The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1912-04-10
ABOUT TROUT CULTURE
hints From a Man Who Learned by
Experience-What He Recon-
mends for its Propagation.

John p. Creveling, who is the su
perintendent of Col. Trexler's hatch
cry, in Salisbury, near Allentown,
knows more about trout culture than
any other man in the state. He has
been at the business the greater part
OF his life, having served the state
Cor a number of years.
The Allentown Leader recently
contained an interesting story on the
propagation of trout, which should
be read by all who take an interest
in the stocking of streams. If the
Creveling plan is the most success
ful one in fish culture, why not i'm
perfume the state fish commission to
adopt similar methods.
III IL is true that ninety-nine per
cent. of the trout fry planted by the
state perishes in the streams, why
go to the great trouble of planting
them?
Every year we hear of millions of
fry placed in the streams of the
state and when the season opens the
cry comes from every section that
trout are scarce.
The state should hold the trout
until they attain the length of three
or four inches before shipping them
out. The quantity. of course, would
not be so great, but those that were
of themselves and better results
would be obtained.
What The Leader Says.
ITO those who love trout as
thing beautiful in nature this is the
most interesting period of the year
at Col TTexler's Salisbury hatchery.
where Superintendent John p. Grew
cling is now his busiest, with the
spawning and incubating season at
Its height
Some people are interested in
trout only to catch them, but those
who study them from the standpoint
of a naturalist, are deeply interested
in the Matching process.
From the stock of 225,000 parent
Ssh in the ponds, Mr.. Creveling and
his assistants are stripping about l.
1000 eggs. They could get 10.-
100000 if they wanted them, but
from 100000 that will be secured
he expects to hatch a million fry.
The eggs are placed in little wire
trays and placed in long troughs,
about 10000 eggs to a tray. For
forty days the water, Just above the
freezing point, runs over them. The
eggs, very small when spawned
swell to the size of a large pea to-
ward the end of the period of in
oubation, and then, during the bliz-
yards of January and February in
the coldest water known, Just above
the freezing point, the tiny trout are
born.
An Efficient Hatchery.
Prospects for the coming season
are excellent, and it is believed re-
suits viii be more satisfactory. I'm
der the skillful care of Superintend-
ent Creveling, who is credited with
being a descendant of 1zaak Walton,
this hatchery has been developed
into the most efficient in existence.
Until the last few years it was the
practice of trout breeders to hatch
fry and get rid of them when half
10 three-quarters OF an inch long,
planting them in streams where they
are prey to innumerable natural
enemies, including bigger trout, eels,
pike and floods. Ninety-nine per
cent. and more of these trout fry
perished and not one per cent ever
grew to catchable size. 1t is a COM
plant voiced by all anglers that mil
lions of fry are planted, but no one
ever hears of a thousand being
caught
Raises Catchable Fish.
Full of fish wisdom from years of
experience, Mr.. Creveling decided the
thing to do was to take care of the
trout at the hatchery until they were
OF such size that they could take care
OF themselves when planting in trout
streams. This theory struck Col.
Trexler as being based on profound
common sense, so much so that he
spent lots of money in the construc-
tion of ponds where the fry might
grow into fish. They are kept until
absolutely able to look out for them
selves when given free range in a
stream. Some go away at three in
ehes long, but in every single fish
that goes away from this hatchery
there is the potentiality of a catch
by an angler. The chances are not
that one of two in a thousand may
grow to be catchable, as is the case
when the fry are planted, but there
Is a certainty that 100 per cent
either are or will be catchable fish
when they leave the hatchery.
A Wise Fish Man.
"A native of New Jersey. Mr.
Creyeling has been a fish man prac-
ucally the GS years OF his life and he
has associated with the leading trout
breeders of their day during the last
two generations. His teacher was
Tad Norris, the greatest fisherman
New Jersey ever produced and Tad
learned from Seth Green, of Roches.
ter and Seth was taught by Stephen
A. Ainsworth, of Caledonia. n. Y.
who is credited with having made
the first attempt in America to pro.
pagate trout artificially. The hatch.
cries or these old pioneers were moi
TO be compared with those of 10,
day, and generally consisted not of a
series of ponds, but OF a stream
Fry had only had the freedom of the
stream the minute they were hatch.
ed, but actually were hatched in The
streams and the percentage of de
struction was frightful.
The artificial breeding of trout
was In TACT looked upon as owilt
dream until DR.. Slack, the great
Philadelphia enthuiast OF forty year,
ago, bought out the hatchery of Tao
Norris in North Jersey and installed
Mr.. Creveling as the man in charge