Author: Pennsylvania Dept. of Fisheries

Title: Report of the Department of Fisheries of the

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

Place of Publication: Harrisburg

Copyright Date: 1916/1917

Master Negative Storage Number: l\/INS# PSt SNPaAg240.2

COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA

I

I

REPORT OF THE

!

Department of Fisheri

eries

From December 1, 1916, to
November 30, 1917

• I

k. » a

HARRTBBURG, PA.:

J. L. L. KUHN. PRIKTEU TO THE COMMONWEALTH

1918

OFFICIAL DOCUMENT.

No. 9.

it/

COMMONWEALTH OF TENNSYLVANIA
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.

NATHAN R. BULLER,
COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES.

H. REID STACKHOUSE,
CHIEF CLERK.

BOARD OF FISHERIES COMMISSIONERS.

: N. R. BULLER, President.

JOHN BAMBERGER, Erie
W. A. LEISENRING, Mauch Chunk.
JOHN C. OGDEN, Johnstown.
CHARLES H. THOMPSON, Philadelphia.
H. R. STACKHOUSE, Secretary.

SUPERINTENDENTS OF HATCHERIES.
CORRY HATCHERY, No. 1, A. G. Buller, Corry, Erie County
ERIE HATCHERY, No. 2, Phil H. Hartman, Er e, Erie County
'^'-'^^ou?™ ^^''^°^«^'- ^«- 3' W- ^- Haas, Bellefont; Centre

'"nLTw^yle^nr '^' ^^^ '' «• ^^ ^^'-' ^^-ant
''^"'^^^i^^deShfa^™'^^^^' *^"- '' '■ «• ^-'^^-^^ Hol^esburg,
'''''''lo^u^. H^'^CHJ^K^'. ^'»- «. C- K. Buller, Union City, Erie
WILLIAM BULLER, Corry, Penn'a., Field Superintendent.

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254401

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OFFICIAL DOCUMENT.

No. 9.

X4)

LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL

Honorable Martin G. Brumbaugh, Governor of Pennsylvania:

Sir: — Herewith we have the honor to submit to you the report of
the operations of the Department of Fisheries for the vear endinc
November '^O, 1 1)17.

Respectfully,

(Signed) N. R. BULLER, Commissioner.
JOHN BAMBERGER,
W. A. LEISINRING,
JOHN C. OGDEN,
CHARLES H. THOMPSON.

I

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OFFICIAL DOCUMENT.

Ko. 9.

REPORT

of the

)

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\

BOARD OF FISHERY COMMISSION

Honorable Martin G. Brumbaugh,

Governor of Pennsylvania,

Harrisburg, Penn'a.

Sir:— We have tlie honor to submit the following report of iho
oiierations of the Department of Fisheries of Pennsylvania for the
year ending ^ovenlber 30, 19] 7: ' ^

During the year just ended many meetings were held by the Board
of Fishery Commissioners and the Commissioner of Fisheries which
proved beyond a doubt of vital interest to the work of the Depart
iiient and to the people generally. It is the sole aim of the members
of this Board as part of the Department of Fisheries, to doThTverv
best possible to aid in the work of fish propagation and keen the
streams in the Keystone State well stocked with fish" so thatTmav
be a joy and delight for all fishermen to take a da^ off from their
daily work and go out to some beautiful mountain stream and catch
a creel full of the speckled beauties, or any flsh which may abound in

vTdua" '" '' '^ '•■" ''^'''^^'' P"^"*^"^ *" '^' average°ndT

Trout culture has been a decided success in every sense of the
word as well as the propagation of catfish and bluegills and in
fact all the species the Department propagates, even to the Mm pv
black bass. Much difficulty has been experienced, ho weter in %Zl

fi! r^/i^^.K'""'''"'?^^* ''''»'^'^' ^««^' »"'t the P'-ob em is about solved
and with the completion of the ponds at the various bass hatcher?es'
this Board feels sure that sufficient bass will be propagated to S
all requirements, and fhey are many in the State ^^^^ ^° "^^

Too much praise cannot be given the hatchery Superintendents
and the employes of the different hatcheries for the very satisfactoi?
work they have performed, not only during the past year but^
S^^nTri "'"r"'" *•"? J'"""ti'"» buildings erectedTnd ponds
have 'bS ione'[nrs1n;"e' ve^ '^'^""^ °' *'^ ^™""*'« '^^^'^ »«* «»

Any one visiting the hatcheries now will appreciate the fact that

ZZ i;?r'n""Jt Im".?''' ^"f "t"*^ '" ''^^^'^' - ^« '^oU'ai
every turn. It will also plainly be seen that the management of

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No. 9.

DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.

9

REPORT OF THE

Off. Doc.

this work was only accomplished by much careful consideration and
good "engineering/' and this we will attribute to our able Commis-
sioner, whose whole heart is in the work under his command.

The hatchery buildings at the ditferent hatcheries are about all
completed, with the exception of the Union City Hatchery. The De-
partment had considerable trouble with the water supply at that
station and is trying hard to solve the problem, after which a new
batching house will be built, specilications for which are already
under way.

The Wayne hatchery is now practically finished and affords much
pleasure to the many thousaud visitors who visit tlie hatchery, not
only Sundays but every day during the beautiful summer weather,
of which Wayne county boasts^ as being second to none in the State.
All the buildings are of concrete, brick and steel, and in addition to
being very beautiful in their architecture, are built to last forever,
so the speak.

In addition to all the other beauties of nature of which Wayne
County is so proud are the beautiful lakes, of which there are so
many scattered here and there among the hills, and during the past
year the Department purchased a number of them to be used in
connection with the work at the Wayne hatchery, and at certain
times of the year these lakes and ponds are open to the public for

fishing.

This naturally affords much pleasure to the people of the neigh-
borhood, especially the women and children, who spend many
pleasant afternoons on the banks of these beautiful lakes trying their
luck at the catfish or a still more gamey blugill, which inhabit these
waters in large numbers.

The pollution work this year h^ been carried on largely under
the direction of the Attorney-Ge»€raPs Department. While it is still
an unsolved problem, the manufacturers are beginning to understand
what a serious matter it is to allow their pollution to run into the
streams thereby destroying Ihe fish and dei»riving many people of
this very valuable food product. The Board hoi)es that within a
very short time some solution will be found to ])ut a stop to the
nuisance altogether, but, of course, existing conditions must be con-
sidered, and it is not the dcniie of this Department or of the At-
torney-Generars Department to harass any manufacturer, but to
point out to him his mistake, and in nine times out of ten after the
situation has been explained to him, he agrees to do what is asked.
In this way the work is progressing slowly but surely and there is
no question but that in a few years the question of polluting our
beautiful streams will be a thing of the past.

' The distribution of the large fish, that is to say one year old ankl
over, which is being made with all fish distributed by the Depart-
ment of Fisheries, with the exception of a few species, is being met
with universal approval, and many congratulatory letters are re-
ceived dailv during the shipping seasons. It is a known fact that
better results are being obtained by planting the larger fish as they
are better able to take care of themselves than they are in the fry

stage. , , 1 . XI •

This Board is perfectlv satisfied with the methods pursued m this
work by Commissioner Bullor and every member agrees that the
good results prove that the Department is on the right road to suc-

cess, if it proceeds in the work under the rules now outlined. The
Board feels that the fishermen and the people generally would greatly
appreciate it if the next Legislature would grant liberal appropria-
tions to the Department so that this work may be carried on more
extensively which would enable it to keep all the streams and lakes
full of fish and there would be plenty for all.

The distribution for this year, while not as large as was hoped,
has been very satisfactory, ilie tables of which will be found in
another part of this report.

Very respectfully,

JOHN HAMBURGER,
W. A. LEISENRING,
JOHN C. OGDEN,
CHARLES H. THOMPSON.

3

OFFICIAL DOCUMENT.

No. 9.

REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES.

Honorable Martin G. Brumbaugh, Governor of Pennsylvania,
Harrisburg, Pa.

Sir : — I have the honor to submit my report covering the operations
ot the Department of Fisheries for the year ending November 30,
1917.

This has been a very satisfactory year to every one concerned in
the work of hatching and distributing fish, and all work essential
to the fish business of this great Commonwealth. The beginning
of the fiscal j^ear found the Department of Fisheries deeply engrossed
in the distribution of trout and other fish, as fish are shipped prin-
cipally in the spring and fall of the year, because during the ex-
treme warm weather it is impossible to ship them, especially the
trout.

The output was extremely gratifying, and the Department has
on file many congratulatory letters from recipients of fish to which
it points with pride as they show that the Department's eft'orts are
being appreciated and the work is bringing pleasing results to the
people.

Since the erection of the new hatchery buildings at the Erie,
Wayne, Corry, Bellefonte and Torresdale hatcheries, Pennsylvania
can boast of the most beautiful fish hatchery buildings in the United
States, if not in the world, and they are up-to-date in every par-
ticular. Of course, as time goes on these buildings will need repairs
and improvements, but at this time they are buildings of which
Pennsylvania may well be proud.

These buildings are not only beautiful in their architectural de-
sign, but are also very well equipped to do the work for which they
are intended, and while the employes are required to work long
hours especially during the shipping seasons, yet one hears little com-
plaint since the working facilities are modern which makes the
work so much easier. Electric lights have been installed at all the
hatcheries as well as steam-heating plants, and these add greatly
to the comforts of the men.

There was much work don(» at the Wayne hatchery this year, such
as putting finishing touches on the new buildings, constructing
new ponds, and keeping the buildings and ground surroundings in
first-class condition. When the ponds under way are all completed
the Wayne hatchery will have an output of bass sufficiently large
to supply all applicants in the northeastern section of the State.

At the other hatcheries the general work of hatching, propagating
and distributing fish was carried on successfully. There was also
much grading and pond work done. Taking everything into con-
sideration it has been a most successful year.

The good results obtained from artificial propagation and the
constant restocking of the streams in the Commonwealth are evi-

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)

)

No. 9. DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES. n

denced everywhere, especially in Lake Erie, and the fishermen are
loud m their praise to the Department for its share in this great
work. It IS generally acknowledged that were it not for the artir
ficial propagation and restocking of the waters of Lake Erie this
great body of water would soon be depleted as the ever increasing
dram upon it could not be withstood without assistance. The enor-
mous catches made almost daily during the fishing season from these
waters by the commercial fisherman show what a tremendous amount
of fish they contain, and it is the desire of this Department to have
this work go on without any noticeable depreciation.

The good work done by the wardens of this Department must not
be overlooked. While their number is not as large as formerly their
work has been very satisfactory, and when it is considered what an
enormous amount of work they have to do and the amount of ter-
ritory each one has to cover, too much praise cannot be given them
tor the essential manner in which they do their work with so few a
number. Their hours are long and their work difficult, yet they have
responded to every call willingly and have proven themselves worthy
of every confidence. "^

Following is the distribution for the year :

Brook Trout, Adult, 2 313

Brook Trout, Yearling, ! ! .* ! .' .' ! .' ! .' ! 1 .* .' ! ! 1,4301920

Brook Trout, Fry, ' ft? fion

Brown Trout, Adult, ] .' ] f ^g

Brown Trout Yearling, :;:;;:;; gQoisoO

Bluegill Sunfish, Adult, 106 861

Bluegill Sunfish, Two-Year Old, ! . • 1^940

Bluegill Sunfish, One- Year Old, 174100

Yellow Perch, Adults, 'fm

Yellow Perch, Yearling, ^7 ^^5

Yellow Perch Advanced Fry, .'::::::; 191,650;000

C.atfish, Adult, ' 9 ggg

n^'l^^u' ^^f ^''^^"^^ *• .V.V.V.V.V.V.'.V.V.V. 39;700

Catfish, Fry, 55 000

Small- Mouth Bass, Adult, [[[ 454

Small Mouth Bass, Yearling, .!!!!!.! 122 705

Large-Mouth Bass, Yearling, !!..!...! 1542

Large-Mouth Bass, Fingerling, ...!.. '535

Pike Perch, Yearling, qqq

Pike Perch Advanced Fry, ..•...;::;;:::;:;:: 4,545,000

Lake Trout, \earlings, 128100

^,^"*-g?J^«. Adult, • 8

Blue Pike, Advanced Fry, 534 qOO

Shad, Fry, g.OOO 000

Calico Bass, Adult, ' 20

Calico Bass, One- Year Old, .!!!.!!.!!!.! 700

Rock Bass, Adult, ] 45

Muscallonge Advanced Fry, ^y^\\y/.\['.]\ 498,000

S,"!^?, Fi,«^' Yearling, 4100

White Fish Fry, 45,464,000

Minnows, Adult, gggQOO

Herring, Advanced Fry, 52,594,000

Tadpoles, learlmg 263,200

Total, 300,469,686

12

REPORT OF THE

Off. Doc.

FINANCIAL STATEMENT:

The following is a statement of the receipts and expenditures of
the Department of Fisheries for the year from December 1, 1916, to
November 30, 1917:

AppropziftUon.

0>

•

■M

u

es

S

■M

Q

OQ

•O

B

a

flS

o

JH

OQ

a*:

a

£

Ived
easure

a

OS

&

«

«

H

>
o
J?;

•a
a

OS

a .
®^

Qi A
CJf-t

c

"3 ^

P5

Hatching, propagating, etc., ^^*.— .*,

Council fees and court expenses,

Commissioners' expenses,

Salaries and expenses of wardens,

Contingent expenses,

Operating tug "Commodore Perry,'

Operating cruiser "Anna,"

Field work,

Buildings, ponds, extensions, etc.,

Dredging on Presque Isle, _ -.-

$53,029 53
276 03

153,029
276

1,654 23 - 1,654

15,917 64
1,000 00
5,889 58

♦1112 14

15,917
945

5,889

1,346 02 1.346

10,073 43 10,073

25,161 30 25,161

136 00 126

53
03
23
54
42
58
02
43
30
00

1104 70

•$62.02 unexpended balance of 1915 appropriation refunded to State Treasurer June 28, 191T.

• ••«•••••

• ■ ■

m •

The following moneys were paid info ^m State Tt^^mtf, being
derived from the following sources:

Commercial Hatchery Licenses,

Fines for Violation of the Fish Laws,

Seine Licenses,

Tidewater Seine Licenses,

Lake Erie Licenses,

Confiscated Property Sold, . . .
Carp Permits (Lake Erie), #

• • • #

m m »: • ft »##••* » • • • •

««■«••* # « # » # • • • • • • • • • •

» • • # • « • • ♦ • • • • • ♦•••••••

|170 00

4,704 25

24 70

16 00

1,822 00

4 00

100 00

xOld-L) •••<••••••••

• # • # • ♦

... ............. 16,840 95

S

I

No. 9. DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES. 13

ITEMIZED STATEMENT.
APPROPKIATION FOR HATCHING AND PROPAGATING.

The following table shows the itemized expense of each hatchery
for the fiscal year ending November 30, 1917: Also total expenditure
from the appropriation for Hatching and Propagating

Hatchery.

03

5

OQ

OD

C

X

tic
a

>

hi

o

JS
"3
■*.>

c

12
"3

a

as

Bellefonte $3,790 32

Corry, 6,*47 29

Erie, h,505 00

Union City, — 3,980 00

Torresdale, 3,375 00

Wayne, 2,965 92

Totais.
Jirand total,

$294 80
259 55
231 13
195 60
562 85
1,395 80

n,248 88
2,244 27

384 76
1,653 57

582 39
1,321 25

1779 68

12,078 66

*$958 75

1,239 96

1,517 24

388 44

498 80

338 90

•597 95

1,519 32

160 61

433 14

833 17

505 66

If 1,213 55

1,557 56

734 22

•1,402 16 1

$9,152 09
11,298 75
5,556 54
7,922 27
7,072 62
9,376 90

$23,243 53 $2,939 73 $7,435 12 |$6,428 49

$.5,336 32 $4,994 98 $60,377 17
J8,662 36

$53,029 53

♦Water rent is Included in incidental expense of hatchery.
tElectric light and power included in Incidental expense of hatchery

JThis amount represents items paid out of appropriation for hatching and propagating but
not chargeable to any particular hatchery. h i b mg inn,

SHAD SEINE LICENSES.

Under the provisions of the Act of May 1, 1909, there were thirteen
seine licenses issued by the County Treasurers of Lancaster, Bucks
and York Counties, to be used in fishing for shad and food fish
native to the tide water streams. This list, however, is not com-
plete in that it Idoes not contain the fishes that were caught with
dip nets and other devices for which a license was not necessary, and
therefore no return of such catches were made to the Department.

While the Department has reasons to believe that the catch of
food fish in the tidal waters was not as large as in previous years
yet when the unfavorable weather conditions are considered the
catch was very good. '

There was a new law passed by the last Legislature which was ap-
proved July 28, 1917, which will change the law for shad fishing
very materially. Of course, this new law will not become effective
until January 1, 1918, and therefore did not affect the law for shad
iishing this year.

Under this law the seine licenses are issued direct form this De-
partment and not through the County Treasurers as formerly, and
provides as follows:

"A *seine license' issued under this article authorizes the licensee
to fish, with the licensed seine or net, for shad, herring or alewife,

14

RfiPORl' OF THE

Off. Doc.

catfish, suckers, eels and caip, from the first day of March to the
twentieth day of June of the same year, in the waters of the Sus-
quehanna River, from McCall's Ferry Dam to the Maryland State
Line, or within the limits of the tide w^ater of any tidal waters of
this Commonwealth, and in no other waters of this (Commonwealth
whatsoever."

This law may be confusing to some people for the reason that
the seines so licensed may only be used in the waters of the Sus-
quehanna River from McCalls Ferry Dam to the Maryland State
Line, or within the limits of tide water of any tidal waters of the
Commonwealth, but in reading all of the section it will be seen that
that seines are only to be used in tidal waters and "in no other
waters of the Commonwealth w^hatsoever."

The Department's construction of this section is that these licen-
ses are really intended for shad fishing and when fishing for shad
should any of the above-named food fish be caught in the seines,
they may be retained.

The following table does not show the real catch of shad because
a great many were taken with dip nets and the actual catch could
not be ascertained:

1
Shad.

Suckers.

Carp.

Number.

Value.

Pounds.

Value.

Pounds.

Value.

"Bucks -

90

$90 00

1,34S

$91 60

70

18 00

1

mtmmttmmmmmm^m-

Lancaster 4,615 l,8«9 00

^..

"" 'fiio'

2550

Total 5,963

12,946 57

1,342

$91 60

M»

$28 60

PERMITS.

During the year there were sixty-two permits issued, the greater
number being for scientific purposes and transferring fish from un-
desirable waters to other suitable waters. Those issued for dyna-
miting were for the purpose of blasting rocks in channels, ice gorges,
and in order to raise the body of a drowned person. Some permits
were issued for the removal of carp, as it is found that carp are very
injurious to certain species of fish, especially to the spawn, and it
is therefore desirable, in some instances, to remove the carp from

the waters.

There w^ere nine permits issued to the commercial fish houses at
Erie in order that they might sell the fish that had decayed for them
and were no longer fit for domestic purposes. These fish were sold
to fertilizing companies to be used as compost or other fertilizing
mixture. There were also some permits issued for the taking of
fish for propagating purposes and taking pickerel through the ice.

The work of transferring fish is very valuable, because oftimes
during high water in the spring of the year the fish are washed into

^^' 9- DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES. 15

certain streams and when the water recedes the fish are stranded
and these permits authorize the sportsmen and people interested in
the preservation of fish life, to transfer them to other suitable
»\ aters.

^^The following table shows what the various permits were issued

To use explosives, ^^

Transferring fish to suitable waters,' .!..!!!!!!!!!!! 16

To take fish for scientific purposes, ,]'/, 13

To close fish way on account of low water. q

Removing carp, " ^

To sell fish for compost or other fertilizing mixture * ! ' " 9

lakuig fish for propagating purposes, ' * " 1

To take pickerel through the ice, !..'..!!...!!!.'.".*!."! 2

Total, ^^~

ARTIFICIAL PROPAGATION.

It seems to be the concensus of opinion of sportsmen from all
over the State that were it not for the artificial propagation of fish
there would be very few fish in the streams at the present time.
Many letters are received at the Department which are full of praise
[jLitingfol^fiTh' ^^""^ ^'''' ^^'"^ obtained through the constant

With the increased population it very naturally would require
many more hsh to satisfy the thousands of fishermen which patrol
the streams annually, and this increased demand for fish can onlv
be met with the aid of artificial propagation. There was a time
Av hen Dame :^ature, in her wisdom, provided plenty of fish for all
the streams and also plenty of food for them to live and thrive
on, but m these days when Ihe number of fisherman is multiplied
many times the drain on the streams is far greater than in years
gone by and without artifiicial propagation the streams would soon
oe depleted.

