And even were it possible to repeople the forests with game, no one would care about restocking them with bears or wolves; but less dangerous or destructive animals would be selected. All, then, that we may hope to do with game is to protect it sufficiently to prevent it from becoming extinct-to protect it for the pleasure or "sport" it affords in taking or securing-but not to be relied upon as a source of food to any considerable extent; to be regarded as a luxury upon our tables, rather than as a necessary of life. Just as impracticable as it is to repeople the forests with game, just so impracticable is it to restock all the streams in Ohio with the kind of fish which fifty years ago were indigenous to them; and even if practicable, might not be desirable, any more than it would to restock the forests with wolves, wild cats, etc.. The removal of forests has dried up many springs which formed a body of water of sufficient force to operate a saw mill or fulling mill, but of which, except during freshets, nothing but the dry channel remains. These small streams being dried up, of course the kind of fish which frequented them as spawning places were obliged to seek other places. Clearing up the farms has, in course of time, removed all the drift-wood in streams, in and among which the fishes found protection from birds of prey, from the direct rays of the sun, and at the same time were supplied with ample quantities of food of insect tribes, or other food material brought down the stream and lodged in the drift-wood, eventually to sink to the bottom to be devoured by fishes who do not seek food at the surface of the stream. All the deep hole hiding places, covered and filled with drift-wood fifty years ago, are now cleared of all obstructions, and may be seined as readily as any other portion of the stream. The streams themselves have been made the recipients of deleterious offal from distilleries, factories, filth from large towns, etc.; and yet I am of opinion that the deleterious qualities of all these various kinds of offal have been vastly over estimated, for the reason that most of them contain the elements of food-not, perhaps, in just the atomic combinations in which it would be palatable to the genus homo, but, having undergone a purifying process by being carried several miles in a current of water, may become very palatable, and very proper food for fishes. At the same time I have no doubt that in the immediate vicinity where strong acid or a lkaline solutions from factories are introduced into the stream that their eff ct is deleterious to fish life. I venture the assertion, without the fear of successful contradiction, that all the fish destroyed in a whole year by the offal from a paper mill or woolen factory, if grown to mature size, and sold at one dollar per pound, would not pay the current expenses of said mill or factory for a single month of active operations, anywhere within the boundaries of this State. Hence, it is obvious that until the fish in the streams can be made to yield a greater revenue than the factories or mills on the banks of the streams, no legislation can be obtained to remove the factories or mills for the purpose of protecting the fish in the streams. In restocking the streams, we must accept the condition of the streams. in which we find them, and have our operations conform to this condi tion as a basis. It would be well, where practical, to plant the banks of streams with willows, or some other trees or shrubs, to shade such situations, in order to protect against the sun's rays, and to attract insects or other forms of food for fishes. A healthy public opinion will do more toward protecting fish in the streams than all the legislation which is likely to be secured. After all, fish culture must be conducted upon the same principle that other meat culture is upon farms-that is to say, that the streams can no more be relied on to furnish the requisite supply of fish than the forest can to supply meat, at least until an entirely different public opinion prevails with regard to personal property in fish or game. Another fact must be borne in mind, namely: Fifty years ago we had less than one-third of the population we now have, whilst we have, perhaps, not to exceed two-thirds the amount of water in streams that then was present. Notwithstanding all these untoward circumstances. and surroundings, an average of the amount of water in streams, reservoirs, and lakelets will give to every square mile of area in the State a sufficient body of water to supply the population on the average square mile with the ordinary supply of fish, provided that fish culture receives the requisite attention. Perhaps years may elapse before this will be consummated, but the increase of population and the necessity of making every legitimate source of supply of food available, will eventually render fish culture an absolute necessity. In the meantime private enterprise must supply the demand. It is no more necessary for the State to furnish the supply of young fry for private culture than it would be for the State to furnish calves, pigs, and lambs for the general meat crop of the State. There are very few farms of eighty or one hundred and sixty acres in the State which do not have two, three, or four acres, which, at a slight expense, could be converted into a fish pond, and when once converted into such a pond, well stocked, will producefish twice in value of any crop, acre for acre, grown on the farm. Any farmer having a good "spring house," with a constant stream of water which could pass through a half-inch hole passing through the house, could, at an expense not exceeding ten dollars, put in operation a hatchery capable of hatching half a million of brook trout or salmon eggs. The brook trout eggs may be obtained at the proper season from Seth Green, at Caledonia, New York, or Homer G. Tryon, of Willoughby, Lake county, Ohio. Brook trout (Silmo fontinalis) will certainly flourish in all the streams in Highland and Adams