line of least resistance, found 1ts
way into Oak lake.
CAPTAIN Main has recently discov-
cred that CARRIER lake just south OF
Gravel lake can be connected with
1T by a short narrow ditch, and as
Oak lake, of to the east, is already
connected, the supply of water to
Gravel lake is practically inexhaust-
!!ible. Here, then, is an ideal place
for q fish hatchery. With this topo-
Graphical knowledge at his fingers
/ ends Captain Main went before the
Of 1908, and secured an
for purchasing a site
and securing buildings and the ne
cessary appurtenances for a fish
hatchery.
With this appropriation eight &C
res of land lying between Gravel
lake and the eastern bay OF Fish
lake were purchased last summer,
and a building 2Sx4S feet and an
Office 16x22 were erected. The build-
|ings are situated about 200 yards
from Fish lake, where the fall OF
water is twenty-five feet. This spring
Captain Main has formed an artiti-
cial. island with the overflow from
the hatchery. The island Is laid out
for flower beds AMI foliage plants
and when the weather is warm
enough these beds will be filled from
the green house, made this season
on the premises.
The present capacity of the hatch
cry is 175, O00, 900 spawn. At the
present time 100000 pike, perch
or wall-eyed pike, and 10000 900 yell
low perch eggs are in the hatchery.
The pike and perch eggs were OBJ
tained from the government hatch
!ery at Duluth, Mimi, but came orig
inally from Put-in-Bay, Mich. Tle
perch eggs were taken from Gravel
lake. In a few days there will be
from 100000 to 100000 rainbow
trout eggs in the hatchery. These
eggs are obtained from the trout
placed in Gravel lake several years
ago.
! The present trout are caught in a
seine net stretched across the south
end of the lake. The fish are then
conveyed to small pools just above
the hatchery, where they are
stripped" It may seem strange,
but it is a fact, that perch will null
tiply in Gravel lake, while rainbow
trout will not. The explanation is
that perch are a pond fish, while
rainbow trout require running water
for propagation. Black bass will
hatch in still water because the
males station themselves over the
eggs AMI keep the water in motion
with their fms.
The process of matching is very
interesting, but our space will not
permit a full description at this
time. Sufflce it to say, that the eggs
are placed in glass jars and SUBJ
jeced to constant movement by wa
ter forced through the jars by the
pressure of the twenty-five feet al
ready mentioned. Pike perch will
hatch in from thirteen to twenty
eight days, yellow perch in twenty
days, while rainbow trout require
from sixty-six to eighty days.
The water for Matching must be at
a low: temperature to insure live and
healthy hsh. For this purpose, ice
is placed ArQpnd tho iron pipes Just