This is especially noticeable in Lake Erie, where the demand for
lish grows as the population inci eases, and each vear finds the im-
mense hsh business at Lake Erie increased two-fold. This is also
the case with the trout and bass, and I know from personal inves-
tigations that these two species of fish are increasing every year
which IS due to artificial propagation and the constant restocking
of the waters. ^

One can readily understand how much artificial propagation is
appreciated by the fisherman from the number of applications that
are being received daily and from the good reports that come to
the Department. Of course, all this is very encouraging to the De-
partment, and it is putting forth its best efforts in the work of re-
stoc^king the streams in order to keep an abundant supply of fish
m the streams for alL

16

REPORT OF THE

Off. Doc.

One ardent angler reports from Cumberland County that at least
forty fisherman caught their limit of trout on the first day, and
that large catches have been made every day since the opening of
the trout season, which he attributes almost entirely to the stocking
of the streams annually with the speckled beauties which afford so
much joy and delight to every enthusiastic fisherman.

UNION CITY HATCHERY.

There was no construction work carried on at this station thia
year with the exception of repairs being made on the stable and the
batteries in the hatching house. During the spring hatching period
the frv tanks were in very bad shape and it was almost impossible
to hold fish in them, the batteries being decayed to such an extent
that it was dangerous for the men to work on them. The batteries
however, were given a thorough overhauling and braced up before
the white fish eggs were put on in the fall. , , ^ , , ,

Heretofore the Department has nlways had a great deal of trouble
at this hatchery owing to an insullicient water supply, and this last
vear it had a Gould pump put in at the head of the hatchery property^
This was not exactly a success tis the well <lid not fiow sumcient
water to do much good. The Department expects now to build a
cistern at the lower end of tlie hatchery grounds and use the water
over again that is collected in this way, because after it is aerated
it will be all right to use, and this will insure a goodly supply of

water at all times. i i u^^

The output of fish from this hatchery was very good, and when

the new water system is properly installed It is expected there will

be an output of bass from thifc. hatchery that wiU meet aU demands.

WATNB HATOBERY.

There was much construetkm wo^ dofl0 at this hatches and the
pleasing part of it is that all work done is of a permanent character,
all buildings being built of concrete and steel and very artistic m

their architecture. , ., ,. ^, , ui^u

During the year the new hatchery building, the work upon which
was started in 1916, was finished. There were a number of aquar-
iums built and painted and the new batteries were put in and gotten
into shape for the field work, which is carried on very extensively
at this hatchery. The ice and food house was also completed. This
building could not be completed last fall because it is a stucco
structure and the weather getting cold before it was finished, the
work had to be postponed until spring.

No. 9.

DEPARTMENT Ob" FISHERIES.

17

An eight-foot bulkhead was built in Dam No. 4. In putting in
this bulkhead much excavating work was necessary and in all there
were about five hundred yards of earth removed along the breast
and sides of the bulkhead which was used in grading and finish-
ing the embankment of the same.

There were also twenty-eight concrete nursery ponds started
twenty-two of which were completed. There was also much filling
in and grading done around the property.

This is one of the most complete hatcheries in the State and its
buildings are indeed a credit to the Commonwealth. In addition to
this hatchery being used for trout and bass, it is also used as a
field station, being located in the heart of a great lake region and
almost surrounded with many beautiful lakes. In fact, the Wayne
hatchery is the best located hatchery in the State for the work it is
intended, and the Department believes it to be money well spent
when the good returns are taken into consideration.

The Legislature during the session of 1915 appropriated thirty-
three thousand dollars to the Department of Fisheries for the pur-
pose of purchasing land and water supplies in the vicinity of the
Wayne hatchery to be used as auxiliaries to the Wayne hatchery,
f his purchase consisted of the Belmont or Beaver Meadow Reservoir,
the Stevenson Pond Reservoir, White Oak Pond Reservoir, Swamp
Pond Reservoir, Cramer or Long Pond Reservoir and Miller Pond
Reservoir. The Department made this purchase on August 3, 1917,
from the Wayne Storage Water Power Company at Honesdale, and
is was a very good investment as it enables the Department to do
much more work. In addition to this, the ponds are open to the
public for fishing during certain seasons of the year which is a source
of much pleasure to the people of the neighborhood.

The amount of construction work done and the number of fish
feared the last year is indeed surprising when the scarcity of labor
and the uncertain railroad facilities are considered. The Department
believes that it is only a question of time until this hatchery can
supply all the trout and bass for the counties in the northeastern
section and have a surplus for other counties.

Of course it will require quite a lot of money and labor to carry
out the plans as formulated in building the ponds at this hatchery,
as the large breeding ponds must be made absolutely safe and in
order to do this the walls must be made of concrete. The Depart-
ment is using the ponds at the present time, but some of them are
not 3^et complete and with added appropriations the work wiU be
carried on year after year until the hatchery is complete in every
detail.

ERIE HATCHERY.

Since the erection of the new hatchery building at Erie hatchery
it has become a source of much pleasure to the people of Erie and
vicinity, and especially the school children and teachers who make
the Erie hatchery their headquarters in the study of biology. It is
a common sight to see the teachers bring their classes for study, and
in the spring of 1917 more than five hundred pupils of the Erie High
School visited the hatchery for educational purposes.

2—9—1918

18

REPORT OF THE

Off. Doc.

This hatchery is about completed, so far as the buildings are con-
cerned, with the exception of a new dwelling honse for the Superin-
tendent, which it is contemplated building at some future date. Plans
for the same have been drawn up, but in view of the high prices for
materials at this time the idea was abandoned for the present as
the cost is prohibitive.

During the year the battery capacity at this hatchery was ma-
terially increased. This was done by lengthening the batteries which
gives a twenty-five per cent hatching increase. There was also an en-
closed stairway built to the attic over the second floor, and this gives
The Superintendent a phice in which to store equipment and also a
workshop in which the men can do their work.

There were not as many nets operated in the lake this year as for-
merly owing to an increase in the size of mesh in the nets in Penn-
sylvania, and most of the fishermen operated their nets in Ohio
waters.

The take of eggs from the lake fishes this year seems to have fallen
off considerably, but the eggs that were taken w^ere far above the
average, so the result was that a very good hatch was secured. The
run of white fish on the Norih Shore was also a failure, not many
fish being caught. However, by co-operating with the Deputy Min-
ister of Game and Fisheries of Ontario, in the take of eggs in the
Canadian waters, the Department secured a third of all eggs taken
which enabled it to have a fair output for the lake.

A new motor truck was purchased for use at this hatchery, which
was a splendid investment, since it is about impossible to get any
service of drays or trucks anywhere with which to do the w^ork, and
in the fishery business it is necessary to have immediate service at all
times. Had it not been for the truck the Department would have suf-
fered severe losses in fish and eggs during the shipping season.

When the United States entered into the war it was deemed best
by the Commissioners of Water Works of the City of Erie to close
ail public utilities to the public and to guard properties against pos-
sible enemies. It was also considered best to close the fish hatchery to
visitors since it is necessary for tlie visitors to the hatchery to cross
the Water Works grounds in order to get to the hatchery, so the
hatchery is closed to visitors for the duration of w^ar, except in case
of the school children, as mentioned in another part of this report.

TORRESDALE HATCHERY.

This has been a banner year for the Torresdale hatchery so far as
improvements are concerned, and one would scarcely recognize the
old hatchery with its dilapidated ponds and dirty river frontage
since all that has been replaced by new and up-to-date improvements.
All the dead trees and stumps were taken out and cleaned up and
the cinders were drawn from the Torresdale filter plant and used to
fill in around the hatchery and other places on the grounds that were
graded. The driveway was also re[)aired. The old stone Imilding
which was once used for a spring house was remodeled and made into
an ice house and is now filled with ice for shipping fish during the
summer months.

No. 9.

DEPARTMENT UF FISHERIES.

18

An outlet pipe was laid from one of the large sunfish brood ponds
to the pond below. This was done in order to allow the water to run
out gradually when the ponds are cleaned, as heretofore the water
had to be baled out and taken out by buckets, which was very un-
handy and required a great deal of unnecessary labor

An electric pump w-as installed inside the hatching house which

^ n..l%^ "''^"' ^n'", '^^ ^'"^''^^^ •^'^t«"«'«'^ t« the hatlhen

n ^t th'p w '^t '^'*" ^^°"S ^^^ •'^^'^'^^^ property, which was put

in at the low water mark, was completed, being fllied in with dirt

with grass the river frontage at the Torresdale hatchery will be
second to none m appearance along the Delaware River

«n thtvlnl'?^"'" *'?''*! Y^^ P''*."**'*^ """"^ P"t '" fli-st-class condition
so they w 11 be ready to be put into operation at any time.

hJh J. ■*'?", °' "^"'"°^« ^^^ shipping them for food purposes
has been carried on very extensively during the past year at this

to oH.o7hnf 'r^ '""■' r' ""^' '""' *« applicants, Lt are also sen
to other hatcheries to be used as food for bass and other fishes. The
Department has found this to be very valuable food tor the flsh and
advocates the breeding of minnows tor this purpose as it is just as
hSThe eggs '" ^^"' '°^ """'■ tJ^^y are hatched as it is to

^Ahll''^ '*" •'' «'^'iilj»»tchery much time is devoted to the propagation
started ^eij late. As soon a.s the nets were put into operation'close

topn*th 'nfXfn^^ '^V * '*'"I' """^ "** ''SSS were collected until the seven-
teenth of May. The water was cold all through the season and very

S, rnlnrf Ik-'' "'" ^'''^^V'^ ^o spawu. There were not so manv
l^tZZTi *^/' '''^"'' "f '«''"">''y "Wing to weather conditions,
nWpH ffv^ f I V ''*''? S"t''e!;ed hatched out very fine flsh and were
planted by the ^ew Jersey Commission in the upper waters of the

,Wn.!T'r * "i"? *" ^^^ '^'''■*^'ty »* *•»« «'>«<J in the river it was
deemed best not to extend the shad season bevond the usual time.

BELLEFONTE HATCHERY.

AVith the completion of the new hatching house at the Bellefonte
hatchery and the erection of eight new ponds which were built dur-
ing the year, together with the ponds already completed, this hatcherv
liad a record supply of brook and brown trout for distribution, and
the trout reared at tlie Bellefonte hatchery are certainly about the
nnest specimens that any one would want to see.

The eight new ponds mentioned are all thirty feet long, fourteen
feet wide and three feet deep and are equipped with a two-inch pipe
which gives the water a good flow through the ponds, as it is ab-
solutely necessary to have the water for trout well aerated

A new raceway was also built which was necessary to have erected
as too much sand got into the ponds when the water was not filtered,
in addition to this six new walls were put in the gold fish pond.
It IS surprising how many people apply for gold fish during the year

20

REPORT OP THE

Off. Doc.

for show ponds and public aquariums, and this hatchei^ is always
prepared to meet the demands made upon it for the desired species.

For any one who understands fish culture, when a hatchery has
an output of fish such as the Belief onte hatchery has, they can readily
understand the amount of work that is being done both by the Su-
perintendent and his employes, as fish require constant attention
and much care, and the Superintendent of this hatchery is about right
in his remark that the "litle fish are just like so many babies."

From reports received of the fish sent out from the Bellefonte
hatchery all are doing well and thriving, as there is good fishing
reported in all the streams in Center County and other counties
where the streams have been stocked.

There was one tlnprovement made at this hatchery during the year
which was very necessary and extremely useful to the whole hatchery
force — and that is the installation of an electric light plant. Many
times it is necessary for the employes to work late at night and early
in the morning during the shipping season, and to have electric light
to work with makes the task easier and the work a pleasure.

There was also a steam-heating plant installed in the dwelling house
which relieved a long felt want.

The apearance of the hatchery grounds was very much improved
by the planting of hundreds of trees. This is not only an added at-
traction but in years to come when the trees have fully grown will
serve as a commodity as among the lot are many fruit trees such as
cherry, pear and apple. There are also many beautiful maples among
the number.

CORRY HATCHERY.

The Corry hatchery is now complete in every detail and is con-
sidered one of the finest fish hatcheries in the Commwealth of Penn-
sylvania. It is contemplated, however, to enlarge the hatchery as
there is a piece of land adjoining which contains a good^-size spring
of pure cold water that would be a valuable adjunct to the hatchery.

Since the completion of the new hatchery building and the cutting
of the underbrush and old stumps and cleaning up the grounds
generally, it reminds the average visitor of a beautiful park, wuth
its huge trees and cool dark shade which is very restful. The Su-
perintendent has placed benches around in the park and on hot
summer days when the hatchery is thronged with visitors it is a
satisfaction to see how much those benches are appreciated.

During the year the interior of the hatchery was painted and the
Electric Light Company extended their lines to the hatchery grounds,
which is a much appreciated convenience, as well as being very useful
in furnishing light and power for the grinding of meat for the fish
and other work.

While this hatchery is complete insofar as its water supply is
concerned, yet it is deemed advisable to purchase an additional water
supply, the money for which was appropriated at the last session of
the Legislature, and it is intended to construct an additional hatch-

No. 9.

DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.

}

21

mg house so that an additional water supply will also be needed
The Department believes that the work at the hatcheries now under
its control should be concentrated so that it may be carried on suc-
cessfully with the least possible expense and the limited number of
employes at its command.

THE COMMODORE PERRY

The Department's tug Commodore Perry has been in active service
for ten years, it being launched April 21, 1908, and since that time
has done very good work. This boat makes many trips annually to
and from Canadian ports in the gathering and distributing of fish eggs
and in the waters of Lake Erie as much of the lake work is done
by co-operating with the Canadian Government.

The crew of the Commodre Perry are all seasoned men and have
been commended for their bravery at different times by the officials
Of Erie County for having done gallant rescue work in times when
others were in distress on the waters of Lake Erie.

In connection with the work of collecting eggs and fish for re-
stocking purposes, the crew of the "Perry" which consists of a cap-
tain, engineer and two seaman, are all commissioned as special fish
wardens, and much good work is accomplished by them in this ca-
pacity. The Department does not have sufficient funds to employ
wardens for Lake Erie, and the crew of the '^Perry" do this pro-
tective work in connection with their regular duties.

But the gallant tug "Commodore Perry," like everything else in
constant use, is about done for. Tn other words she has been over-
hauled so many times and so many changes had to be made in order
that she comply with the requirements of the United States officials,
together with her years of useful service, that now it has become
necssary to purchase another boat for this work, as the "Perry"
will not long be considered seaworthv.

The Legislature of 1917 did appropriate |18,000.00 for a new boat
to take the place of the Perry, but of course, the Department was
not able to purchase a boat for that price that would meet the nec-
essary requirements, and it is hoped that the next Legislature will
see fit to appropriate a sufficient sum for a new boat, because with-
out this valuable adjunct to the Department of Fisheries at Erie the
work of the Department will be seriouslv handicapped. '

FIELD WORK.

During the many years of experience the Department of Fisheries
has had in the study of fish culture, it has found that the most impor-
tant adjunct to the propagation of fish is that of field work. What
Is meant by the field work is this:

22

REPORT OF THE

OflE. Doc.

In the spring of the year when the ice goes off the lakes the
yellow perch, bass and catfish begin to spawn their eggs, and it is
then when the employes at the hatcheries go out on the lakes and
gather the eggs which are taken to the different hatcheries, princi-
pally the Wayne hatchery, that being a tiehl station, to be hatched.
The young fish are then sent to the streams and lakes within the
State for planting. In this way a change of blood for the breeding
fish comes about. For instance, the eggs from the fish in one lake
are hatched and the fish planted in another. This is done in order to
infuse new^ blood, as by constant inbreeding in any kind of animal
life eventually leads to depredation. The same would also apply to
human life.

The eggs of the yellow perch are very beautiful as they cling
to the wind-swept shores of the lakes. They are in long strings,
very lace-like in appearance, sometimes averaging a yard in length.
In many instances these eggs would all be destroyed either by being
dashed against the shores or be eaten by snakes or other enemies, if
they were not gathered by the employes of the hatcheries. In this
way a great percentage of the eggs are saved that would otherwise
be lost, and at the same time an infusion of new blood is brought
about, which is so essential in fish culture.

The catfish lay their eggs in holes which are neatly prepared by the
parent fish, and can easily be gathered by the field men. They prefer
muddy bottoms in which to build their nests, while the bass prefers
the gravelly or sandy bottoms. Sometimes permits are issued to this
Department by the' Canadian Government and other neighboring
States, which permits the employes at the Erie hatchery to take a
certain number of adult bass, which bass are planted in the ponds
at the Wayne hatcherj^ generally, that being the Department's prin-
cipal bass hatchery, and they are held there as breeders. From the
eggs of these bass the little fish hatched are planted in the lakes
of Wayne and other surrounding counties, and this work has been
found to be specially satisfactory.

Field work is carried on very extensively in Lake Erie also where
every year millions of fish would be destroyed if it were not for
this very valuable work. This is brought about principally by co-
operating with the commercial fishermen, and they knowing the value
of the work and what it means to them in the take of fish annually,
are eager to co-operate with the Department in every possible way.

The eggs gathered by the commercial fishermen wouM all be wasted
if it were not for the field work. When the nets of the fisherman are
lifted the eggs are taken from the ripe fish and sent to the hatchery
to be hatched and in this way the output of the Erie hatchery is
greatly increased, and the results show that it is time well spent.

COMMERCIAL FISH HATCHERIES

Under the provisions of the Act of May 1, 1909, Section 11, P. L.
353, there were twenty licenses granted for operating commercial
fish hatcheries. The business of artificially propagating fish for

DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.

No. 9.

OUTPUT OF COMMERCIAL HATCHERIES.

Dead trout for market.

Trout. live, mature,

Brook trout, advanced fry.
Brook trout, eyed eggs.

Black bass,

Gold fish.

Sunflsh, """;r

Number. Pounda.

Jm

Value.

137,243

194,237

80,800

25,998,874

13,800

7,029

3,170

M.OlO
7163

119,185 39

11,278 23

613 SO

14,078 36

3^ CO

199 55

78 55

$45,763 98

LIST OF COMMERCIAL HATCHERIES.

Paradise Brook Trout Company, HenryviUe, Monroe County Pa
Charles A. Wolters, Weissport, Carbon County, Pa

Hiram Peoples, Kew Providence, Lancaster County, Pa.

JensylvaTia.""''' "' ^'°° ^'''^''' """'*' Chunk, Carbon County,
Hayes Creek Trout Company, Ltd., Freeland, Luzerne County Pa
w"J"7 C. Tre-xler, Allentown, Lehigh County, Pa. ^'

William Kaul, St. Marys, Elk County, Pa.
btanley Jletzger, Colesburg, Potter County, Pa
Robert R. Welsh, Keating Summit, Potter County, Pa.
F. >i. Moore, Rome, Bradford County, Pa

24

REPORT OF THE

OfE. Doc.

Frank McNeal, Sheffield, Warren County, Pa.

R. E. Krape, Ridgway, Elk County, Pa.

J. M. Mack, Allentown, Lehigh County, Pa. r. + t^o

Red Water Fish Association, Harford, Susquehanna County, la.

Mountain Brook Trout Company, Port Allegany, McKean County,

Pennsylvania. ^ r, ^ Ti

T C Kemmerer, Bowmanstown, Carbon County, ra.
H. S. W. Hardwicke, Centerville, Crawford County, Pa.
J H. Storch, Towanda, Bradford County, Pa.
H. M. Posten, Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, Pa.

PRESQUE ISLAND PENINSULA.

Presque Isle Peninsula is located on Lake Erie, and prior to 1913
was little less than barren waste. Instead of being used m connec-
tion with the Erie hatchery in extending the hatching and propaga-
tine of food and game fish, as well as a pleasure ground for the
people of Erie, and those who visited Erie, whether coming by train
or by water, it was really nothing but an eye-sore, and it was worthy
vour life to visit the Peninsula on account of the many million mos-
quitoes that claimed it as their natural habitat owing to the low

""B^L^Al^Tof^ Congress approved the 24th day of March 1910, en-
titled "An Act granting certain rights and privileges to the Depart-
ment of Fisheries of the State of Pennsylvania" (3b Stat. 2bJ), the
Department of Fisheries of the State of Pennsylvania was granted
the right to enter upon and occupy a piece of land known as "Presque
Isle" Peninsula, in the County of Erie and State of Pennsylvania,

* ♦ ♦ for the purpose of establishing and maintaining thereon a
hatchery for the propagation of food and game fishes,* * to
improve the land and ponds and reclaim marsli lands thereon

* • ♦ to construct buildings, ponds, &c., on said lands and to
otherwise improve the peninsula.

The Legislature of 1913 appropriated the sum of twenty thousand
dollars toward the improvement of the peninsula and much work
was done in this capacity, the greater part being performed by the
T. A. Gillespie Company, of Erie. The I^egislature of 1915 ap-
i>ropriated eight thousand dollars which was expended along the
line of improvements also, but, of course, with such a gigantic piece
of work it naturallv did not go very far in the way of improvements.

