Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-09-25
]. F. Hills Trout Farmland -
Its Remarkable Growth i'm 10 Months.

Bubbling forth 200 gallons every
minute. steadily and strongly from
| innumerable spots in the always moist
soil, the springs upon Ex-Governor
| John +. Hills immense property in
North Augusta bid fair to be utilized
10 the extent of outstrippmg any other
| industry OF like nature in New Eng
land. Instituted as an amusement,
an outdoor vocation, the project has
been developed to very respectable
| size as commercial establishment
| At the present time, 100000 fry, or
Gngerlines. and $4,000 ycarlings are
being cared for, with orders placed for
delivery of 100000 eggs before win
ter and it is believed that the trout
now in the waters will WELD S0B.0
more. Construction of pools is being
continued by crew of % men under
George Armstrong of Augusta. When
fully developed, an annual output of
900 pounds of fish is assured
II. W. Greeley of Winthr, p. an ex-
pert developed by four years at the
Lake Moxie State hato hery. IS supeyln-
tendeat With g. l.. Maeoinber OF Aen-
mouth. Ellis White e Oquossoc and
Frank Farlan of Augusta as assistants
Mr.. White, after two Years at the
Moxie and FIVE wears at the Oquossac
hatcheries is considered one OF the
best shippers in the fish culture
business
But few people, even in the near
vicinity. have more than slight con-
eeption Of how extensive a project has
Teen born just off the Burns road
upon property of comparatively unim-
portant taxable value, Tho remark
ably even temperature and purity of
the water have proved the greatest
assets in the swift stretching of the
limits of the proposition. The lowest
temperature reached last winter was
Al degrees: the highest during the
summer, 81 degrees. Analysis has dis
covered here one of the purest sup
plies in the State. exceptionally cool
and sweet for drinking purposes. alb
solutely free from injurious mineral or
vegetable matter.
Il can't understand why this was
not discovered and developed by the
State" said Chairman J. s. p. II. vii
son of the Fish and Game Association.
during recent visit at the hatchery.
1t is hard to realize wnen one sees
the finely constructed buildings, &C.
ment dams and roads, with the large
space covered by network of troughs
and nursery pools, holding their thou
sands of darting trout, that these e.
tcnsive operations have been literally
dropped upon and into an apparently
valueless plot of land, "boggy" and al
most impossible even for pasturage.
The Maurice Leighton farm was
purchased one year ago last spring fer
the purpose of gaining such anuse
nent as a fish pond might give. But
the possibilities of the place could not
long remain hidden from Mir. Hill. and
nearly loo acres additional were pur-
chased from the Diamond Match Co.
and of Mr. Burns, with view to eX
tending the experiment as an invest
nent, to the propagating and marketing
OF the fish and eggs Thus was the in
ception of the first commercial hatch
cry in the State. though the State
maintains ten first-class farms of this
kind, at Moosehead, Oquossoc, Sebago,
AubuIfl, Eiiltlu, nay HUH,
Mexie and Caribou.
A concrete core dam with an earth
upon either side, go feet
high, was constructed upon the
Leighton tract near the farm buildings
and over half mile from what is now
the hatchery. This dam allows the
basin of the brook to be flooded back
about 1900 feet, giving an average
depth of a little over eight feet.
From then the work has been car
/ ed through with striking snap and
confidence. Buildings, the hatchery
proper with the second story finished
into five room tenement, a wood ane
coal house and refrigerator We're put
up; troughs were installed and the
construction of the great cement pools
was begun. Mr.. Greeley's services
were secured after only slight hest
tation because of the uncertainty OF
success for the undertaking. I'M
provement upon generally accepted
equipment became the watchword, anc
Spring Brook Trout Farm has
matched" out of swamp and wood
land. The, contracting firms of c. +.
Hoxie &. co. of Augusta, j. f. Harri-