counties, and in all the counties east of them in Ohio, and I have no hesitation in saying that they will do well in all the streams which rise east of the Muskingum and its branches, and empty into the Ohio. They flourish in Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, and Tennessee, where the annual and average temperature of the waters is not less than in the streams, and to which reference is just made. The occasional muddy waters incidental to freshets are certainly not a desideratum in trout culture-neither is their effect alarmingly deleterious. The California salmon (S. quinnat) and the Land-locked salmon (S. sebago), which the State Fish Commissioners have planted in several streams in the State, cannot be regarded as fish in every respect adapted to Ohio streams. The California salmon and Eastern shad will undoubtedly seek salt water-either the Gulf of Mexico or that of St. Lawrence; whether they ever will return to our streams remains to be seen. The Land locked salmon may prove more destructive to our native fishes than pike, and at the same time their acclimatization here is much more problematical than that of the brook trout. At the suggestion of the United States Fish Commissioner, the California and Land-locked salmon and Eastern shad were introduced into the principal rivers in the State, purely as a matter of experiment. The Commission have directed the hatching, at Toledo, of about twenty millions of white fish eggs, and the young fry have been planted in Lake Erie, for the reason that the lake must always be regarded as the principal source of the fish supply for the State. They have also a hatchery of "Black Bass" on Kelly's Island, from which young fry or parent bass can be supplied for stocking rivers, ponds, etc. For small, clear streams, with good current, in the coal region, or hilly region of the State, brook trout will undoubtedly succeed well. In larger streams, ponds, lakelets, etc, black bass, rock bass, calico bass (strawberry bass, grass bass, Lake Erie bass, New Light or Bitterhead), as this fish is known by these six, and perhaps other names, catfish, and some of the sucker tribe, especially red horse, buffalo, and white sucker, will do well, and will live together in as much harmony as can be expected of such preda tory creatures. I am of opinion that the European carp recently introduced into Mary. land from Europe, will be a very desirable and easily acclimated fish in all the streams in the State. It is the intent of the Commission to furnish parents or young fry of black bass to stock streams, ponds, etc., as well as of other desirable kinds of indigenous fishes. If a law could be enforced which would prohibit fishing of all kinds -hook and line, as well as by all manner of nets, traps, or other devices -for a period of three years, and the fish meantime protected by shade and hiding places, the streams would then abound with fish, and a good supply for years would be maintained. During the season several tons of black bass are taken daily in the vicinity of the islands in Lake Erie, with the hook and line, showing that this mode of fishing is just as destructive as any other. In conclusion, I must be permitted to state that the operations of the Commissioners cannot be regarded other than experimental, the success of which depends entirely on the cordial co operation of the public. Respectfully submitted, JOHN C. FISHER, President, Commissioners. [NOTE. It was intended at first to make a few extracts only from Mr. Vinton's brief, but upon mature reflection it was deemed best to publish it entire, for the reason that very few copies of it are to be found anywhere; in the second place, for the very valnable historic and other information it contains; and finally, believing it to be our duty to inquire into the riparian rights of the State, aud to present to the Legislature such information and suggestions as have appeared proper for us to communicate.] REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. REPORT OF FISHES HATCHED IN THE HATCHERY AT TOLEDO, FROM JANUARY 1, 1877, TO APRIL 1, 1878. November 20, 1876, there were placed in the hatchery what was estimated at 8,000,000 of white fish spawn. Making allowance for unfecundated eggs, there were hatched, April 1, something over 6,000 000 young white fish. Of these, 3,500 000 were successfully planted, May 9, in the lake, fifteen miles below Toledo; the remainder were taken to Sandusky and set free in Sandusky Bay. In the month of March, through the order of Professor Spencer F. Baird, I procured from the hatchery at Northville, Michigan, about 30 000 young California salmon. On the 15th of May, I planted one-half of these in the Maumee River, twelve miles above Toledo, and the remainder were set free in the Portage River, at Elmore, in Ottawa county, Ohio-all in good order. On the 9th of October, 1877, I received from Redding, California, from Livingston Stone, through the order of Professor Spencer F. Baird, United States Commissioner of Fisheries, 250,000 California salmon eggs, in good order, of which, by the first of November, ninety per cent. were hatched. These have been distributed as follows: December 10, in Walhonding, near Coshocton, 30,000; in the Muskingum, 15,000; in the Whetstone, near Columbus, a tributary of the Scioto, 20.000; in the Tuscarawas, near Newcomerstown and Port Washington, 30,000; in Lake Erie, Put in-Bay, 40 000; Castalia Spring, near Sandusky, over 10,000; Maumee Rapids, twelve miles above Toledo, 30 000; in the Maumee River, at Defiance, 30,000; and in the Huron. River, at Huron, 15,000. There are now remaining in the hatchery about 10,000. LAND LOCKED SALMON. On the 26th of February, 1878, by direction of Professor Baird, I received of Mr. Charles G. Atkins, from Grand Lake Stream, in Maine, 50,000 Schoodic or Land-locked salmon spawn; but, through inattention of the American Express Company, by which they were taken in charge, they became overheated, and, on arrival at Toledo, were found to be worthless. |