The Legislature of 1917 also appropriated eight thousand dollars
to be used in this work, but unfortunately there are few dredging
companies who are capable of doing this kind of work located m the
vicinity of Erie, the T. A. Gillespie Company, formerly of Erie, hav-
ing moved to the State of Ohio, and for them to bring their dredges,
etc., from Ohio to Erie and pay their expenses back again would not
leave a sufficient amount to pay for their services while at H^rie.

However, there was a clause inserted in the Act authorizing the ap-
propriation of eight thousand dollars for this work, which would give

)

No. 9.

DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.

2S

the Department of Fisheries the right to expend this money in other
ways, so long as it aided the work of the Erie hatchery and incT
dently increase the fish supply in that great body of water. In part
the clause reads: For dredging out the channels, ponds, and im-
provements on Presque Isle Peninsula, and approach to the hatchery
in htVie County. *^ ^

w„tV J"^^*"'^ °\ *?■'' ^^'"''''^ **' ^'^^^''^ Commissioners this question
was taljen up and discussed at length, and it was finally concluded

tlZ 7.1^ M°i ^^*i *^^ "'"'^ satisfactory results the money should
be used to biiild a dockage at the approach to the Erie hatchery in
order that the Department's boat "Commodore Perry" could be
docked at the entrance to the hatchery, as at present the boat must

Sntn'^nf ^H *«\^°°*.°' ^'^!^ *'*'""«* '° E"«' ^^^^^ necessitates "he
hauling of the fish and eggs from the dock at State street to the Erie

hatchery and this necessarily requires much time, labor and incon-
venience.

This plan also has the approval of the Water Commission of the
City of Erie and it is hoped to have this work well under way in the
near future. While the sum of eight thousand dollars is not suf-
ficient to build the dockage by any means, yet it will go a long way
towards beginning it, and it is hoped that the next Legislature will
make Its appropriation for this work large enough to complete it,
thereby aiding the Department of Fisheries greatly in its work at
the SIri§ hatchery.

FISH INDUSTRY OF LAKE ERIE.

Few people realize what a wonderful business is done each year
by the commercial fish dealers in the city of Erie, but a glance at
the figures given below of the net weight and value of the different
species of fresh water fishes will prove to what an amazing extent
this businss has grown.

These fresh water lake fishes are invaluable as food, and the out-
put each year from Lake Erie alone far exceeds one's expectations
When it 18 considered that Pennsylvania only has forty-eight miles
of shore line on the port of Erie and the vast numbers of fish taken
from these waters annually, it is almost inconceivable. As will be
shown in the table accompanying this report there were 5,221 612
pounds of Cisco or lake herring taken, which netted the dealers
1350,901.02, and this is only one of the many species that are com-
mercially valuable for food which are found in the fresh waters of
Lake Erie.

Notwithstanding this constant drain on the fish supply of Lake
Erie, the waters are still teeming with fish, and the fisherman ac-
knowledge that this would not be the case were it not for the arti-
ficial propagation and constant stocking that is being done on a
very large scale by the Department of Fisheries of Pennsylvania, the
Ohio and Canadian authorities, the United States Bureau of Fisher-
ies, an<l the State of New York.

26

REPOPwT OF THE

Off. Doc.

Although the catches were not as large this year as formerly,
which was due to weather conditions, the Department succeeded in
getting a good supply of eggs by co-operating with the United States
Bureau of Fisheries, the Deputy Minister of Game and Fisheries of
Ontario, and the Ohio State authorities, and I am pleased to report
that the friendly relations existing between this Department and the
above-named authorities aided greatly in this work.

The weather conditions such as was experienced this year during
the spawning season is very rare, and the Department anticipates
next year to be a banner year in the taking of white fish and herring
eggs particularly. Of course, in this work, as in all other work, is
experienced what is commonly called "off years," and this year might
be termed as such.

The Department's tug "Commodore Pen\y'' figures largely in the
work of collecting spawn of the fish in Lake Erie and in planting the
fish after being hatched. This is done by tlie members of the crew and
the Superintendent of the Erie hatchery, who are also commissioned
as special fish wardens, and while doing the work of replenishing the
supply of fish in Lake Erie, they also protect the fish from would-be
violators of the law.

The Lake Erie fish laws differ very materially from the laws gov-
erning fishing in the inland waters and special legislation \vas passed
in order to meet the requirements which would have to be met in so
large a body of water. This Act was approved April 18, 1913, and
can be found on page 100 of the Pamphlet Laws. Very often fisher-
men become confused with this act and the law governing fishing in
the inland waters, and many inquiries come to the Department in
legard to it.

The following table shows the catch of fish at the port of Erie from
December 1, 1916, to November 30, 1917, as reported to the Depart-
ment by the fish houses at Erie:

Kind of Fish.

Cfseo or lake herring.

Blue pike. _.

White flgh.

Yellow perch,

Lake trout,

Piks perch,

Catfish.

Carp,

Sturgeon,

Miscellaneous,

Eelpouts,

J*ounds,

5,221.612

88.167

W3.29r>

fl.81.3

3,119

2.183

56S

S5.202

394

148.904

2,500

1350,901 OS

7.591 m

21,461 59

1,334 oa

305 05

250 58

79 44

2,712 fil

82 20

4.709 88

40 00

Total,

5,715,757 1^,4^ 38

FISHWAY AT McCALL'S FERRY DAM.

No solution has yet been found to the world-wide question of a
practical fishway for dams so that fish may ascend and descend the
rivers at all times. The most difficult one confronting the Dpart-
ment of Fisheries of Pennsylvania at this time, and one that has

No. 9.

DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.

2ir

1 P AiK * P^pa'^tment immodiatelj sent its Chief Warden Mr
'eporti ' *' *° "'^««"^«*^' «"•! «•> August 8th he made S fSw^g

Hon. N. R. Buller,

August 8, 1917.

Commissioner of Fisheries,

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Stimuli

I found that one pool had 180 shad and seven earn ThplL I
counted by two other men beside myself.' oHhrS'ornL'l S'the r'^h'

28

REPORT OF THE

Off. Doc.

I saw in the papers that large numbers of dead shad and other fish
were being carted away by the farmers and put on the land for fer-
tilizer. These reports were absolutly not true. I made a complete
inspection all along the pools below the dam and only found two
dead shad and no other dead fish of any kind. The two dead shad
were found where the Company had been blasting the concrete bridge
out below the dam and these shad were killed by the explosion of the
dynamite. There were other parties from York at the dam on the
same day, the Sheriff being one of them. Only a few of the pools
below the dam contained fish and some pools had none.

On the morning of the 7th there was sufficient water flowing over
the dam and into the pools so that the fish remaining in the pools
would not die. I interview ed ten fishermen below the dam and not
one of them had seen any dead fish, and some of the fishermen had
been along the pools for ten days and fished day after day.

Yours most respectfully,

J. P. ALBERT.

There is little wonder at the dissension among the fishermen on ac-
count of this fishway question, because every ardent fisherman looks
forward with joj^ous anticipation to the day when he can haul in a
nice big shad for the family meal, and the Department regrets that
this feeling cannot be relieved, as its heart and soul is with the
fisherman of the country and desires to please them wherever pos-
sible, and hopes that the day is not far distant when a practical
fishway may be installed at ^ the Dam so that the shad can come
further up the Susquehanna.

In this connection the Department of Fisheries would be glad for
any suggestions or information regarding a fishway that would be
practical for the dam of the McCall's Ferry Power Company at Holt-
wood.

BROOK TROUT.

The opening of the trout fishing season this year found many fislier-
men liying their way to some trout stream in which abound the
daintiest of all fishes'^the brook trout. With the constant restocking
of the streams it has become a source of much pleasure to every
fisherman to anticipate a day's fishing, as nearly every one is sure
of having a full creel when he returns home from the day's outing.

It is very essential, however, to keep up the stocking of the
streams as every year finds an increased number of fishermen and in
order to keep vip the supply, which the Department is trying very
hard to do, it is necessary that all fishermen take an active interest
in this work therebv keeping a good supply of fish in the streams for

all.

With the completion of the Corry, Bellefonte and Wayne hatcheries
the Department feels that it can meet the many demands made upon
it for the brook trout. The trout that the Department of Fisheries is
planting are all one year old and over, which means that they are

No. 9.

DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.

29

from three to seven inches in length, and from reports received from
recipients every one seems well pleased and has only the highest
praise for the number and size of the speckled beauties.

BROWN TROUT.

Every year more and more applications are received for brown
trout as these fish have become quite popular with fishermen since the
planting of them has been so strongly urged by the Department in
streams that are no longer suitable for the brook trout. As time
goes on the population increases and the trees are cut down and the
underbrush along the streams is cleared away. This naturally causes
the water in these streams to warm up and is no longer cold enough
for brook trout, so the Department advocates the planting of brown
trout which is being done with wonderful success.

It is surprising how the fishermen take to the brown trout. While
it is true they are not quite as gamey as the brook trout, yet they
afford plenty of good fishing and the streams from which they are
caught are more accessible and can be fished with much less difficulty.

The reports received from the streams that have been stocked with
brown trout are very favorable, showing good catches, which is very
gratifying to the Department, as it is the Department's aim to have
good fishing in all the streams in the Commonwealth, and when it
is discovered that a stream is not suitable for a certain species of
fish it ascertains the species that will thrive in it and immediately
begins the stocking of the same with the fish that is best suited.

It is to be regretted that the banks of the streams are being cleared
of the trees and underbrush, because in doing it the fish are de-
prived of their food as it is the insects and larvae from the trees and
bushes falling into the stream that affords the food for the little
fish.

BLUE GILL SUKPrSH.

When the Department first advocated the raising of fish by farmers,
the bluegill was one of rhe two fishes which was strongly urged to
stock the ponds with, and any one following out the Department's
suggestions along these lines will be surprised to find with what
rapidity the tjliiegill grows and how much sport will be derived from
catching them.

The bluegill is the largest of the famous sunfish family as it grows
to a length of twelve to fourten inches and a weight*^ of nearly a
pound, with a maximum weight of a pound and a half. It can be
taken at any time of the year, even through the ice in winter It will
take most any kind of bait, angle worms being probablv the best, al-
though grasshoppers and white grubs are excellent.

ao

REPORT OF THE

Oflf. Doc.

As a food fish the bluegill cannot be excelled as its flesh is firm
and flaky and possesses a delicious flavor. The Department pro-
pagates the bluegill sunfish at its hatcheries on a very extensive
scale and advocates the planting of them in all suitable waters in
the State, because the bluegill is one of the most prolific fish that
can be propagated and is a source of food supply that cannot be
equaled by any other fish. Not being a voracious fish it may be
planted m small bodies of water with wonderful results, and any one
planting the bluegill will be amply repaid for his time and labor.

BLACK BASS.

It has been an acknowledged fact for a great many years that
the black bass is the most difficult fisJi to propagate artifically of
all fishes. It is about the only fish that fish culturists have fmind
they cannot fertilize as Ihey do the other fish, as it is impossil)le to
express the eggs from the female bass as of the trout, and experience
^hows that any attempt to fertilize the eggs of the bass in an arti-
ficial way IS a failure. They must be left to spawn naturally and
in order to do this successfully large areas of water are necessary
so that they have plenty of room in which to swim, as the bass are
very cannibalistic, and if they do not have large areas of water the
big bass will devour the small ones in a very short time.

It has been the custom of the Department to have large breeding
ponds for the bass and has found it to be the onlv wav that results
can be obtained. It is quite an interesting sight to see the male bast
take care of the eggs and watch over them until th<» little creatures
begin to hatch, as the male bass takes entire charge of the nest and
eggs during the priod of hatching for as soon as the female bass lavH
the eggs the male immediately drives her away and takes charce of
the nest himself. " ^

It is always necessary to have large quantities of food in the
breeding ponds both for the large and small bass. It is on account
of the large amount of food required for the bass that the propaga-
tion of minnows is so strongly urged, as the minnows afford plenty
of food for the bass and saves them from preying ui»on each other to
a very large extent.

The Superintendent of the Union City Hatcherv discovere<l a small
insect that breeds very extensively on the splash boa r<ls of the ponds
that the bass takes very kindly to as food, and in making a study
of the habits of the bass the Superintendent tried the insects as ah
experiment to find out whether the bass would feed on them if given
them as food. To his great suri)rise they ate them ravenously, and
since that time the breeding of the insects is encouraged in order to
obtain natural food for the bass.

In addition to this large quantities of minnows are put into the
bass ponds so that they have plenty of food. In this way the out-
put of bass has been such that a great many of the applications have
been filled, as the applicants all seem to have a desire for the gamev

DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.

No. 9.

Stions on file 'b^^' Z^J^^^^'f' ^f^'"'' '^^^'^ ^^ ««» some appli-
onThfi- °^^' ""t the Department is endeavoring to fill all of them
and believes it can do so in the near future as the large breeS

S'es'theoutoSfT' ""'' being completed wLVSr'alTy T-
< leases tue output of this very popular fish each year.

in the's t'idnTof fJ^^ department, however, that no bass be use.1

s not ' l^ad/,1 vp h '''■''^'"' "°^ ""^^^"^ ''*'«^°>« •'^ ^>ii<=h the bass
VtJl„ aJieady native, because as soon as the gamey bass enters the
stream he soon puts an end to all the other fish, excepting of course
It the stream be large enough to give them both'plenty on'oom ' '
A great many people apply for bass and trout for the same stream
which IS a grave mistake, as they will not both live Tn the same
rih V".?^*'f ' ''" ^^^^^^ ^^'"'^' the area of the water is large enough

o?her'* Bi^Tn tr„f"^^ l"" rlT."^' ^^^ '"''^^ andlhf bass tfe
„„Ti i *7 • ^P'*® "' ^^^ hi« bad habits, if bad habits thev mav be

heiSofX^Lr* ' ^'\!'^''* '''r' ^'^^t h^l'J^ « warmer s/otTn^Jl
heaits of the fishermen all over the State than the gamey black bass.

MINNOWS.

The minnow seems to be unfortunate in that it is used chieflv -i*
food for the other fish and the fishermen use it for ba t VecLuse of
this seeming destruction of the minnow the Department found U
necessary to encourage the stocking of the streams with minnows
and is distributing them in many of the inland waters to be used Is
tood for bass and other fishes. c » lo oe usea as

Without minnow life the Department finds that the fish prey upon
each o her tor tood, especially the bass, which require large qu^iE
ot tood, and since so many of the banks of the streams have been de
prived of the trees and bushes upon which the insects breed therebv

L'the^sr to live" "'"' T-' f 'r-'^'^' ^"""S'' ^-•^ •" '^' «'^a-
toi the teh to live on so the stocking of the streams with minnows

cannot be too strongly urged. The Superintendents of the haUh

eries have found the minnow to be invaluable as food for the breed-

i°lfe^Uve''food.'' *''"'" '" '^ '"'^ ^''^* '^*"''* "« '^^ ''^^^ ^^^^^ *«

fi,'^"«n!"f ,!n ''":.;^'''**ly"' provided the minnow as food for the other
nsii and up until a tew years ago there was plenty of minnow life
m the streams, but partly through the introduction of other fishes
such as bass and carp, and partly because the fishermen use such
arge numbers of them for bait, the streams are fastTecomTng de

«/r^«n. 1 1'""'"°''' ^'*?- '" '''*^^' "t t''« '^''^euee of minnow life in a
stream, 'w hen an applicant applies for other species of fish, in order
to be successful in rearing them it is advisable to also stock the
stream wi.th minnows for food for the other fish

32

REPORT OF THij]

Off. Doc.

PIKE-PERCH.

The pikei-perch, or Susquehanna salmon, as they are commonly
known among fishermen, is in reality a lake fish, although it is caught
in large numbers in the Susquehanna, Delaware and Juniata rivers
and many of the small lakes. In the inland waters it is classed as a
game fish, while in Lake Erie it is considered a food fish and of much
commercial value.

It is about the only fish the Department distributes in the fry
stage, and the reason for this is that experience shows the pike-perch
do very much better when planted in the fry stage then to hold
them until they are larger. Then, too, the pike-perch are hatched
very early in the spring at a time when the Department is badly
hampered for space in its hatcheries and as it requires large areas
of water in which to hold so many fish, it is deemed best to distri-
bute the pike-perch in the fry stage.

Some of the applicants, however, are not so well pleased with the
small fish as they are with the larger ones, some of them showing
considerable dissatisfaction when the small fry were sent them, but
when the reason was explained to them they were satisfied.

As a food fish the pike-perch is classed among the best. Its flesh
is white, firm and flaky with a delicious flavor. It grows to a weight
of from a pound and \ half to five pounds. The pike-perch prefers
clear water, with a rock, sand or gravelly bottom and is rarely found
in muddy streams or lakes.

MUSCALLOKGE.

As every sportsman knows the muscallonge is the largest of all fish
that >can be found in any of our inland waters. He is a very rapid
grower and in order to attain this rapid growth it requires large
amounts of food, which food he generally obtains by devouring any
fish that may come his way. Because of this ferocious appetite he
really is a menace to other fish because where the muscallonge
abounds very few other fish can be found, unless it is an extremely

large body of water.

There are very few lakes in Pennsylvania where it is advisable to
introduce the muscallonge. There are a few, however, such as Con-
neaut Lake, Lake LeBoeuf and Lake Erie, in which they do well, and
it is an epoch in every fisherman's lite long to be remembered when
he is fortunate enough to land a monstrous muscallonge as he puts
up a strong fight and it takes from twenty minutes to a half hour to

land him. - .,

This Department, however, propagates the muscallonge for the
lai^er lakes of Pennsylvania, and this year received G40,000 eggs

No. 9.

DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.

33

FROGS.

The propagation of tadpoles and frogs is very intere^ti^a .uu u
xery uncertain, and VNliile there might be hundrerrnrfhi ,?.f, *'''*"^''
ures in a pond all doino- niroiTr j „ „ • f*""F,*'*'^ ^^ the little creat-
appear and no trace m. hi b^C,, '?f,'' "'g^t they would all dis-

Ihil the DepartS hafiisco^^': h orectS'vit'h th^ '^^*""
of frosfs and that is tliPv r't^n^^w... i.. ^^nneciion witli the raising

far an'd wide lu -ing t^'^ >roce s offJJ^T" ^Z^'''''^' ""' '^'^ ^'^^^^
f.og. This process^ta L^a^out two yearT^ii 1^^ t 1"^^*^' '"''' ""
years for a tadpole to become a f,m gVown' f^o^ ' '"'"' '^""* ""''

of hfws: ^"th'eTe w:s*rti?r-^S;,T r« P-t-tion in the way
and intVodiced into the WiS. !*' ^VY sportsmen of the State
signed by the Gomnoroi^favT 1017 n^f''^ ^"<^ ^««

now. Under the provision" ot Jl.i; i>i i t ' ?^ '• t^'^'-e^o'-e in force
it cannot be talcen b^the se of n 1h / . • ^.^ is protected in that
a better chance to r..i;:^:':nal:J:^r:^S;,Sf^ -" ^'^ them

tion to be of any con.n^erciU y.W a n"' '* ^''^ '^'^^'^'''t « P^-oPosi"

heretofore they wLrsTuthtSpTin •'' Y ">«">; jno^-e^ them, as
there was no cLnlcrfoft'KrlwIi^r ' '" "'""'^ '''''

^M?FISH.

the rearingof the catfish "'P'"'*"'*^"* ^^"-.^ naturaUy recommended
3—9—1918

u

REPORT OF THE

Off. Doc.

The catfish thrives best in a pond having a muddy bottom as it
can build its nest in the mud and take care of it^ young to its liking.
In this it differs with the bass, as the bass prefers a clear, gravelly
bottom in which to build its nest. , - ^

It is to be regretted that not more people can have a pond of water
on their farm in which they could rear fish as it certainly would
afford a great deal of pleasure for themselves and their children, and
at the same time serve as food for their table. No one can dispute
the fact that there is nothing more delicious for a meal than a steam-
ing dish of catfish. I have often heard famous fishermen declare that
they prefer the catfish to the delicious flaky meat of the trout.

The Department of Fisheries has found that the common variety
of catfish is the best for stocking the waters in Pennsylvania, and
advocates the planting of the same very strongly. In order to help
the farmer stock his pond with food fish the Department has what
is termed a fish cultural application and by filling out one of these
applications a limited number of catfish would be furnished to any
on desiring to raise fish. Of course, these fish cultural applications
not only apply to the catfish but to other food fish, when the fish are
desired for cultural purposes. ^ ^ ^ • n^ ^^

The catfish above mentioned grow to be from a foot to eighteen
inches in length and weigh from one to two pounds, and it is a
known fact that some of them grow to a weight of five and mx
pounds.

YELLOW PERCH.

The dainty yellow perch is also a great favorite with ^e fisher-
men and is fished for chiefly in the lakes in the northeastern part of
the State, although it is often caught in many of our rivers and
streams throughout the entire State. It is by preference a lake
fish, but will thrive in any pure water that is not too rapid.

