Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-06-12
yH|SH HATCHERY T.
FOR BURLINGTON
Will Be Erected Next Spring
Somewhere on the Lake Front
and Will Be Capable of Hand
ling Many Millions of Eggs of
! Finny Tribe

Tentative plans for the erection and
maintenance Of permanent state fsh
hatchery in Burlington, announced in the
free Press several weeks ago. were
definitely confirmed on Saturday morning
by State Fish and Game Commissioner
Minus Leavens of Montpelier following
an inspection Of the present hatchery
located on the wharf of the Champlain
Transportation company. which was
closed Monday for the season.
The new permanent hatchery will he
erected next spring somewhere along the
Jake front Commissioner Leavens and
Fish and Game Warden Henry N. Row
ley Of Shelburne have been looking over
two or three prospective sites but the
exact location has not yet been selected.
The new hatchery will be capable or
handling about four times as many eggs
and fish as was the initial one established
at the wharf about six weeks ago.
The closing Monday of the first hatchery
in this city marks the end of a most sue
cessful venture for the hatchery was
much better affair than had been hoped
for The percentage of eggs Matched was
much greater than in any other hatchery
ever established about the State, and
both Commissioner Leavens and Warden
Rowley were pleased with the results
The closing Is necessary because the
Matching Of fish eggs can be done only
in the spring. In all, some 70.0OO.0OO eggs
were put through the process of Matching
and the percentage of loss was very
low. Green eggs were used In the
hatchery for the first time In the his
tory Of Matching and the experiment gave
good results.
Eggs of the pike perch, or better known
as the wall-eyed pike, were Matched in
the largest number. approximately 3d.
100000 OF them being put through the
process. The remainder of the eggs
Matched were yellow pike. The wall-eyed
pike were planted in Lake Champlain,
rivers, streams, ponds. lakes and brooks
about the State, while the yellow pike
were distributed in the back ponds, lakes
and other inland waters
If the plans Of the commission ma
terialixe, the cold water ponds and lakes
OF Vermont will soon be stocked with
Chinook salmon. The eggs for the hatch
ing will be sent from the Pacific coast
and will be put through the hatchery
at Burlington.
Massachusetts, through her fish
hatcheries, experimental with the eggs
Of the Chinook salmon and got good re-
/ SuIt5, ana pOnOS ana idheS VI bpflI6-
origin and feeding have been stocked
with the fish, That State was the first
on the eastern coast to attempt such a
feat as the distance to transport the eggs
was considered too far.
Chinook salmon grow the fastest Of
any member Of the f1nny tribe. A Chinook
salmon will grow so fast that in four
years it will tip the scales at from nine
to IA pounds. These fish are very gamey
and 1t takes from one hour to one hour and
q half to land one of them after the
hook Is fastened in the jaw.
Massachusetts has been cooperating
with the Vermont State fish and game
commission relative to the restocking Of
ponds, lakes. streams. ETC., in this State
and the Old Bay State has contributed
several hundred thousand eggs of the
fresh wster perch. These eggs have been
Matched and placed in waters In YER
mont, where the small perch become food
for the landIocked salmon and the lake
trout.
Vermont has contributed to the fish
restocking plans in Massachusetts and
many eggs of the pike perch have been
taken from waters in the Green Noun
tains and sent to hatcheries in Palmer.
Mass. and other places. Matched and
put into waters in that State.