It is true the vellow perch is not as gamey as some of the olhei
fishes, yet it is fished for very generally by the sportsmen, and more
especially bv the women and children, as they have no trouble in
landing their prey as the yellow perch offers no resistance when
caught It is quite a common sight on a summer afternoon to see the
banks of a lake in the northeastern section lined with women and
children all eager to catch a string of the dainty perch, and they are
generally successful as many of them make very good catches.

As a pan fish the vellow perch ranks with the salmon and snnfish,
its meat having a very delicious flavor. It grows to be f^mn ten to
fourteen inchet in length and averages in weight from one to txso

^Thf artificial propagation of yellow perch is very intei-esting. In
the spring when the ice goes off the lakes and the water begins to
war^u J,^he v^^ perch begins to lay her eggs. These are found
7nZg strings at the inlet of the lake or stream or along the shor^^s
and they are very pretty in their lace-like appearance. As soon as the

No. 9.

DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.

='re -etnined i„ tl.e i.o„<l.s .fll 1,^7,^,2 •'*^^"'' '"'* '»"■« often they
t '-a y preferring tlie larger n4 tLM'' ^'f "' "'''' "^^ people gen-

("Pplieations. J'fpaitment was abJe to fill all of its

J>I>STR,BUTIOX OF F1«H TO APPLICANTS.
-^rStlS^J'l^tS S^i^S^^S-l^V^^^'-le. >.eeived

they received only year i,% fish VSf'' '"' "f P^'' '** '^^ '«<^t that
old an.l oyer, ny^4g^ug\ size (Z^ T^'V^""^' "'"^ «-^'' «"« Vea'
only in the case of the w/lle p!i '• '" ^'"''^ *" *"^^«'" "'^hes. A is
l-anna salmon, that ^ B^^^f^!'f'"'>''^y '^"«^" «« Su4.e-
">'d this is done for L i^^son tEt . r'''' /" ""i'P '" *''« ^'y ^^^S^-
i-acious fish and it is not noss hi. tn , m ^.■''"■♦^J'ert pike is a very yo-
in ponds. There were J Z'Zl of J^eoo i'"", '"' ^'''' ^""S"' "f^^ime
pointed when they receive X wnl .v. , '" T™'^*^ ^" '^« "i««I»-
that they were .so^sn.all , X. .1 .'• • '"^'^ ','^'''"'"-'« "^ ^''^ f«'-t
were satisfied. The Dei.ntmenrn i ' -f'".',''^' ^" ^''•-™ ^''e canse they

3.ot as preferable aViVr of 'SefS' n.f .''V'''''"V"^ "^ '"-y ''
obtained from tlie.se plantings ' ^°°'^ '"''''"'*« are being

-^'^^^'I^X^'^S'^^r:^^ -r o^- t-e ".■otnrn notices

ont when the noticrofshh.mentLJr*' '■''*"™ '"'^'"''^" '"« ''""t
i-eceivee the fish he in nS" eh- ^l^ i '""^ '''.'°*'" '''" ^''^ applicant
and the condition in S Ithey^weL f "•"",^'''' "^ ''^'' ''« '^'-•'^ived
Department at HarrisbuS tL.Z^uT'''^' ''""' "'""« " to the
few words of appreciat 1 in rpt;J ' I 'V!* ■'"^'" '•''■>' °"™ ^^^^^ a

K, tter- "^ thrci-oiTsrt r bS' of-S'^,;;-'

sWfking of the streams: ^' ''°"*' ^y ^^^ constant re-

^■•••paitmentof Fisherh.s, ''""*' ^'"•' ^^ecember 28, 1917.

Harrisbiirg, J'eiiii'a.

ce.n\*;er'!-ir"o77'''''An"!I''""'''^' '' »'■>', ''eport for the year ending De-
f^ame fi.sh 'bV ;,. i w. . ^1" '^Fi' ' ■'■"''^'^' -ith^ront and ^other
i"S the sunn.er of [oTr 11 r . ^' 't'::''*'".^'"^ ^'^'ted by me dni-
•lition. The fish that wW ,„. in".'!""' ^'■^'> ".' g"°'1 "■riving con-

nble by their size and .^bl rs v"' "'JT' ^'^''^ "o"'"^-

*iu4uwtiN. loiirs truly,

(Signed) .1. W. WHANX,

Local Forest Fire Warden.

36

REPORT OF THE

HATCHERY REPORTS.

Off. Doc.

••^'■V^^^'TlrefbX t;-uS ~1 the'lSeHefd^ing all Ici.l of
'' f.m fi.S." tl o nick an,l shovel to propagating the speckle,
wovk iroin ham n. tn^^ ^_^ ^^ ^^^.^.j^^ ^j^.^^ ,^3^ endeare.l

beauties. It is no ( iniDt jni " • •> • f-nvthing too nuich trouble

them to Iheir work. «"'^^'\^'t'\" , Jp^.^gtr^^ >.^othing

for then, to do so long as it is for the " I^^^^^jf ^^^^^^^ ^^ jtonds
gives them quite as much Pleasure as ,^'\™.*'"^\'^^4S",fit larger than
are full of fish and their output will be ]ust a iiuie m\. laiB

the year before.

REPORT OF THE WAYNE COUNTY HATCHERY.

Pleasant Mount, I*a., NoTember 80, 191T.

Hoa. N. R. BuUer,

Commissioner <rf liBlieries,

Harrisburg, Penna.
Sir-The following is a report of tJie operatloi.« of the Wayne
C^ty Hatchery for tiie year -a-g Nov.n^^^^^^^^^^ ^,,^^,^

On December 1, !».!*'' t^^^^, pT „.?,,,.,. o Tie.xler's hatchery at

'ir'tr;' ^lo^eTg" w n a^'t t^tnla developed sufficieutiy to
Allentown. Those eggs ^c thousand of them were re-

zs^^s T^S £^»...;;;:, 'zx^^-^ «'

the water was very cold the eggs diu "*^ ^^1^, .J. . ^.^te for

No. 9.

DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.

37

arrival here hatche'd n.ucMlkei'S 'thetee'^^S''''' "" ^"^"'■

viSi'irsv/sTjiiTisrrnr/^^

for this, I believe was due to th^?! T- <=°n'l't'""- The reason
terial as to aUow elch la^er ^/e\VXre^^^^ "JfJ^^ "^ «''eU thin ma-
a great number to bnist n,,ri jf.fL- !. *J*® **"® •'e'"^' causing
the flsh hatched fronihesel^'Tw"! ^'f others and this caused
ing that these fish woilTnoI te iro,Vwf i?^ deformed. On find-
room for better ones ^ "^^ disposed of them to make

During the month of January we received fir,,., «n.. i • , t..
achusetts, one hundred and ei^li'tv +L,.o„ f ?l Sandwich, Ma.ss-

good condition. Tl Lse e "es weKp.r.t, ^'^''f ^T^ *'°»t ^Sg^ '"
hardy fish. ^^ ^ ""^^ developed and hatclied strong,

biw'Sit'S whicf eS 'K"^' -^^^^"^r"- "'— • eyed
well advanced wL^recei^ldh^tchIIw "' ^T *^o"dition, and beJng
well in the buildin" \uT)tt « ^ f ' ^*''°"^ ^^^- '^''^se fish did very

nursery%d" 'if^thS they ,M rtl: f ''^i'*^'"^ P"t into the
fungus growth This «-.,s nnV-itl -I f '''^" '""' ('eveloped a

In January we received from the Haves Creek T,nn+ w«* •,
five hundred thousand eved hinnk t>.<.,77 2, V'^^ek liont ffitchery
a later date four hi, Iredl ho, Sd .? 1^^^^^ "' ^°°'' condition. At
Corry Hatchery. ilsXcS'rc^n tt'S/sHtiiT' '" ^"^
Fislieries five hund.ed thousand green lake t^^.t'^l'/hTl', "'
were nearly all dead when rppfliv^,! +1 '-"^e nout eggs, but thev

so small thit it .4: h^SsiEfcte LftS'f ,.:^^^^^ 'T 'T'^
moss no,- ice when they arrived heie ^^'^ ^""'^ "^'*''*'''

The total number of brook trout eggs received -if tl.!<: i..,f i
for the year was 1,980,000, of wliich 95()0nn ultl . ,' 'i"*^"'^«-'''y

in starting to feed, not begifm ,S ui 1 In f oS"' tT' ^■'-•'■•^' I!'?'
hatclied from the Miii.o oao.« vvi ti ^7 ^"- ^''^se were fish

rapidly and bj JiJ^TLtX nVr..;^':-^^';';,*^^^, ^S,^'ir^^

and adult W by thrb, " ti,S "f' Zr' /" i''"'''^"' "^'"""'^ «'<'"'
eansed by high water """""^ "^ '' >>"ll^l'ead ,n one of the ponds

condftio;ro1';tTaifrindT,!.Tde S" " "l '^^*°'^';' ''"^ *'- -"«-ted
ing the mo,.th of xi-^M ;^^^^^^^^^^^ ''f ""t- , I>--

trout from the Corry H tri.nrv fl. ' • "" "''^ "^ ^rook and brown

^ The field work of the year hegan with gettiiig rendv thp i..,fto.,-

38

REPORT OF THE

Off. Doc.

On April 24 sent three men to Sly Lake to collect perch spawn.
The same date men were sent to lakes near the hatchery for the same
purpose. The tirst spawn were received from Sly Lake on April
29th. This was two days later than last year. In general the
gathering of perch eggs was a success. In all we collected at this
hatchery 9G,G00,000. A number of these eggs were shipped to dif-
ferent hatcheries, but enough were kept here to stock the lakes in
this vicinity, thereby causing an infusion of new blood which is of
great importance. Also kept enough to fill all applications.

May 8th received from Port Clinton 2,000,000 pike perch eggs which
arrived in very poor condition. After they were put on the battery
and cleaned found only a very small percentage of them good. These
were hatched and distributed in the fry stage on account of lack of
room.

In May received a number of breeding bass from I'rie and Union
City, which with what we already had made a total of one hundred
and fifty pairs. These bass were placed in the breeding ponds. The
weather being backward and the water cold, they were very kite in
showing signs of working. On June 18th the first nests were noticed
and on June 24th the first eggs were found. In all we found thirty
nests of eggs and they were all hatcheil excepting one which was
destroyed. July 12th the first young bass were placed in Rearing
Dam No. 3, and by July 21st the nests were all cleaned. July 2Sth
the young bass were first seen feeding, and from that time on they
were fed and cared for with wonderful results. By September 15th
we began to draw the ponds and remove the bass to the new nursery
ponds that had been built during the summer. These fish were dis-
tributed during October and November they having reached a size
of from two to six inches, the total numbei' distributed being 77,455.

CONSTRUCTION WORK.

The opening of the construction work for the year began with
plastering, painting, building of aquariums and batteries on tht
second floor of the new hatching house. We then completed the ice
and food house. This being a stucco structure it could not be finished
the previous fall. This building is lathed and plastered, with a con
Crete floor and drain pipes and has a two hundred and eighty-nine
gallon gasoline tank installed with pump complete.

In Dam No. 4 we built an eight-foot bulkhead and dug a two foot
foundation for planking the breast and sides. Excavated five hundred
cubic yards of earth placing the same on the embankment and grad/-
ing. Next we began a series of twenty-eight concrete nursery ponds
with drains. Experienced a great deal of trouble in carrying on this
work owing to shortage of labor and the difficulty in securing ma-
terial, the material having had to be hauled a number of miles. Twenty-
two of these ponds are completed, containing 3,500 cubic yards of
concrete. Besides this work considerable filling and gra<ling was
done on the property.

^^- ^- DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES. 3^

enml^SSAil^ljJ^^^^^ '^^"^ ^^^« ^-^^^^^ for the year

YEARLING BROOK TROUT.

Bucks County,

Carbon County, ....*.!!'////' 2,400

Lackawanna County 2,300

Lehigh County, ,..:,]][', 11,450

Luzerne County, . . 1,500

Monroe County, . ...'.''*' * ' * ' 1,000

Montgomery County ^00

Northampton Countv * 2,000

Pike County, f.WV.'. *** 1^,900

Susquehanna County 275

Wayne County, . 40,920

• • • • 104,415

Total,

184,760

BROOK TROUT, ADULTS.

Bucks County,

Carbon County, 75

Lackawanna County, ^^^

Northampton County * 8

Philadelphia County *'** 230

' • 25

Total, '^^

788

BROOK TJBOUT, FRY.
Wayne County, . . .

<^i*ry Hatchery * 55,600

' • •• 32,000

Total,

87,600

LAKE TROUT, YEARLINGS.

Wayne County,

600

BROWN TROUT, ADULTS.

Bradford County,

Wayne County, . •— 2,400

Totnl — ■-

' < ••• 5,400

SMALL^MOUTH BASS, YEARLINGS.

Bedford County,

Berks County . • • • 2,400

Bradford County ' ^,100

Bucks County ' ' 2,400

Carbon County * 1,225

Chester County, . . . .' 2,400

Columbia County, ..','/,[ ^00

Cumberland County 200

^' 4,000

40 REPORT OF THE

Dauphin County,

Huntingdon County,

Juniata County,

Lackawanna County,

Lancaster County,

Lehigh County,

Luzerne County,

Lycoming County,

Monroe County,

Northampton County,

Northumberland County,

Philadelphia County,

Pike County,

Snyder County,

Schuylkill County,

Sullivan County,

Susquehanna County,

Union County,

Wayne County,

Wyoming County,

York County,

Total, .

PIKE PERCH, FRY.

.o^^^wUwPCl v/O^^B^(y# *••••••■• • ..•••••••••••

PIKE PERCH, YEARLINGS.
A T ayne Oounty, .......•..•••••••••••••••••••••••••••

BLUEGILL SUNFISH, ADULTS.

Phfladeiphia County, .,««••««••••.•••••...•••••.•••••
iVayne County, ».•..•••#•♦••••••••••••••••••••••••••

BLUEGILL SUNFISH, YEARLINGS.
tVayne County, .••• .••• ..,»»•••••■•••.••♦•

YELLOW PERCH, FRY.

jjuzerne County, •.•••»»••••••.••••••••.

Montgomery County, •..*•.

iVayne County, ....•####• •«»•••••....•

X otal, • . .. . .• »■•••••»••«•»•»«♦••••••«♦•••«•••

MINNOWS,
Wayne County, ......»••.•.•.».•.•.••••••••••••••••••

Off. Doc.

1,885
4,300

335
4,800

750*

200
13,100
1,G00
3,200
1,250
1,910
4,200
3,450
2,750
1,000
1,200
5,000
4,000

400
3,400

TT,455

750,000

600

25
150

175

050,000

150,000

3,000,000

4,100,000

7r>,ooo

No. 1).

HEPAIITMENT OF FISnERIES.

41

REPORT OF THE CORRY HATCHERY.

Hon. N. R. Buller, ^^^^J, Pa., November 30, 1917.

Commissioner of Fisheries,

Harrisburg, Penn'a.

work accomplished during Ii.e year L^h''"'" '" ^^^'^^ t^^* the'

the spring and sumn'eit From relrtrT h"n ' k*'""°* '"'^'"^ '^^'^"S
the messengers who deliver the fish nnHn,^ "T" ''e'^eiving from
whom fish have been delivered r fin,iti!r/^''° *'*"" applicants to

been planted from thistatcheVto be weJllupS^^ ^'"^ ^^^"^

There was practically no JnLnfLul ^^VPlim with water.

It has been^the custon when so.^ii fi'."'f ^^^ ''''PP^"^ «««««"•
to select the largest jSrings W l.ln ^tl,„f l*"? ^''^^'''S P^-'Po^es
would find the larJeram, nf; JIrt ^^^ ''f^ ""^'^''^ matured we
would be advisable'^o the S L- nfeLZ nf tl'^^H^iJ ^ «^Pe"ment
was directed when'sort.ngtiri^S trout ft\^'"?^*'"l' ^''**^''^'-^^-
the small flsh. These fish were Zt fV. i • . ^'"f^'^ers to pick out
three years old. We found durin"tl« ^^t^^^^^y «nd are now

( majority were fen.ales an snc" these fi^h 7'"^ '"''''°" '^^^ '^^
I be necessary to dispose o? the older Ish "'' ""'"'■'*^ " ^■'"

eggstkeutS orf^SklLtaTwnLlIt*'^ f^'^^'T^' «^ '^^
I find that the visitors an I Pn!„w ' ?°. '^^'"°*' ^'"''^ trout,

these experiments emj.lojes are intensely interested in

thf rnVSF s?b,:fio\;'^f m!fdi\°"sS.ir:i?o 'tT'^ i™-* ^'^^' «*

lings in us many different streams 'as .'lit ■*'' P'?°* ^^^ J'^"''-
an infusion of new blood '^''""' ""^ Possible in order to create

mJtur;n;r;eft"fa^l''Xo";r'7' """'r *™"* -'■-h -*» not
nom wild iroutli/'llle ZZJ:Z:'7£:''^^Z^'M''"'''
'"welZe'lZT"'' '''''' ^?«"^ ''"^ the inflislon'of^rew blood"''
eggi fr^n tl e t™,n '".e hn "' '^^^'^P^^^^"^ «- bZwnTlt
co^'^.e eyed they^S be\ i' r'bS^^^^ *'- ^^^^ be-

your direction several hateberies, as per

42

REPORT OF THE

Off. Doc.

nia trout eggs in this hatchery to be hatched. The eggs came from
a commercial hatchery at Carolina, Rhode Island, and after the eggs,
were hatched' I took care of the fish until they were three months
old, when they were sent to the Club at Oil City. The membeis
highly appreciated the favor.

You directed me to send the few different species of warm water
fish which I held in the ponds to the Union City Hatchery for breed-
ing purposes, as the water at this place is too cold and we are only
successful with brown and brook trout. ^

The interior of the hatchery building had three coats of pamt.
During the winter we removed a lot of underbrush and old stumps
from around the old hatching house and did some grading around

the grounds. . ^. , ^

We were successful in getting the Electric Light Company to ex-
tend their line to the hatchery grounds. The convenience of light and
power for grinding fish food is very satisfactory.

I wish to call your attention to the need of a new ice and meat

house. ,

I trust this report will meet with your approval.

Respectfully,

A. G. BULLER,

Superintendent.

Following is the output of fish and eggs from the Corry Hatchery
for the year ending November 30, 1917:

LAKE TROUT, SIX MONTHS OLD.
Planted in Lake Erie,

BLUEGILL SUNFISH, ADULTS.

Erie County,

(••«..••......•**•

BLUEGILL SUNFISH, TWO YEAR OLDS.
T&vm County,

wm

BLUEGILL SUNFISH, YEARLINGS.

Erie County, . . .

.....*.

»»»...».•..••

.....•.•.

1 ,800

CALICO BASS, ADULTS.

Erie County,

».•••....••••

..... f

20

CATFISH, ADULTS.

Erie County,

.■■...*

«».••.•.••••••

*......•.•••

45

tadpolp:s, yearlings.

County,

...•*.••.••

«■•.••>..'•••

•....*•*••

5,000

No. 9.

DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.

brook trout, two-year olds.

Delaware County

Erie County, ../

Merd^r County,

Venango County, ..'.!'.!!'.'.['/.

Total,

BROOK TROUT, YEARLINGS
Allegheny County, ...

Armstrong County,

Butler County

Bradford County

Berks County, . .

Clearfield County,* '/..',

Cameron County,' *

Clarion County, '

Carbon County,

Centre County, . . . '.

Cumberland County

Crawford County, .'. *.

Columbia County, •

Clinton County, .'......

Dauphin County, ti*

Elk County, ... — .......;

rie County, ♦-^ ♦^ « »^v# .w «^ t . » . ,

Franklin County * * * *

Forest County ' ' * " * * * • • • •••-... .

Fayette County, ." •.*•..... ......,-.,.

Indiana County •.-•*•*-*• ^..-v,.. ,,...

Jefferson County, . ! ' *^ ' •••*».♦.. ..,.,.

Lancaster Countr\^ <^» • • • . . . • . . *.....

Luzerne County, '.!!!'"*"**' •••.*•♦

Lycoming County, .' "

McKean CountyJ ....*.*.;'.

Monroe County, ' • *• * • •

Northumberland County '*'

Pike County, ^'

Perry County, *. * * * '

Potter County,

Somerset County, ...!!.

Sulliyan County/

Schuylkill County, .[[

Tioga County, . . f '

Union County,

Venango County,

Wayne County; '

Warren County, .

ashington County

^*^*^^- •.r.z'i''-

43

400

050

J50

25

1,525

4,725
900
1,750
14,375
2,625
10,150
20,220
5,550
17,175
12,975
33,815
1,5G0
12,250
18,750
3,040
25,600
18,605
9,620
13,100
1 ,000
900
2,100
4,125
4,475
23,450
26,000
6,600
3,125
1,820
520
61,865
2,700
3,500
4,200
33,105
11,910
15,425
33,070
9,185
2,500

479,260

44 REPORT OF THE

BROWN TROUT, TWO YEAR OLDS.

Bradford County,

Crawford County,

-J3elaware County,

Venango County,

Total,

BROWN TROUT, ADULTS.

Erie County,

Venango County,

Total,

BROOK TROUT, ONE YEAR OLD.

Butler County,

Bedford County,

Bradford County,

Clearfield County,

Clarion County,

Carbon County,

Delaware County,

Erie County,

Lawrence County, -

Luzerne County,

Northampton County,

Potter County,

Sullivan County,

Tioga County,

Union County,

Wayne County,

Totfll, ••

EYED BROWN TROUT EGGS.

Bellefonte Hatchery, • .

Wayne County Hatchery,

Total,

SUMMAEY.

Two- Year Old Brook Trout, . . • • • ..,,.•...

Year-Old Brook Trout, ....,,,,,.....

Adult Brown Trout, .•»••••••••••..

Two- Year Old Brown Trout, .»••.•.. • . .•••......*•,•••

Year-Old Brown Tront, ......*»•••«.•«•••».••«••«*»••

Six-Month Old Lake Trout, ...........................

Eyed Brown Trout Eggs,

.A-Qult xjiuegiiis, ,,,..,..«....••»•••••..••••••••••.•••

Two- Year Old Bluegills

Year-Old Bluegills,

2\,ciuil oaiico isass, .•....,.»........»•••».•..•..•. ••!

jc\.ciuil v-'aTinsn, ..««.»»»•.»»..•..«•...»••••••••.»••••

Yearling Tadpoles,

Off. Doc.

1,050

300

500

25

1,875

46
125

171

11,000
2,000

300
2,000
2,100
4,650
3,000
5,000
3,000
2,850

450
5,900

900

4,050

1,000

25,600

78,

300,000
75,000

375,000

1 ,525
479,260

171

1,875

f3,800

30,000

375,000

265

300

1,800

20

45

5,000

No. 9.

DEPARTMExXT OF FISHERIES.

REPORT OF THE BELLEFONTE HATCHERY.

45

Hon. X. R. Duller, Bellefonte, Pa., November 30, 1917.

Commissioner of Fisheries,

Harrisburg, Peiin'a.
Sir: — The following is a n^nnrt ,>p +i
fonte Hatcliei-y for the year en.m ^ v ^ ''''''^ ''""e »* the Belle-
Tlie year opened w th a nir^ nl^ November 30, 1017:

. a nice lot of^brook Ut L sn. e rL^'T'* "S^"^*^ P°"^'^-''-
for stocking the various streams ot Lr ^ ^^'^'^'"^ ^"^ applicants
also two pounds of lake tro itW Ho !"°r'''^»'"'- Tiiere were
only water suitable for That snle el ^T?^'' t'^'^' "^at being the
and brown trout were of "ood ^i^e In i ', •" *''^ ''^^^'^- The brook
Ave to seven inches in leCh ^f^ t ..m ^ ',"V^ 5*' ^^"^^ '"''''"'ge from
totakecareoftheinselvesXn'Xe,^^"^^' * '" ''''" '""'^ ^^-^'l able
'ThSe'bi:^'^" "'^ «I-i.>g" Sropen;!" ^^"""•^' """ '"- '-"-
elubrriI%vrthrShfte"7to'T' 'Tr'^ *•••"•" "- «'^hern,en and
the persistent stockln^lVCl^rtS'of''/- T^"^*'^ ""^'""'''' '^
year, and every one seems wellplen^ed li "'T'' ^' *'°'"g ^verv
easily judge how well pleaJed the ,,iv± ** "''''"•-;'• *"' ^«^'t «"« can
well taken care of the flsh are and how mi' m,:'!,' "'"" ^^'"'^ ^"^ ''ow
being received. "^^^ quickly they arc j.Ianted after

During the first part of Decenihp.- uur *i
thousand brown trout eggs Sm 'f on^'t "o ^'^'^two hundred
these were all hatched bv the Hsf f ?«" *V ^""''F H«tchery an,l
were received from the ^^lissm n Hnt.h ""• .'" J"»"ary^ there

of sickness whatever. 1 am nrm.d to «, Irl'"? '^'^'""'t «"y sigifs
■filled with as nice a lotothZkZrZJ^''^^^'' *''•'"«''*' ^^'«'e all
fonte Hatchery ever held at nnvm,«f^" T!i *'"°"t that the Belle-
were kept bu.4 about a 1 thc^Urtakh,.^""' "'yself au.l assi.stants

H;^t^rvri:^u?.if£r-^^"^

egS recdv d1 on^.'^''^^ "f hn>ok trout

a>..i reared with whic Lo 'toe f o" ^'''^''.''f '•"""^^ ^o be hatched
There were also m-o 1,1 1,, 1 ^^'^''''V"-' °^ <''«■ '^'tate during 1918

hatched out ad re red fo sjL 1^2 ,• 'T" ^''""^ '^^' to be
In Miirch 1Q17 fl r ^tockmg during the same vear

«-l ^'e tt'si^etKZnrZer: '^Z,lu '">',r"'"""^^' ""^<"-•^•
work was started at o,,ce ndevorvt,!^ ''"'''' ''^'^ "^'^^" l'"'"''^- This

the ponds. They are a HirA T,; i ^/"**"' '" "^^•i"l"'e«« to build

<^i .ire all thii ti feet long, fourteen feet wide and three

46

REPORT OF THE

Off. Doc.

feet deep with a two-inch pipe to give the water a good flow through
the ponds, as that is what is needed in the rearing of trout as the
water must be well aerated.

There was also a raceway built, the same being fifty feet long,
eight feet wide and three feet deep. This is used to filter the water
as too much sand goes into the ponds if the water is not filtered.

Six new walls were put in the gold fish pond. There are (piite a
number of schools in the State that want gold fish and 1 am trying
my best to meet all the demands made upon this hatchery for this
species of fish.

There was a lot of all kinds of work done at tliis hatchery during
the year. The old hatching house on the place which was no good
was torn down, all the timber put away, the walls all torn down
and the place filled up with dirt ready to make a lawn.

In June there was a carload of trees sent to the hatchery bv order
of the Commissioner, the same to be planted in the hatchery grounds.
Most of the trees were maple and fruit trees — aj^ide, jjear an<l cheri'y.
They were all planted an<l are being well taken care- of and there is
now a nice lot of trees in the grounds at the hatchery.

In October the Commissioner was at the hatchery and gave me
orders to p)ut a new steam-heating plant in the dwelling house, wiiich
orders were carried out at once. Tlieie was also an electric light
plant installed with which to furnish light for the dwelling house, the
hatchery, barn and some were put in the yard. These lights are a
big improvement and extremely useful as they afford better working
facilities for the men as manv times thev have to work verv late at
night and early in the morning during the shipping period.

A wall was put in under the dwelling house as the old one was no
good. There was also a si<lewalk built in front of the dwelling house,
and some walls jnit under other buildings which weie Imdly in need
of repair, so now everything is in ])retty goo<l sluipe.

Few people in the State realize how mn<h care and attention must
l>e given fish in order to rear them large enough for stocking ]>ur-
poses. The little fish cannot be left alone veiy long at a time be-
cause should anything go wrong with the water it would not take
ver}^ many minutes before all of them would die. There are also
nuiny enemies to the little fish and tlies(» must be guarded against,
so taking it all in all, they are just like so many babies to be taken
care of and the Superintendent and assistants have not much spare
time during the year. However, the past year's work has been very
satisfactory and I believe the oufimt for the year lUlS will exceecl
that of the present year, which has been very good.

Very respectfully submitted.

W. F. HAAS,

Superintetidefit.

The following is the output of fish from the Bellefonte Hatchery
for the year ending November 30, 1017:

BROOK TROUT.

Adams County,

Allegheny County,

Berks County,

Bradford County,

1 ,800
f)00

2,800
22,500
29,100

^''' ^' DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES. 4^
Bedford County, . . . ^

Cambria County, 6,300

Carbon County, '. . .* 53,100

Centre County, .....' 0,600

Chesjjei; County, . . 69,400

Clearfield County . 3,000

Clinton County, /. . 98,900

Columbia County, .. 1,800

Cumberland County • • 26,400

Dauphin County, . /. * 2,100

Delaware County, * 5,700

Elk County, .' 2,400

Fayette County, 600

Huntingdon County 31,500

Indiana County, . .'. . 30,600

Juniata County, 4,500

Lancaster County, . . .* ' 4,800

Lebanon County, .* 16,600

Luzerne County, '. . . * '• 15,300

Lycoming County, . .* ^ 64,200

Mifflin County, . • 15,300

Montgomery County 29,800

Monroe County, . . . ' 6,300

Northumberland County 27,900

Fhiladelphla County 10,200

Fotter County, ... •— 4,500

Schuylkill County, 6,000

Snyder County, 69,700

Somerset County 2,700

Snllivan County,'. 23,700

Tioga County, 11,700

Union County, .* .' 4,200

Westmoreland CountV 21,000

York County, . . 28,200

5,100

Total, ....

766,900

BBOWN TROUT.

Blair County,

Bedford County "'* *"" •"• 9,300

Cambria County ** ••' •••••• 5,700

Carbon County, "••••••• •-..,.,.-.•.. 15,900

Centre County ' * * * • * ' ' * • • -^ • - • • • . 21,900

Chester County * " " " ' •"•••^••••••♦^^••-••••^..•••. 17,700

Clearfield County *•.••-....... .,,.. 1200

Colundiia County' * .' ' " * * 19,500

Cund)erland County ^,200

Dauphin County, . ' 3,300

Delaware County, . . . * " 3,600

Huntingdon County 6,600

Indiana County 7,800

Lebanon County, 2,100

Luzerne County 300

- 29,900

48 REPORT OF THE

Lycoming County,

Mifflin County,

Monroe County,

Northampton County,

Northumberland County,

Philadelphia County,

Pike County,

Schuylkill County, ,

Sullivan County,

Susquehanna County,

Tioga County,

Westmoreland County,

AVyoming County,

Total,

LAKE TROUT.

Erie County.

Luzerne Coifnty,

Total,

Off. Doc.

15,300

300

11,400

8,400

3,900

5,900

3,000

5,100

4,200

GOO

5,100

900

900

217,000

80,000
17,500

97,500

REPORT OF TORRESBALE HATCHERY.

Torr^liiley Pa., Noveaal^r 80, 1917.
Hon. N. R. Buller,

Commissioner of Fisheries,

Harrisburg, Pa*

Sir: — I herewith submit to you my annual report of the opeia-
tions of the Torresdale Hatchery for the year emling November 30,
1917:

Early in December, 1916, the hatching house was fitted up to mr
ceive the white fish and herring eggs from the lake. There were
two hundred and thirteen quarts of herring eggs received from Erie^
but on account of the bad weather on the lakes, did not get any white
fish eggs.

Before the cold weather started in the fall of 1916 the brood fish
were all sorted and placed back in tlie brood ponds for the follow-
ing spring work. The ponds were all filled witli water and everything
was put in good condition before the cold winter weather started.

Through the w^inter months the herring eggs were cared for and
the rest of the time was taken up in repair work on the hatchery
grounds. All of the dead trees and stumjis on the grounds w-ere taken
out and cleaned away, and there were a great many cinders drawn
from the Torresdale Filter Plant for filling in around the Iiatchery
and other places on the grounds that had to be graded. The hatchery

No. 9.

DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.

49

through the banks. The old TtonebuuLf„ ".f ''^*" ^''"ng holes
which was located iiea Ahe uuner em nf fi' "' ""l "l'^ "?""« '^«"«e,
i'einodele<l and n.ade into an ke house T hi'nf"''"'' "'•'"•^^ P""^' ^^'««
was tilled up with large aUnJ^t^nTj J ^- '*^" ^''""8 "nderneath
this the stones we.^^covered\Sth S n ,"^°\'* ''''••^*^ '*^^t- After
foot of sawdust. The floor nbovewn.*.'* ^^^y^'■ °' ''''out one
(lone the building wL fl?le. Iw th it f ^^'! ""V-**"^ ^"<^'- tl>is was
sunnner months. ^^ '*''' '"^* ^^^ shipping through the

to'r;^;^ bir^'^Lr.vsi^:^: d-Li^ '^r ^^-'^^ i--'^

through a pipe leading to the sluicewa a !d KT V' ^'■'»^^" ««
;lown to its level theie would be ihon) tun f" . ''l*^'' '* ^'^« •^''a^^i
kettle of the pond ev.rv t 1| ,lt w ,1^?. * °f '''''**'^'" ^^" i» ^^^
water would either have to l^e^ u ,,ed m,^ 'T'', ''"" '^'*^«»«"' this
wiiich would take quite a lonMi o^ tiv n^ f/' ''''^''^ ?".'* ^ith buckets
the pond can be draincnl pe.-^c y drv iC . "^ '" "'? .*^™^^ "« P'P«
There was an electric mrnm in^ i^i;. I ^i ''' ''' ^''"'•'^ ""P'oven.ent.
one hundre.1 and thi^^ tv-t ; i^.Zs .^ if' f T"^'"'^ capacity of
elevation. This punq, i^^^s set i s iV n, T?';*''' *? " ^'^''ty-flve foot

tion pipe leadin'g to' th;'\: iVins de L w^ll'of'Z';""' "V"^'
tension of the hatcherv Tim «-,.ii ! ]• , . ^ue proposed ex-

large yellow percl on i: fo^^od tJ "ono "^;\* .^f'^ r'^' ^^^^i- from the
water from the pond. The discOinle of ti ' ''" ^^' "'*^'"" "' ^he head
tnnk on the second flooi of the I -ff, . • , ^'"""'' '''"'' *^«"nected to a
tirely by na-ans of arXctrict- td'whfcl'i^ "r'/' ^"^'^'"^"^ '^»-
and when the tank is fnl the e leSi sw tcl c 'r'''"' ""t»'"''*'^'''"y'
«>ops. When the tank is e up v the c r -ent ?, t .""* '7"^ *'" ''"'"P
pump starts. The tank is co ...r-J/i „ v ^ turned on and tlie

iiig the hatching bouses ^ ^ ' ^""'^ "'""'"« '"''-''■ ""^ »^oa-

""•1 "' v<.ry ba.l con.lition 'tL> boil ^ „i°X%^J ''•^^^''^'''^ '""^
were taken ai>ait and stoied iw^v ,s tl„ wf " ^*'''"" 1"""I'«

'lition and one of the p mns , 4^'w,. f *"'; "'"" '" ™'">' '^"f' <^"'V

tliat we e nnue on. f fo. ,h ^''^^''^^''^ /""HI concrete ponds

in the fall the - a e 3 St hihS non ','" '"];"'«'" '^'' ^P""^' '■""'
are collected fron. the br^od ponSr.ih- f^i^.l''^ «"«'^^""^ «^" ^'^^

4—9—1918

50

KEPOIIT OF THE

Off. Doc.

dation wall was finished the fill inside the wall was made and the
sewer connections were j)nt in. After this was done tlie concrete
floor was made so that when the time comes lor putting np the ex-
tension to the hatching house, it can be started froui tlie ground
iloor.

The sea wall along the hatchery property, which was put in at lo\v
water mark, was completed, and all of the low marshy ground has
been filled in with dirt above the high water luark. After this has
been graded down and levelled up and planted with grass, it will
give the hatchery grounds as nice a river frontage as there is along
the Delaware Kiver.

Early in the spring the two motor boats were painted and the
engines overhauled and put into first-class condition before they were
put in operation. The boats are kept through the summer in the new
intake that was just completed for the sedimentation basin of the
Torresdale Filter Plant. The intake is one hundred feet wi<le and
aft'ords a fine harbor for the boats through the summer time. A large
float is used for landing, and as the water in the intake is seventeen
feet deep at low water, we are always able to run the boats up to the
float.

Both of the boats were pulled out on the bank of tlie river in front
of the hatchery for the winter months.

A great deal of time was devoted to the collecting of minnows to
be shipped out for stocking purposes to build up the food sujiply for
the other fishes in streams where this source of food su]>])ly has run
out. There were also manv thousand minnows collected for the dlf-
ferent brood bass ponds at the State hatcheries. The minnows col-
lected here are of the dog fish variety. They grow very fast and get
to be a good size and are very meaty, Ti^y aie also hard to kill
in cold weather. For this reason Ihey can be lian<lled in very large
quantities with little loss. It has been fouud that thiough the cold
winter months they go into streams that ilow into the river and lay in
very large schools until spring ojiens. After that they go back to the
river and scatter along the shores of the river and in low marshy
places to deposit their eggs.

On account of the scarcity of food 1 think that this is a very good
work that the Departmout has taken up, for two reasons: Fii'st,
it feeds the fish in the streams wheie there is nothing for them to
eat, and if it were not for this work a large amount of the game and
food fish would starve to death lor want of something to eat. Second,
it has been found where they breed in the hnv marshy plac(*s along
the river that the food fish cannot get to them to feed on them and for
this reason they have multiplied in the rivei- in such large nund)ers
that the larger minnows feed fiom the young tish of the eatable va-
rieties when they go to the shoal water along the river in search of
food.

The herring eggs received the early part of Dec(»mber from the
Erie hatchery were cared for through the winter nionths. The dead
eggs w^ere worked otf as much as possible. On account of the cold
water they were slow to fungus an<l raise to the top of the hatching
jar. This made it very hard to se|>arate the bad ones fiom the good
ones. The eggs were ship]»ed back to the Bvie hntchery on the 15th
of March, just before they started to hatch, or in the eyed-up stage.

In the latter part of November, lt)17, there wen* three* hundred
quarts of white fish eggs received from Erie. The hatching house was

No. 9.

DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.

61

K^ard'Subatfor '''' ''■'''' ^^'-^^ ^" t'^e hatching jars an.I

•spawning period of the yelfow peT-Jh !r?v'I/""*^'V°"^ ^'"•»"g'' «'«
a great many more eggs coCtid f L • *"'^ ^"•"*- '"""1 "i^re were
the percli eggs collected weil v!,l ",'" ^^^ y*^'"" Previous. All of

little los. %.iae.V:^^iEri:::::'^z'^::!^^-^^i^ ver,

^as over we wp,.« i....-,. :..''_ ,r^'*^®-. ^«fo'e the

J !>„•,„ — -...v,., luc eggs COUl

there were a great many gathered fm.,, r..:.* i t .-•' i^"""'

spawning season was on4 we were IncK-^,? , h""^'^' ^''^"'^ the
ground of the perch in the Dp nwn,.i p-^ " locating the spawning
grounds were located we fomd the cm»n!-*''*- ^^^^'' ^''^'^^ «Paw„ini
were shore net fisherman there nni w 1 1'*'"' '^-^'^ ^"'y ^^^J «'^ therl
for suckers, and were dragg ng^ ie ?e W ITT' ""' ''"^^ ^•'''"""^^1
•shores of the river by the bushels nm? i.n, • <?*"'"'' ""^^^ ""* »" the
sun and die. It was aCfonml tl.n. . 5 *''*''" *" *">' "'«'« »' tl>e
had spawned at high Sernear heX'e ofTh?."' *''^^f ^'^^^ "^"•^•"
tide went down the eggs were left hi. ^nn ?! f '''''^''' """' ^^''"^» the
eggs that were spawned on the m, dd v h^f/""""'"i "'."' **"'"« «' tl'"
smothered. All of these eges th-it f W "k,'" J"^ ^^"^ "^•^r ^-"e
gathered and hatched ouUn the I- trh ^"''wl^ ^""^ "« *» ««ve were
the Delaware River hatchery and the fty placed back in

Since it is a known fact tint nil .^f *i ,.
water for many miles aiound li 1 t ^'""""T ^^''^ '" « ''"'l^' "'
spawn, I would suggest hat I.?, i,!?. ^ """ '''"*"•' *° ''*^Po«it their
«iver, although it is m, ^I^^^^^^^T' ""/"^ ""''^^'^'^
a warden day and ni<rht tliroimi. ti.i • ""'*'''' '>*' guarded by

of fishermen with a dra^ Zto^t!^ spawning season, as on,> gang
or two. ' ""^"^ ''"^ ^«" '•'"" Juany ""Hion eggs in an hour

Ha\cS'o';'?.ALf6f,r\VtL''r';.''^^-' '"••"" *"« ^^'«vne County
i» the spring tha it is ■Lw'^''f'' '" '""*^'' '"'•»'>*''• '''i^a-'f'''! herd
hatclK-d and^I W\,^^, 'e,,^''^'^^ V;':'"f>-. ''-y P«"''<1' eggs were all
eggs from Wavne Ooi h fvero .n , P that were hatched from the
Delaware River so as to ?!. ,? fi &"*f'^ '" "''"tol Lake and the

The perch f7y we, e all Sen^ ?f ''"^ "^^'' '" *''<•«« ^af^'^'

of the Delaware River Susoi eh ,.' , i":I'<-" t""ent in the waters
(hereof. There were KoiT '',•''"'' '^*'''"'''''^'''- ""<1 tributaries

brood pond wit.r ,';»'; al^;' Zo rth/^VtL'tuT?/ H*''^' "='^^'"T>'
shipped out as fingerlinff fish •,ml J t the fal of the year to be

The shad fishing ifbe Del" '^,''?,? "^ V'*" '",<""' ■^"l'l">-
season. After the nets were nut nn! .•''' ** "'■^'''' ''''>' '"t« tliis
watch kept on the Si tlat >vc le c-.u'X" '"" ^''^'-^.^'^^ " very close
i.o shad eggs collected intil tl,„ „. ^ * for spawn, „jj. There were
the spawnTng season of Jib nd T '^. "^ ^^"•'' ^'^''' A" through
were a ""n.ber of f es J in ? e fv''^^'^^ ^''''-^ *^"''' ""'1 there

bad condition, and there wer! ^'i"* ""l'^ ^'"^ ^^""t^'' "> very

Delaware RiveV ?o leposk tllh- ^J ^' 'T '''■''*^ •'•'•"'« "'*« the
be a great niany dr /rmad bv , r^ 'i *""'" "'■^."''^ ^'""''^ ^v">""
single shad, ancl oftentin es n crew nf fi i'"'^'' '*''^''""t ^"t''""« "

or two shad for theiinVS work A^^i!f"''7.^''^'^ '^"'>' ^ "^
there was a verv close wntcb Vlt\. H *'i'"'?"S'' the spawning season
AH of the eggs coCted ^iroTi " V'^ flshermen for the ripe shad,
the hatchery ^"'"'^'^"'^ ''«''« taken by our men in the vicinitv of

52

llEPOR'l^ OP THE

Off. Doc.

The New Jersey Fish Comniissiou made an effort to collect some
shad eggs in different locations along the Delaware, but were not
able to collect a single egg. Mr. William Buller was stationed at
Bridgeton, New Jersey, on the Cohansey Creek, but was unabe to col-
lect any eggs.

The eggs that were collected by us were very nice and were hatched
out with very little loss. The eggs were hatched in the pond water
and turned out very nice strong fry. The fry were all planted by the
New Jersey Fish Commission in the upper waters of the Delaware
River.

On account of the shad being so scarce in the river it was thought
best not to extend the shad season for the talcing of shad to the
fishermen who brought their eggs to the hatchery because the amount
collected would be so small that it would not pay.

There were a few shad fry placed in one of the small concrete
ponds for the purpose of holding them to the fall of the year and then
trying to transfer them to another pond without killing the small
shad. This fall when the pond was drawn down the shad had grown
to be about four inches in length, and I am glad to say that they
were moved from the concrete i)ond to another pond without any hai*m
being done to the small fish.

After the close of the shad season the catfish work was started.
The brood fish in the ponds spawned very well and were well cared
for. There were a great many thousand catfish eggs gathered from
the flats along the river and hatched out in the hatching jars. They
were all hatched out in the pond water which was found to be much
better for the eggs than the river water. After these fry were hatched
and about the time they absorbed their food sac, they were planted
back in the river, with the exception of a few thousand, which were
placdd in a couple of the fry ponds on the hatchery grounds. These
were fed and cared for until the fall of the year when they were
shipped out. It has been found in the hatchery brood ponds that
where there are a great many brood catfish in the ponds along with
the small fish that a great many of the snuiU fish are eaten by th#
adult fish. As the young catfish all go out in schools together it is
very easy for a large catfish to dart among the little ones and catch
them, so after this where it is possible to keep the small catfish in se^
arate ponds from the adult fish it will be done.

The fyke nets were rigged up and fished in the river, and there were
several thousand adult fish collectcid in this manner. The greater
part of them were shipped out and placed in different streams itt
the State.

The bluegill sunfish fry were all reared in the brood ponds along
with the brood fish, the same as years before. I cannot see that the
brood fish disturb the small fish. In the fall of the year the ponds
were drawn down and the small fish were taken out and shipped.

The frogs were allowed to go from one pond to another to deposit
their eggs, ankl the tadpoles were collected in the fall and shipped
out. It was found that when the ponds were drawn down that a
great numy of the tadpoles had turned into frogs, and as soon as the
water would commence to get low in the pond the little frogs w^ould
go jumping out on the banks of the pond through the grass.

The gold fish were reared in the ponds as years before. The brood
fish were placed in a pond and allowed to spawn on the water hva-

No. 9.

DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.

53

cmth, and after the plant was full of Pora« u «
pond for hatching. It walfound thi?!! ^''Y^^^^^^^ to another
gotten into the gold fish broodnnn^i f""'' *^'^^ ^ ^^* ^^ toads had
fllled with toad tSpoS By i^obse^^^^^^^^ 'f *^^ ^^^ -«

tiny tadpoles were dinging to the roo^^^^^ ^""^ ^''""- *^^'^

the gold fish had deposiid^heir e^^^^^^^ ^Vi^^^^t^. where

thousands. ^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^^ mating the eggs by the

a great number of visitors at tl J H./ *" "^^f " ^^^""^ ""^^e been
year to year the peop e seem to fill "'^' •".*'*^ P^*** y"^"-- From
tion of flsh. There are .n^fil" '"'*'''' '°**^'''^«t ^^ «»e propaga-

needed at this hatcrerrand'spSn^S^*'^!;* ""''.'''' ^^^^^
grounds. The extension tn ti.l f f ^ .*^® P®"<^^ ^^ the hatchery-

anid there -should be T new stable aml^'' ""''V^ ^''''^'y "«^d«^-
dwelling house ^""^ ^ ""^^ *»> roof PUt on the

operattf/itinLT;^ l^^j^^i:^^!:^'""' ^ '^^ ^-^ -

The distribution of fish forThe pat'LrTolltr' ^""

Very Respectfully,

J. R. BERKHOUS,

T^^,, . . ^ Superintendent.

Yearling Sunfish
Adult Catfish . . .
^'earling Goldfish

ADAMS COUNTY

1,500
350
100

BERKS COUNTY.

Yearling Sunfish

Yearling Catfish .' ••••••

Adult Catfish ;;;;*; ••••••

MiAiB cou:nty.

Adult Catfish ....

Yearling Sunfish ..':::.' ' '••

13,500

2,400

275

• . . . •

375
500

BRADFORD COUNTY.
Yearling Stinfigh ........

Yearling Catfish ......'"•••••"• •

Adult Catfish .... •••••••• — •--...

3,000

30(1

50

Yearling Sunfish . .
Yearling Catfish . . .
Catfish Fry
Adult Catfish .' '..'.'.
Yearling Bass ....
Yellow Peich Fry

BUCKS COUNTY.

-'■•....,,.

• • . . .

• . • . .

....

. • * . .

••••».

• . • . .

*••••»»
•••.....,,
*••••••.,.

••

••••.•.,♦,.,,,

• • .

0,000

300

20,000

325

1,700

20,000,000

54 REPORT OF THE

BUTLER COUNTY.

-•- ^M.-*- J-A"^ OUlllloli ••■•••••«•••••••••••••••«••««..,,«(,,

CARBON COUNTY.

Yearling Sunfish

Yearling Catfish

CHESTER COUNTY.

Yearling Catfish

Adult Catfish

Yearling Sunfish

Tadpoles

Adult Sunfish ....!.!.!!

X tjcii iin^ jjabs ••••.••••#•«

Yearling Yellow Perch ., * ....,.,

CLEARFIELD COUNTY.

Adult Catfish .... « * ••••••.•••#«.»..••,*.,».,,,#,.,,.,

Yearling Catflsh ....••.,........,.,;....,,.

CLINTON COUNTY.

Yearling Sunfish .•.....»..•....,.,......,.,...,.,

Adult Catfish

Yearling Catfish .•...,.»,.*,......,,,....

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^LUMBTAOOUNTr;

Yearling Catfish .....................................

Adult Catfish .....••.♦.......,........,.....,,.,.,,..

CUMBERLAND COUNTY'.

Auuii v^a tnsii ..•••.•... ...,.......,..,,.,,...,,,^...,

Yearling Catfish ;

. DAUPHIN COUNTY.
Y'earling Catfish ...*........

DELAWARE COUNTY.

Yearling Sunfish

Yearling Catfish

Adult Catfish

Yearling Bass

HUNTINGDON COUNTY.
Yearling Catfish

JEFFERSON COUNTY.
Yearling Catfish

LACKAWANNA COUNTY.

Adult Catfish

Yearling Catfish

Off. Doc.

300
1,500

5,500
300

300

181

7,500

5,000

6

800

100

625
600

500
150
COO

900
150

i

900

1,500

4,800
300
200
100

300

500

50
300

^°- ^- DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.

55

LANCASTER COUNTY.

Yearling Catfish

Yearling Sunfish 3,000

Adult Catfish 2,500

Yearling Bass 125

• 100

LEBANON COUNTY.
Yearling Sunfish . . .

500

LEHIGH COUNTY.

Yearling Sunfish

Yearling Catfish ... 1,000

900

LUZERNE COUNTY.
Yearling Catfish . . .
Yearling Sunfish ...,*' 3,000

Adult Catfish .... •••••••••••••*•••••••••••.....•.. 12,500

•-...*............,, ,^,^^^^^^ ^^^^

LYCOMING COUNTS
Yearling Catfish .......

Adult Catfish ... ****" ••.•..♦....... m)0

..-....,,,..., 50

1K)NR0E COUNTY.
Yearling Sunfish .....

Yearling Catfish .... 7,500

Adult Catfish .. ••*•••••••••••••••••••••.....•... 1.200

Yearl ing Yellow Perch * ••••'•••••••-•......-..., 720

MONTGOMJSBY COUNiT.

porting Sunfish ..........

Adult Catfish . •••••••••••••....... .... ....... 07,500

Yearling Catfish •••••••............ 2,450

Yellow Perch Frv ••....♦..♦. .... 1,200

•^ 10,000^)00

NORTHAMPTON COUNTY.

Yearling Sunfish

Yearling Catfish •* • . . 14,.500

Yearling Yellow Percii * ^'^^^^

• 150

NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY.

Yearling Catfish

0(M)

PERRY COUNTY.

Yearling Bass . .

500

I*1IILA DELPHI A COUNTY.
Fingerling Catfish ....

Fingerling Sunfish ' ' ^'^^^^

^ 3,700

66 REPORT OF THE Off. Doc.

Adult Catfish 380

Fingerling Gold Fish 4,000

Catfish Fry 10,000

Sturgeon Adult 8

Yellow Perch Fry 15,000,000

Adult Sunfish 80

SCHUYLKILL COUNTY.

Yearling Catfish 2,100

Yearling Sunfish 1,500

SNYDER COUNTY.

Yearling Catfish .*«•««•«•••«•«•«•«*••.•»*•••••••••«.• 000

Yearling Sunfisli .«•.•••,••••«•••••««»«••••••• 2,000

SOMERSET COUNTY.

SULLIVAN COUNTY.

J. eariing v^axnsn ....•»»»«•#•••«**...»•#••••.••......• ^^wr

^\(iuxx v^amsu «#.#«#•#•••»••♦••#•#•••♦#»••••. • • • . • • • • . iw#u

SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY.

Y^earling Catfish •.•.«••»••.•••«.,•••«•*•••.••«..•..•. 4,200

Yearling Sunfish ,.•.••.•..••.••.........••..... 50ff

TIOGA COUNTY.

X ^Ari.iiis v^iwOwu (•••.....■...*..■.«•..•*...•..••••••• ^R^f

UNIOM ^WNTY.

A- eai iing v^cimsu •......##«•#••#•. •••t. #••«•«••. «••••• ^^^v

WAYNE COUNTY.

Yearling Sunfish «•«••«••««•«•*••••.•.•••••••*•,«•.«•• 1,500

^ eai ling t^a msn . . ..••#••«••.•.###.••#•.•••• •*# ..«««.•« x^di^xf"

xXv 1 111 L v^ct Lll^U ..•*....#«• . • ....••..•..>. # # •....•..##•«•. tZ'J

WYOMING COUNTY.

Yearling Sunfish 3,000

Adult Catfish 100

YORK COUNTY.

Yearling Sunfish 11 ,.500

X eai ling v^a xnsn •••.•*••••••••••...» ..•....•.•• x.c^uu

DEPARTxMEKT OF FISHERIES.

No. 9.

-^x^xvxMHijNT OF FISHERIES.

jiiTL'z r.„?a'S .°„'„Sr> •'» ""•"«. «»■

1 ello w Percli Fry

Catfish Fry [[]][[ 98,700,000

Shad Fry 25,000

I^jed Herring Eggs Shipped 't;; the EnVnal^ii;;^- ! ! ! ] ! ] ] ] |S5

SUMMARY.
Yellow Perch Fry

Sliad Fry ..:;;: 98,700,000

Eyed Herring Eggs 2,000,000

River Minnows .' 6,660,000

Yeailing Sunfish . "

Yearling Catfish . . '"' ' •' ' * ' * "

Catfish Fry '•••••••••••••......•...

Adult Catfish*; '•••••••*•••••••••...-.•........

GoM Fish Yearlings* *•'••••••••*-••

Yearling Bass "•••••"*••*•••-••••••.*.-........

Tadpoles 1 1! ;""••""•••••••••••••••••-... ...

Yearling Yellow Perch* "*"*"*••••••'•"•••'•••••..•.

Adult Sunfish . •••••'•••••••••••••....•..••....

Adul t S tu rg eon '**'*"'*•••••'•••••••♦••••*•...♦.•..

^«^^' ••••...

150,000

172,000

39,700

55,000

9,841

4,100

3,200

5,000

550

86

8

• ♦ •_

. . 107,805,485

REPORT OF THE U^ION CITY l^OHERY.

Hon. N. Pv. Duller, ^ '''*''' *^'*^'' ^'*- November 30, 1917.

Commissioner of Fisheries
Harrisburg, Penna.

ii'g a ]iite lot of fry ru .J^ufl- ^ condition and pmnis-

shipped -to i:ri<^- ; lie ;dV.?.cLl 'v T',"''*'' 'ff '''"'' '"'t*-''"^'! «""

pikrpc;'.;;-' J.;gf two ',;;mh'" "/ ''^■'■'':'« ''•^- ^ "'^<^'^<^^i *»»•• "'nnon

FlslieHes at l^!ii„]..v o'- t':«>'' t'"^ '^"'t^^'l States Bnreai, of
at Erie itse eZ ;fe\e l'lT'i;;''it''"' Ti'-""" ^'••"" *''« I'^tchery
in^..o tan,, and rhW>erin^^;,K:\,S:,r f T'^ta Je''*^ ''' ^'''' "^'^ "

same time tL piL perch were "^"'"'^ ^"'^ "'^'PP'^'* «* »'^«"t tl.e

58

BEPOllT OF THE

Off. Doc.

During the early part of May the New York Conservation Com-
mission shipped to this hatchery 0^0,000 muscallonge eggs. 1 am
glad to say they were as line a lot of eggs as any one would wish to
see. Most of the fry were planted in Erie and Crawford counties.
There was also a nice shipment planted in i^ake Erie.

During the early spring 1 received from the hatchery at Erie
eighty-live adult snjall mouth bass. These fish were in fine shape
when they arrived and began to feekl on minnows almost as soon as
they weie placed in the pond. They held good during the hot summer
months and continued to feed until the pond froze over this fall.
I think one's success in wintering small mouth bass depends on the
condition of the fish in tlie fall. If they are thin and underfed during
the summer tliey have no vitality to carry them through the winler
months, since we all know that the bass feed very little after the
weather gets cold.

In all 1 lifted twenty-seven nests of bass fry from this pon'd and
put them in the various fry pon<ls. There were more nests of eggs
but the}^ seemed to disappear after a few days. This condition seemed
to be worse along the shore where the water was shallow and where
the afternoon sun shone. I also noted that the pond was full of toad
tadpoles. 1 put two arid two together an<l began to watch the nests.
I found that these little fellows were working on the eggs and at tim(»
some of the nests \vere black with them. 1 think this condition can
easily be overcome by fencing out the adult toad at spawning time.

The fry were all fine from the start. 1 began feeding the little fel-
lows on a snuill black worm which collects on the splash boards of the
ponds. After they began to feed good I fed them on the usual food.
As an exeperiment 1 put ten thousand of the bass fry in my four
storage ponds. These ponds are made of concrete and measure about
twenty-five feet each way and arc about three feet deep. At the same
time 1 jdanted the fry I also filled the ponds with very small minnow
fry. These little fellows did finelv* and grew very i'api<lly on this
natural food, having attained a length of about two inches by the
latter part of July. However, owing to an insullicicnt su])ply of
water it was necessary for me to remove them to another jkuhI during
the hot weather in August. The ponds being full of algae it was
impossible to do this without great loss. I am sorry to say they all
died with the exception of fifteen liundred. In another year I ho]>e
to overcome this by extending a pipe line from P<)n<l No. o over to
the storage ponds, and running the discharge from the storage ponds
back into No. 2. In this way I will not rob any of the other ponds
of the necessary water supply.

There were a nice lot of bluegill sunfish for the fall distribution,
including several thousand two-year ohls. The yearling fish were
all sorted and about two hundred thousand of the smaller fish will
be held over for next fall's distribution.

The yearling tadpoles, 2n3,2tH) in number, were shipped the first
thing in the spring while the weather was cold, 1 find after the
weather warms up in the spring and the tadpoh^s 'Uf'giu to swim
up, when held in the cans from twenty-four to thirty hours, they
begin to work on each other which nuikes a sore and in a few days
they fungus and die.

During the s]>awning season the adnlt frogs are ])erniitted to roam
about the place at will. Consequently in the fall all the ponds are

No. 9.

DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.

59

food that the other tt.shieavlvhf'''!;,f"'f'"« "'* ■-"' the milk and
when the ponds are cleaned Wil.fh.i "", ^'""°"'' "' ^'e fall
pt during the summer months 1 fin. th',*^"''""*^ "*' ^'""^ ".at thev
lows, some of them measmimr ., i^'" '''"'S*'' '"•iily-looking fel-

They are then kept^.XX'ag'pS •.ml'?"; T' I "^"' '^-
tribution. ^ ponus and kept for the spring dis-

sti;S'iu,f L";t^i:;rorr:r!"^-^T' ^™'"^- --<' - -t this

teries in the hatching hovse Du .[!"';''■ ' "" •''"' ''-'^^'^' "'"l ^^t-
the fry tanks were in such bad sin e f i, f-.'^''''''^' ''"^*^'""g Pe>io'l
to hold fish in then. a. 1 the t.ffor • '^* '* ,''"^ "'"'o*'* i"'possible
tent that it was dange.ous for .p ?' "'T ^'''"y""^ *" ^"^•'' "n ex
the white fish eggs wf re Zt on f« f ,'? *.? Y"'^ "» *''"»• i^^ore
thorough overhauling an taeedm/w^^^^ ^'""l'"'''' '"'^'^ g'v*"' a
last dui-ing the winter and spW oiV T '"^ '""'" *''"* t''^-^' ^^"»
s^luj.ped herefrom the Conneii.t T fiJ V,.^'"^'''' '''''*' »'<" hatte.ies

Uming the n.onth of T 1 t , ""*' ^'^''"' ''atcheries.

ware Company a Go.ddPn, P^'T'!""'''' ^■'■""' ^''^ -^- ''• Vou.ig Ha.d-
hend of th'e hatch^^v ,pm^^ '{^^t'^S^r ""' *'";,""" ^''-t-' at^ e
try-out I fonn<l that it did not Sol «. ffi ^"1"^ ""^ ''''^^ « thorough

A shortage of water duri g\;r„,^J''J";;f ;;«ter to do any goo'Jl.

has bee,, a very serious drax4 -k •?. iL *''"'*/''"'' «'^l't«"'h«-'r
years. But I have noticed fl,nf\. hatcheiy for the last few

located along the ht.Ik of ^L Set wl.th''«f 'T '"« ''''^' I^n'>«
amounts to conside.able bv the th... V ^""T ^,'"'""«'' *''« SroxuuU
P'-operty. 1 would suggesf th t t ! f /° "'^ ^°^^*''- «'"' "f the
at the extreme lower efd of tL *"" '^°"«<'t'''> "' a ciste.n

discharged fron, tie lowe. ba Js S'" r' !'^'''''\ '''"'' *''« -at er
pun.ped back to be used over at .i' I. V^ "™P!'''-'' '"'••"t"! -^"d
los-s of wate.-. and we wo.dd i w i'.J i '" .""^ *'^''"' ^""''1 "'^ •'<•
Late this fall i ,,urcZse;i n^ ^ T'', °* '■» ^ood head.

Attached hereto is the distribuUon^;'filh"2:ing the vear

Respectfullv,

Q. & BULLER,

Superintendent.

PIKE-PERCH, ADVANCED FRY.

Annstrong Countv

Bedford County "^ ' " •••...**...*....

Blair County " ' — •*♦-.• ......

Butler CountV

Bradford County

Clinton County '

Cambria County •••••.........

Crawford Countv ' •

I>auphin County '

V t

105,(100
70,000
210,000
140,000
105,000
140,000
70,000
840,000
140,000

m

REPORT OF THE

Erie County,

Juniata County,

Luzerne County,

Lehigh County,

Montour County, . . . .

Pike County,

Snyder County,

Susquehanna County,

Tioga County,

Warren County, ....
York County,

Total,

• •■••••a

MINNOWS, ADULT,

. • • #

Erie County

Potter County, «•••,•,•••

• * • •

Total, ..

••••••••••••••

TADPOLES, YEARLINGS.

• • • •■• • • •

^,4 fcjl _#, .1,. »*..»:•_*,_* #,# • • • • ft Jt M^9 M^M

• • •

• •••••

* Adams County, ....••.•..•••••....

Blair County,

Butler County, ....,••••.
Cumberland County, .^^^*^«*

Erie County, ••*•..

Franklin County, ...••••••«•*•

Indiana County, •••••••••.•••

Lackawanna County, .•«•••••••..••••

Luzerne v^ouniy, ....••«•####••••••«•♦••••••••••••••

Northumberland County, ••.«••.•••

Northampton County, .•••••••••

Potter County, •«•••••••

Susquehanna County, ...•••••.••••••«

Tioga County,

Venango County, ••••••.».•«••••

VYarren County, ....•••.••..••.••••••.

Wyoming County, ...••,•••.,«».•••..•«

•••••••••••

••••••

#■••••••••••••••

• • • #

• • •

• • •

••••#••

# # • • •

#•#•■••••

.......••*•....•..•.•

X Ota If . .. .. •• •• .. .• .•••••••••••••#••••••••••••

BLUEGILL SUNFISH, ADULTS.

Allegheny County,

Bedford County,

Blair County,

Cambria County,

v^iiearneici v^ouniy, .,••..*<•........••...•. ••

Columbia County,

Crawford County,

v^iarion v^-'Oumy, , ,.,,,. .,,,.,...•......•....•. .......

Cumberland County,

Dauphin County, , . . . .

• • • •

• • • • *

OfE. Doc.

280,000

140,000

70,000

35,000

252,000

224,000

70,000

98,000

238,000

315,000

253,000

3,795,000

5,000
50,000

55,000

6,000

18,000

4,500

13,500

13,500

9,000

3,000

4,500

42,000

9,000

13,500

67,500

22,500

9,000

3,600

9,000

4,500

253,200

2400
6,900
6,000
3,300
1 ,800
4,800
2,100
1 ,200
10,500
6,900

^°- ®- DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.

Erie County,

Fayette County, ] * *

Indiana County,

Lycoming County,

Lancaster County, [[[

Luzerne County, \ * * " ' *

Mercer County, [ . '

JMke County, !..!.....

Hulliyan County,

Somerset County,

Tioga County, ..'.'[

Union County . .' '

Venango County, .[[[

Washington County . ••.......,..,

Westmoreland Countv ' * "' •••'•

County, ...

• • • •

Total,

• ••••«

* • • ♦ #

BLUEGILL STT\P1SH TWO YEAR OLDS.

Alleghany County, .

Butler County, "

Crawford County . "

Greene County, .:...;

vvasiungton County, .::::;:;; ::::::::::::;;;:;;;;;•••

Total,

Wayne Hatchery. Adui^* i i:::: ! i ::::7;::;7;:::;;::::

BLUE PIKE, ADVANCED FRY.

Huntingdon County,

Lackawanna County .... '

Luzerne County, ....... :••••

Perry County,^'..

• • • * • *

• • • • ♦

Total,

..••••♦,. . , » . ,•..».,*.. •....•••..,..

MUSCALLOXGE, ADVA^^CED ^RT.

Butler Countv, .........

Crawford County, i;;"---------"--------^--

Erie County, .._,••*•••••••••'•••••••*••

Total, .-....•.*,.*........,............___

HERRING, ADVANCED FRY.

Erie Hatchery

•

ROCK BASS, ADULTS.

Erie County,

" '

CALICO BASS, YEARLINGS.

\\niango County, . . .

" '^ f

«l

7,200

900

1,800

7,200

2,325

7,200

1 ,800

900

1 ,800

3,000

3,900

12,000

1,500

3,G00

5,100

105,825

120

500
100
240
500

Jl,640
400

40,000
224,000
240,000

80,000

584,000

00,000
246,000
192,000

498,000

9,700.0rMl

45

700

62 REPORT OF THE Off. Doc.

WHITE FISH EGGS.

Erie Hatchery, Eyed, 10,720,000

riiiladelphia Hatchery, 4 320 000

Total, 15,040,000

YELLOW PERCH, ADVANCED FRY.

Beaver County, ;^30 000

Bhur County, ygg 000

Butler County, ; ;^3o,000

Crawtord County, 1,121,000

Cumberland County, 110 000

Clinton County, .;........, •. ^ . ! ! ! ! !i * ii ! liii ! 22o'o00

Daup^un County, .................................... no^oOO

T^l? *^ n ^"^^-^ ' ., ................... 1,601,000

Elk ^ounty, •*••.....••..••.•..•,....,.,.,.. 00,000

J'rankhn County, 220,000

Greene County, ..._.. ^0,000

iudiana County, 528,001)

Juniata County, ...................._.. 198,00i»

Lyconinig County, B72,0(H>

Perry County, ^ 170,000

Potter County, ., 220,000

bnyder County, 440,000

Sullivan County, 110,000

Somerset County, .................................... 220,000

Lnion County, .... . .^^...v^.w v. . v. . . . . . ........... 110,000

Westmoreland County, 110,000

Warren County, 110,000

lork County, 650,000

Total, ....................................... 8^00 yyo

YELLOW PERCH, YEARLINGa

Cumberland County, 1,260

Monroe County, 2,400

Luzerne County, ....................>.......... 1,800

Pike County, ;iOo

Susquehanna County, ................................ 3^120

'^f^talj ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ 8,040

YELLOW PERCH, ADULTS.

Washingtcui County, 500

SMALL MOUTH BASS, YEARLINGS.

Allegheny County, ooo

Adams County, ! '///.'.] 1 000

|^»^ler County, i;40o

Bedford County, j *>oo

Beaver County, *.'.'.V.'.*.V.".V.V.' I'ooo

Crawford County, 5^000

^''- ^' s r>EPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.

Cumberland County,

Chester Countv, . . '

Clinton County^ ....*.'.'.' " ' * *

I)aui>hin County, ..."

Erie Countj-,

Forest County, ...!!....

Greene County, .......,, '.

Huntingdon County, .[. .[

Lycoming Count}^, ,[[

Lawrence County,

Lancaster County,

I^Iontour Count}^ ......'

Montgomery Countv!

Mercer Countv

Schuylkill County,' '.'.',

Union Countv . .*..^....

Venango Coinitv •••••........*.

^Westmoreland Countv

Washington County ^' "•••••••••-•••-••..•..

York Countv •••»-•••-.•........

Total, ......

y "•••••••••••••••....♦............ ,

SMALL MOUTH BASS, ADULTS

^'^"^^^^^^^^-••■•-;.-.-.«^

LARGE MOUTH BAS% YEARLTHGS.
Blair County, .....7..
Cambria Comity, . •••••*••••-••••••••..•........

Washington County;::::"*'**'*--:"*------"---'--

^w, ............................ _..^^^^^^;

63

1,700
1,100
300
COO
1,900
1,000
400
700
2,100
1,000
400
1,000
4,300
2,000
4,700
3,000
2,700
500
600
2,250

42,050

65

400
500
600

J ,500

REPORT OF THE ERIE HATCHERY.

Ei-ie, Pa., November 30, 1017
Hon. N. R. Buller,

Commissioner of Fisheries

Harrisburg, Penn'a.

Sir: — I herewith submit mv nnnn-i1 loTimf r.f +1 1^ • ,,
IVon, Xovon,.,,.,. :;(.. VMC, to Xm.Mnh', :iO Wr "" ''^'""^ "'^''■''^'•'•^•

64

HEPOKT OF THE

Off. Doc.

I

past year of adult, yearling fish and fry was 108,735,433 not as large
as some other years, but considering adverse conditions fis they
were met, it can be considered as very good.

In the collection of eggs for 1917 peculiar conditions were en-
countered. The collection of herring eggs was set back by tlie heavy
run of fish taken at upper lake ports, the same enabling the fishing
concerns at Erie, who had their l)oats tip the lake, to get all tlie fish
needed for storage, so that when fishing did come on at Eiie, they
could hardly handle more. So when the i>rice was cut fishing stopped,
but they had the entire fleet of Erie at it for a week, and with the
^ix boats of two concerns still in operation after the others had quit,
1 Was able to fill this hatchery with iiei-ring eggs, but had it not been
for the 70,000,000 herring eggs received from tlie Ohio State Hatchery,
Erie Hatchery would only have been about two thirds full.

The run of white fish on the North Shore was a complete failure
this fall, no fish to inake mention of being caught. J>y an agreement
entered into by Commissioner of Fisheries K. II. Buller, and the
Honorable 1). McDonald, l)ei)uty Minister of Game and Fisheries,
Toronto, Ontario, we co-operated in the covering of herring grounds
at Port Stanley and Port Burwell, and the white fish field from Port
Dover to Dunnville, Ontario, whereb}' I*ennsylvania was to get one-
third of all eggs taken, but as stated above, the failure of the run
of fish to come on, only 20,000,000 white fish eggs fell to our lot from
these fields. Such conditions only occur about once every fifteen
years on these grounds, so we can look forward to next year for a
normal supply from these fields.

The white fish began to hatch unusually early last spring, start-
ing to come out quite fast on February 10th. A better demonstration
of good judgment in having plenty of fry tanks for holding them
could not have been had th«n right here at Erie. Had we been
short of tanks for holding such an early hatch, we would have had
the trouble of carting the fry over the ice, bay and peninsula to the
lake proiier and planting through the ice. Thanks to having suf-
ficient fry tanks that this was avoided.

Of the white lish fry 2,500,000 were shipped to I^t Dover, On-
tario. Owing to the heavy ice in the lake at the time we were forced
to ship around by rail via Bulialo, and a large shipment each night
for one week was required to get this number of fry over. This was
in accordance with an agreement with Deputy Minister of Game &
Fisheries, Honorable 1). McDonald, that if they should be able to
have their Nonnandale hatchery completed in time, eyed eggs were
to be sent, if not, the fry. The hatchery was not ready to receive the
eggs so the fry w'ere shijqjed instead.

We received 89,000,000 yellow perch eggs from the Wayne Hatch-
ery, and as usual these eggs weie of the very best quality and there
was very small loss in hatching. All the fry were plant<Mi in Presque
Isle Bay, and 1 can safely say that the result from this continuous
hatching and planting of perch is that these waters are as well
stocked with fish as they were in the early <hiys.

The take of blue pike eggs last sj)ring is hardly worthy of men-
tion. There were no pike caught so there was no chance to take eggs
on a large scale.

No. 9.

DEPARTMENT OP FISHERIES.

nt ^hn, \"* ?* ^'I'J" *™"* '''^""^ received from Bellefonte and Union
City Iiatcheiies, the same being turned out in the lake about teii
miles east of the harbor near to their native grounds
A permit from the Department of Xaval Affairs, Ottawa, Ontario

gianted. A little better than two hundred pairs were taken We
^ unable to get onr allotment in the spring, so we tried hi eon,
plete the catch in the fall, with little better success, as onh about
one liundred more were taken. ' ''""""'

When war Avas declared and all i.ublic utilities began to irnav,]
and protect their properties, the Con.missioners of &r ^rLs
olIo«-ed along with all the others in this protection. As there have
been rem one to two thousand people visiting the hatche.T every
week ,t would have been next to impossible for the Water Coimns-
s.oners to guard their property with a continuous stream of people
imssing through their grounds to get to the hatchery, so the matter
was taken up with the Commissioner of Fisheries and fully explained
to hi.n and he ordered the hatchery closed to the public for the
duration of tlie war, in order to co-operate with the Water CommS

tSlUIl.

This did not please the people for the Erie hatchery and aquarium
had become quite a p.on.inent jdace for sight seeing and tie Erie
schools were making good use of them for educational pn-ioses7n
bio ogy study -so whenever any of the teachers wish to b • ngTny "
their classes for study 1 arrange to June them go through In the
spring of 10 7 more than five hun.lied pupils of the Erie H gh School
visited the hatchery for educational purposes and to each one was
everything explained fully .so as to help then, in their work"!

1 lie battery capacity was increased the i)ast summer. This was
done by lengthening both batteries which gave ns a tweiity-flv'e ^/"r
cent, hatching increase. -i i"eiii^yn\e ptr

Another imi)oitant iiuprovement made the past suiumer was tl,-,t
, of building an enclosed stairway leading to the attic over the second
floor, which gives us large space to store equipment and also ghes
nsa imicl, needed workshop. ^

ti ^?\>''""''' ^'•'^^ ''**"J^ °" *'"* Pen'"^"l'i the i,ast year for the reason
that^ there were no funds available when the work should have b^JI

ilJfo^i"f?T f""^'^"«"«. fe» ''f-'""' tl'nt of ]!)l(i which was due to
the fact that a large number of nets were n,oved <o Ohio waters owinc
to an increase 11, the size of mesh for trap nets in Pennsylvania and
to a less number ot upper lake tugs operating out of Eiie the past
summer season. - mc j^rtui

imfrf'^r Vi ^'"'■•^^•"'»''; I ^V'" ""*'"'''' ''•'' tl'e Commissioner that a motor
truck hald been ordered shipped to this hatchery, and the truck
arrived on November 14th. The truck is surely appreciated as it is

h ,1 i\ ; ^^ 'tJ' tl>e g>'«>at amount of hauling we had to do this fall,
ha.l 1 not been for he truck, we wo,ild have suffered a great loss of
eggs through delay in delivery service.

5—9—1918

66

REPORT OF THE

Off. Doc,

Attached hereto will be found table of output of fish and eggs from
the Erie hatchery, for the year ending November 30, 1917.

I want to thank all connected with the Department for their hearty
co-operation and support the past year.

Very respectfully submitted

P. H. HARTMAN,

Superintendent.

Erie County,

Erie County,

YELLOW PERCH, YEARLINGS.

YELLOW PERCH, ADULTS.

7,625

385

SMALL MOUTH BASS, ADULTS.

LARGE MOUIH BASS, ^aiRLrN^,

LARGE MOUTH BASS, FINGERLINGS.

SUl^FISH, ADULTS.

Sii

4S

585

IW

MINNOW&
Erie County, .•..•...........».....,....,»,.«....,.., 108,000

EYED EGGS RECEIVED FROM OTHER HATCHERIES.

Herring Eggs.
Torresdale Hatchery, 6,660,000

White Fish Eggs.
Union City Hatchery, ...♦,. . ♦ » . 12,060,000

FRY RECEIVED.

Herring Fry.

Union City Hatchery, 0,700,000

GREEN EGGS FROM OTHER HATCHERIES.

Yellow Perch Eggs.
Wayne Hatchery, 89,260,000

i

^°- ®- DEPAETMENT OF FISHERIES «,

FRY HATCHED AT ERIE.

Herring,

White Fish, ..".".'.'.'." 42,894,000

Yellow Perch, ... 45,464,000

80,260,000

Total, ....

BLUE IMKE EGGS TAKEN ''''''''"""

' 1,290,000

EVEF) RLUE PIKE EGGS SHIPPED TO UNION CITY 645 000

wjjjt: St E?gVS;vr.^£''' : ^^-^^cooo

3,842,000

Total,

...•••••• 24,614,000

WHITE FISH EGGS SHIPPED

to

Torres<lale Hatchery

Union City HatcheiV ••-•••.-•v.... 5,678,000

tcneij, 5,616,000

Total " —

,„„,„^ ' *• 11,294,000

WHITE FISH EGGS AT ERIE, 13,320,000

i-iS eIS taTe^lf Of" E?!r ''^'^ ^^'^^'y- ■■■■ ^'^^^OOO

^iie, ••**•••-...•.••,♦.»,,. 115,198,000

Total Herring Ecrirs at EnV '

mr.m. ^^^"^' ••••••••••••'••--•. 185,038,000

TOTAL OF ALL EGGS AT EK IE

While Fi8h, ...

Herring •"•••••••••••••........,.... 13,320,000

*" '••'••••••*..-........... 185,638,000

Total, .

White Fish Fry shippeaW Cann.in.- ; i i ! '. ! ; [ ^ ^^Sot

REPORT OF WILLIAM RULLER, FIELD SUPERINTENDENT.

Hon. N. R. Buller. ^"°"'^'' ^'"•' ^'"^ember M, 1917.

Coniinissioner of Fislieiios.
Harnsbnrg, Penii'a.

Noven^Ver lo^loU: '""""■ '' ■""'""'* '"''- '"''I'"''* °' '^^ 3-- -"li"«

My duties as fleid .superintendent require me to tnvel tn oii u
l.atcher.e. .n the State, to the Delawa.-.^.ive."" shad'work,"to Lke

e$

REPORT OF THE

Off. Doc.

Erie for white fish and herring eggs and to the Dominion of Canada.
This latter place is visited in the interest of the lake fishes and eggs,
as the l)ei)artment co-operates with the Canadian authorities in the
l>ropagation of lake fishes for Lake Erie.

Field work is extremely interesting and very necessary, as in this
way many eggs are collected that would otherwise be destroyed.
It is estimated that many millions of eggs are saveil every year
through til is work because the eggs are gathered and hatched that
are washe<I high and dry on the banks of the streams or lakes dur-
ing high water. Of course, when the water recedes the eggs do not
get back into the water and are naturally destroyed, and it is through
this work that many fish now swim the waters of this Common-
wealth that would not have been hatched ha<l it not been for this
method of saving the eggs.

On November 7th I left Erie for Port Dover, Canada, to collect
white fish eggs, returning to Erie on December 1st to collect herring
eggs. The weather was getting very cold on the lakes and there
were very few herring running at that time. 1 remained in Erie until
December Ifith, at which time the herring were just coming on, but
we did not get as many as we had expected, as the weather got too
cold and the bay froze over, so the fishermen coidd not get out to
their nets to lift them. However, considering the extremely bad
weather we encountered while gathering the eggs, we collected a fine

T left Erie for Harrisburg on the 18th of December, remaining in
that city until the 24th, when I went to Torresdale to help gather
minnows for bass food. Collected a nice lot of them ; also assiste<l
in doing work around the Torresdale hatchery until January 27th
when 1 went back to IMeasant M(Mint, remaining there until February
21st. During my stay at Pleasant 3Iount I tlone quite a lot of i)aint-
ing around the hatchery, including the second fioor of the hatching
house. I also fixed up the a(piariums, which were indeed very attrac-
tive after they had been put in pio^jer shape and filled with tlie ditl'er-
OTt s|>ecies of fish.

On April 24th I went to Torresdale to assist in gathering niftinows
and yellow perch eggs. After that the sha<l work began and I as-
siste<l in the work of gathering shad eggs until July Hth when I went
to Bridgeton, New Jersey, to collect some shad eggs there, but there
were not many collecte<l there because there were not many boats
fishing on account of the help being so scarce. Many of the men
who worked on the boats in previinis years are now working else-
where, and this interfered gn^atly with the sluul work. Weather
conditions also were not very favorable for shad this season, the
water remaining too cold for them to spawn as they do when the
water is warm.

I then returned to Torresdale to assist in gathering catfish eggs.
We succeeded in gathering a nic(» lot of cattish eggs and they W(»n'
hatched at the Torresdale hatclnMv and were in splendi<l condition
when I left tliert* on August 1st.

1 spent the remain<ler of the summer at the ditl'erent hatcheries
wherever it was necessar}' for me to go, an<l about the last of Octol)er
] went to Erie to gather white fish eggs.

Besides gathering the eggs of the ditferent species of fish there
were also many fingerling fish taken to be transplanted in other

DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.

69

waters This woi-k is done in onler to infuse new blood wliiel. is
found to be very essential in the i.ropagation of flsh. The h> .en
also gather the breeding rtsli of tlie bass and yellow ne.oh to be
kept in the ponds at the hatcheiies for breeding j.nrposes

lu conclusion 1 desire to express my appreciation of the courteous
treatn.ent received fron. you and from all whom I was assocatel
uitli dnr.ng the year and the hearty co-operation of all who assisted

Kespectfully,

WILLIAM BULLER.

Field Superintendent,

REPORT OF W. E. BULLEK, ASSISTANT FIELD SUPERIX-

te:xdekt.

Harrisburg, Pa., November 80, 1017.
fifon. X. R. Buller,

Couimissloiier of Fisheries,
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

T..^iH*"T^ ^^y^ *^^ ^^"^^ *^ herewith submit mv report as \ssistint
Field Superintendent during the season of loil- ^^^^»-t'int

I was detailed on special work beginning Ajiril 8lh on which iVMi^
I went from Pleasant Mount to Harrisburg. Reporting at the<.mce
of the Department 1 was instructed to go to P.oiling Springs to in-
spect conditions there, which 1 did on the 9th amf ItJth of April

loMu. ()„ the 1 Ith 1 went to Pittsburgh to get some data and infor-
mation in regard to som.^ aquariums, from there going to Corrv where
1 assiste<l m the Work at the Corry, Erie and Union C^itvhatcheri^
performing the duties of messenger at those stations ^

On May 1st tinishing my work at I he stations above named, I wm
ordei-ed to ludgway Springs on the lid. On the :U\ of Mav I made ii
trip to Colonel Ilany i\ Trexh^- s hatcliery at Allentown' in accord-
ance with arrangements made by Col. Trexler and the (NunmiNsionei-
ol r isJieries.

May 4th I to«.k up my duties on the SuM|uehann river at llolt-
woo<l where I was detaihMl fnr sp-cial work during the shad tishin-
weason, and loUowing is an outline (.f my work in detail while on dutv
at that phice: •

May 5th: Patrolled the Sus(juehanna river below Iloltwood and
iound but few tisheinien with fair catches. Total 27 shad Xo si-ns
of dead lish near the Iloltwood Dam . ' j^ ■

May 6th: Patrolled the Sustpiehanna river and found no tisher-
men on account of it being Sunday.

May 7th: Patrcdled the Susquehanna river for four miles l»elow
Holtwood and in the vicinity of Holtwood. Found ten fishermen
with a total catch of seven shad. No signs of dead fish near the Holt
wood Dam, although a few were caught very near it.

70

REPORT OF THE

I

Off. Doc.

May 8th: Patiolled the Susquehanna river in the vicinity of Peach
Bottom and touud the fishing better there than any other place
1 ound from reliable sources that fishermen have often seen young
shad going down the river indicating that the shad spawn in thf
nver. The total shad caught this year is five hundred. The largest

!^Jl ''"^' ?.°^ ^^'■*y ^" ^ ^^y ^'«« on« hundred. No signf of
dead fish near the Holtwood Dam. ^

May 9th: Patrolled the Susquehanna river in the vicinity of Holt
wood. There were 21 fishermen with a total catch of G^sYhad. No
signs of dead fish near the Holtwood Dam.

May 10th: Patrolled the Susquehanna river in the vicinity of Holt-
wood. There were 27 fishermen with a total catch of C7 shad No
signs of dead fish near the Holtwood Dam.

May 11th: Patrolled Susquehanna river in the viciiiTfv of Holt
wood. There were 35 fishermen with a total catch of 103 shad No
signs of dead fish near the Holtwood Dam.

May 12th: Patrolled the Susquehanna river in the vicinity of Holt-

slgns'of^dS Zl '"" ^''""^" '"'''' ' ""''' '^''^'^ '' '' ^^^'- ^'^

May 13th : Sunday— No fishing.
wnn7 ^Th'' ^'"t''«Ue«l the Susquehanna river in the vicinity of Holt-
wl;. ^'''^ ''^^'^ ^* fishermen with a total catch of 14 shad
wood oLr' ^'^'^'''- ^'^ ''^"' *'*' ^'^^"^ ^''^^^ "«'-"• the Holt-'

May 15th: Patrolled the Susquehanna river in the vicinity of Holt-
rTirl "t?'* ^^^ '""'* fl^'^e^en this season with a total catch of

c?f ^h I iVwf ^''*' •''''" *'"*' ^V'^ "^""^ '" "^e in the afternoon. The
catch with the seine was eight. No .signs of dead fish near the Holt-
^yood Dam, and no fish came in on the racks at the entrance of the

^S^^lLf T''^ ^f , " !''^' "''''' «' '''''' «* Peach Bottom'
account of the cold weather. The weather today was nearer a season-
hi5 l"Zt '' '"* '"^ *''''^'"' ^"°'" *« '"^'^ ''■'' very cold with

May IGth: Patrolled the Susquehanna river in the vicinity of Holt-
r.n?' r?"^ 'f ■^*'^* ""™^^'' «' fi'^heimen this season with the largest
total catch of the season. There were two haul seines in use one had
a total catch of 90 shad, and the other 32. No signs of dJad ' Ji nS
the Homvood Dan.. The weather was near seasonable temperature
with a h^gh north wind. The water in the river is giadu 1 v fa 11^

May Uth: Patrolled the Susquehanna in the vicimtv of Ho „ d"
iZif^ h'.hermeii with the best total catch of the season. The e

2L nf ^^"Vfif "' '"^ ^•'•^ ^"t^'' ^'t'* the seine was 142. No
signs of <lea(l fish near the Holtwood Dam. The temperature is
seasonable with light northwest wind. The water is gradually fall'

May 18th: Patrolled the Su.squehanna in the vicinity of IVncb

arSit f; .^'"'"■•'verage catch a day is over a hund.ed shad, while
at night it s a little less. The largest catch for a day was ]7(!
The largest haul was 42. In the vicinity of Holtwood <^,evln<l 1 e

,.'^^^1''^'' '^ very warm and the days clear.
ThTYot 1, P«V.«"«'l the Susquehanna in the vicinity of Holtwood
The catches continue to be good. The shad caught this year are

No. 9.

DEPARTMENT UF FISHERIES.

sfirn ¥•'■'- "-~ - - ^^^

May 22d: Patrolled the Susquehanna river in the vicinity of TT«h

died in the pool near the dam^^^^e '^l^ ::L^^^t!roL'Z

wo^d^ f oun^fh? flshS '"fUtll'irer "r '" '""^ "*='-*^ «' Holt-
water ceased to flow tef tlie "am ti^s«nnl-'''"'^f ^* "''«" ^he

May 2(th: Patrolled the Susquehanna in the vicinifv nt w,>u, a
.\o signs of dead fish near the Holtwood Dam ^ Holtwood.

, J 7 ^■\- P''t™"ed the Susquehanna river in the vicinity of TTnlt
wood. Fishmg was somewhat of an improvement over the lost w

stSii;;:^!:!:'*''^" '^-^^ -^^ --^ -^^h^ "^^^t windr^t Se^s

f

No. 9.

DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.

72

REPORT OF THE

Off. Doc.

May 29tli: Patrolled the Snsqnehaiiiia in the vicinity of lloltwood
and Port Deposit, Maryland. 1 find the fishing nuich better in Mary-
land because they aie allowed to use almost any fishing device. At
Holtwood the fishing is the best early in the morning and in tlie even-
ing. At night they malvc the best catches in the river about one mile
below the dam in the deeps. This shows that the fish go up in tlie
morning wlien the water is high an<l fall back during the day when
the water- becomes low, and do not lay at the base of the dam and die.
This would prove that it is not so much the dam that has caused the
decrease in shad as the unrestricted fishing laws of Maryhnnl. The
fishing continues to improve. There was one seine in use but theip
catch was not quite up to the average. Weather was cloudy and tlie
water muddy. No signs of dea<l shad near the Holtwood Dam.

May 30th: l^itrcdled the Susquehanna river in the vicinity of Holt-
wood. Found the fishing to be good with moon rakes because of the
muddy water. One haul seine in use. Their catch was t}8. I'onnnis-
doner X. R. Buller made an inspection ot' the river and conditions
about the dam. No signs of dead fish nenr the dam. W(*ather clear
with muddy water.

May 31st: Patrolled the Susquehanna river in the vicinity of Holt
wood. Foun<l the fishing quite good. One haul seine in use with a
catch of 74. No signs of dead fish near the Holtwood Dam. Water
still rising. Weather clear with light win<ls.

June 1st: Patrolled the Susquehanna river in the vicinty of Holt-
wood, and Peach Bottom. Found the fishing at Peach Bottom for
the week to be below nornuil. The fishing at Holtwood was by far
the best this season, due to the rise in the river and muddy water^
which shows that the shad are in the river, but owing to the cold
weather and low water they have n(>t been moving. Water is very
liigh. No signs of dead fish near the Holtwood Dam. A few of the
roe are getting ripe. Weather very warm and clear.

June 2d: Patrolled the Susquehanna river in the vicinity of Holt-
wood. Found the catches had decreased owing to so much debris
going down the river. Since the rise the fishing has been by far the
best below the York County fish way, showing that this is the jnoper
place for a fishway. No signs of dead fish near the dam. Weather
very warm and clear.

June od: Patrolled the Susquehanna river in the vicinity of Holt-
wood. Found the fishing to be fair. The water is clear again so they
can't fish with a moon rake during the day. Since the high water
the little eels have fallen back down the river. Weather clear.

June 5th: Patrolled the Susquehanna river in the vicinity of Holtr
wood. Found the fishing good. The catches on the York county side
have been better than any day since the rise. Commissioner Buller
made a trip to Holtwood to investigate difi'erent conditions on the
river.

June Gth: l*atrolled the river in the vicinity of Holtwood. Found
the fishing to be very good on account of the nniddy water which en-
ables the fishermen to use moon rakes and hold-ins during the day.
The catch with the seines was 61. Two men caught 50 shad with a
bow, which is better than has been done for several vears. Some of
the roe are very ripe, but as a rule tUey are mostly all green.

June 7th: Patrolled the Susquehanna river in the vieinity <jf Holt-
wood. Fishing continues to be good. Owing to muddy water the

73

fishermen are able to use moon rakes in the day time which greatly
increases their catclies. This way of fishing lias been the most suc^

wStherl-ainT. ''''°"- '"'" ^'""' '''''^ ''''"'' "^ '■''''' ^^ «5.

June 8th: Patrolled the river in the vicinity of Holtwood and

1 each Bottom. The catches at Peach Itottom were much better than

the previous week. One day the total was 236. The fishing at Holt-

we^toer 'rainy*:' ^° '''''^ ^"'"'- '^'''^ '''''^^' '^ ^'"^ '""•^'^y "^^^^ *>'«

l.i*', *?*•»•„ ^".*''«"e'i the Su.sqnehanna in the vicinity of Holtwood.
I ound the fishing decreased somewhat owing to the sudden rise in
the river. I watched for several hours at the foot of the dam for shad
because of the rumors that many were tliere. but saw nothing but
carp. In the last few days the catches with the seines have been noor

h?,Vfp','v '"\\'"M'"' ''i^''' ''"^f ;• '^^'"y "'■*' ""t ^b^*' to fish their best
battery. Heather clear and hot.

June ntli: Patrolled the Susquehanna river in the vicinity of Holt-
wood. There were few fishermen owing to high water Wliat few
were able to lisli had fail- catches. The day was very rainv. There
were not over a half dozen fishermen on the river.

June 12th: Patrolled the Susquehanna in the vicinity of Holtwood
In proportion to the number of fisliermen the catches were the largest

to Ih-'^'Yii ^JV'''\^'' was very high, so there were only a few places
to Ush. All ot the dip work was diowned out.

June 13th: Patrolled the Susquehanna in the vicinity of Holtwood.
l<ound the fishing not so very good on account of the high and muddy
water. They were unable to fish on the York county side. Weather
rainy,

June 14th: Patrolled the Susquehanna in the vicinitv of Holtwood.
Found the fishing to be very good. The largest catches were made on
the \ork county side. 3Iost of the little eels have gone back down
the river on account of the high and muddv water.

June 15th: PatrolhMl the Susquehanna river in the vicinitv of
Holtwood. Found the fishing not quite as good as vesterdav. VeiT
lew game fishermen out on account of the muddv water. Only oM
salmon caught. Weather rainv. '

June 10th : Patrolled the Sus^iuehama in the vre!^ rf»mwoocT.
round the fishing not as good as the previous day.

June 18th: Patrolled the Siisquehanna in the vicinity of Holtwood

June 1 0th : Ordered to Harrkburg to make out mv report to the
Commissioner.

The following table show* tte cat^ of shad for the season of 1917:

Roe Shad,

. • • # #

*^"*-i'»» •••*.•..•........

*••••••■•«•••,•«•

9,353
3,973

_ ^ Total, ..,,.... ....,,,... 13,326

Araober of Fishermen on duty, ............ 1,174

Respectfu% submitted,

W. E. BULLER,

Assistant Field Superintendent.

74

REPORT OF THE

Off. Doc.

POLLUTION.

The question of pollution ha.s not yet been entirely solved althoueh
he Department of Fisheries has made gigantic strides in that dTrfe-
tion. During the year many manufactuieis, tannery owners cream-
eries, etc. were notified to abate their pollution, and in a greit ma y
instances the notice was obeyed, while there still remains a number
who have no complied with the law. In all cases of this kind the
Department is directed as to what action to take by the Attorney

Srp'r'oiiutions.*"'"*' ""' '' ^"''^'^ "^*"^'^ ^^ that Departn.rnt i^
• "^^k""*!"! tl»e public grow impatient at the seeming delay in brine-
in^.if- ?!*•'*' abatement of this nuisance, but if they would take time
to think the matter over they would find there are a great many sid^s
to such a problem before it can be settled finally. For instance the
Department of Fisheries of Pennsylvania has only a very sm f'o c-e
of Wardens and also a very limited appropriation with hid to
work, and this Commonwealth has a great many thousand stmnn.s
flowing withm Its borders, and about fifty thousand or more mnm
factories to cope with. The Wardens have made a survc^ of a 1 he
streams taking up one water shed at a time, and have made re^^^oit!
of all those polluting the streams and of those who do not

When one considers that this pollution has been going on fioni time
mmemorial down to the present, there is little wonder that tcnnno?
be stopped at a moment's notice. Then, too, it must be ren cmberod
that It Mas not until the Act of May 29, 1901, that anv Wisl^t o
was enacted which authorized the Depart'ment to br ng Innv mtsec,
tions that would be sustained bv the courts ^ I»«osecu-

In the days of the early settlers, of course, there were not so minv
people and therefore the country was not as thickly populated as^t
n^nf • ",!:«\during those days that the nianufach/rers buH thXv
plants on the banks of the rivers and streams in order that thev
could dispose of their refuse at little or no cost. As hue went on
and population increased the n.anufacturing busines.s a Ls" Increas^

At firtr-r' 'T^'K'' '"''' '" '^'^ State that was not po E^'
At first It was thought that the business interests of the Common
wealth amounted to more than a few fish and tl.is ren a.lf w.?s ofte^
made to the officers of the Department of Fisheries w en on L"ec

llZ & S fit" ^*"*'"^ ^"•'•^ '''-' «""" -^ «*«p «-- '•''•-

In this work the i)epartment is not harassing any manufacturer
but a ways tr es to point out where the nianufLturer is n ak £ ,'
in.stake and at the same time inflicting a serious wrong o 1 is neilh
bor who lives along the stream below him, and others who n Lht e
iive^ffo^^ '"T ?^ "^'^^ *° ''y ""*»''"« «f the pleasure thev ouU d":

wherS abou*nY'H.rV""^ "^^^ T'"" '*^'''"*'^"1 "'«»»taln stream
wnerein abound the famous brook trout or other palatable fish

It gives me pleasure to record here that the Department's oersis

ent pleading for pure water and plenty of fish in the stream^s was

met in a great many instances with hearty approval an« assvuances

^°- ^- DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES. 75

of co-operation, and in this the manufacturers made eood their
^rvfh- "'• ?/ •'"?"■'"' ^^'"'^ "'■^ «°™« obstinate ones who rffe to do
pKecut^on * 'IZTo^r'^ f f '''' Department irSrceTto tring

wWle others' out Tn fi tl^ '"° *'*"''" '''''*' '^"'^'^ ^°'' ^'"»^«"g the la^^
if *V- ?." "'**'''^ and are now taking care of their refuse

turers cream'eS et/'"'* "T^ '' ""^ ^''"'"^-y owners manSa^:
lurers, creameries, etc., are making every effort to takp chip nt +i.^;„

refuse and it is hoped that before long the pollutfon of our ,na„y
beautiful streams will be a thing of the past. '

WARDENS.

The most iinportant business of the Department of Fisheries of
Pennsylvania is the propagation and distributing of food and gan^e
fish for the restocking of the streams of this Commonwealth Tl e
next important business is that of protecting the fish in the streams

nn^-l''"^- "if r ''""" P''^"*^'^ ^'y the Deparfment f ron fil S es
and 'hog" fishermen, as they are sometimes very properly called
and this IS the duty of our regular salaried Fish Wardens '

vmnif i!^ff ° '■''^"'f ^■*"'l<'n« '" the Department of Fisheries is very
«^n Jk 1^^ '" "'""ber and when one considers that this Common-
wealth has an area of 46,000 square miles in which there are thou-
sands of streams and hundreds of lakes, and the.se all to be mtroHe 1
and all violations of the fish laws reported to this Department they
can readily appreciate what an enormous task confronts these meii
Of course, It is impossible to do this work properly with so small a"
force, but due credit must be given the wardens for" the great amount
of territory they cover annually, and the many violatois of the fish
law they bring to justice during the year.

The fish laws do authorize the Comniissioner of Fisheries to appoint
thirty paid wardens, but the Ix-gislatiire does not appropriate suf-
ficient money to pay that number, hence the small force. This is to
be regretted, because if the Department had the funds to employ a
sufficient number of wardens in order that the streams in the Com-
monwealth could be patrolled properly, there would be many more
hsh for the laAVj^abiding fisherman, but when a stream is dynamited
which IS very often the case, eventhing in that stream for miles up
and down its course, is killed, and it takes some time before the
nshing in that stream is normal again.

While the wardens have made many arrests and convictions diirin-'
the year, in the majority of cases they were willful violators. It is
the policy of this Department not to make arrests for technical viola-
tions, as it has been the experience of the Department that there are
many flagrant violators who deserve to be punished more than the
man who innocently violates a technical iioint in the law. Then too
such arrests have a tendency to irritate the people in the community
and really do more harm than good.

The Act of April 21, 1915. I'. L. ].->(?, entitled "An Act extendin^r
the powers and duties of foresters, forest rangers, game protectors"

76

REPORT OF THE

Off. Doc.

deputy game protectors, special deputy game jnotectors, fish wardens
and deputy fisli wardens of this Commonwealth,-' has done much to
aid the wardens in their work, as this act empowers the game and
forestry wardens to make arrests for violation of the fish laws and it
might be well to state at this time that their work has been much
appreciated by this Department, as thev have accomplished much in
bringing would-be violators of the fish laws to justice.

Due credit is also given tlie State Police Department for its valu-
able assistance and co-operation in the protective work of this De-
partment. Many times during the year when the Department's
wardens were overcrowded with work, the Commissioner of Fisheries
called on the Superintendent of State Police for assistance, and he
at all times responded to tlie call cheerfully, furnishing detail after
detail of State Police, an<l the men under his command, as every one
knows, are well trained, carefully selected men and know their' busi-
ness thoroughly.

After a section of the country was once visited bv the State Police
no complaints were heard of violations of the fish laws for months
afterwards, which showed ])lainly that their presence in the neigh-
borhood had a deterrent effect on the violators, for a time at least.

The jiollution of the streams by manufactories, tanneries, cream-
eries, etc.. have caused the wardens to Avork almost dav and iiight at
times. When one considers that there are about 50,0(U>'manufactories
m the State and numbers of them polluting the streams, and then
takes into consideration the small force of men to attend to this
work, they can readily understand what an enormous proposition
the wardens are up against.

A warden never can secure the eonvicticm of a concern for pollu-
ting a stream from evidence from the people residing in the imme-
diate vicinity for the reason that no samjdes of the iM)llution running
into the streams are evei' taken, an<l in almost every case the people
who live near the source of pollution will not give anv evidence of
any consequence in a pollution cas(^ If such evidence could be se
cured it would be an easy matter for the warden to bring prosecu-
tion and the guilty party made to ]>ay the penalty for his neglect to
obey the law. However, as ujentioned in another part of this report,
the pollution work of this Department is carried on strictly und«P
advices received from the Attorney-(^enerars Departnu^it, aiid 1 am
pleased to state that the results obtained from the Co-operative work
of the two Departments have been exceedingly satklactoiy.

WARDENS' REPORTS.
The following aie the reports <tf the various wardens of their wort
during the rear:

No. 9.

r)EPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.

It

REPORT OF WARDEN J. P. ALBERT.

Hon. N. R. Buller, Harrisburg, Pa., November 30, 1917.

Commissioner of Fisheries,

Harrisburg, Penn'a.

Dear S!r:— I have the honor to submit to you my annual renort
tor the year ending Novend)er 30, 1917- ^ ' «*"iuiaj report

nnffjf •''''''•' *^^^.^7^''^^'/^"^^i^le of my office duties, was largely on water
pollution in making investigations of different manufactuiinTpHnts
throughout the State. In addition to investigating TleselS^^

arrested were convicted, and fines an<l costs imposed by the Justices
on the parties arrested were paid. 'Histices

The parties who were arrested and convicted were euiltv of via-

bad fish law violators. The ottense for which thev were convicted
was for using a seine net in waters prohibited by law. These Ss
xvould take as many as a ton of fish in a niglit and this was rW
repeate<lly during the year. T might also ad<l that t U ^^ were

warned repeatedly by the constable of the township to Snthiue

to violale the hnv, and even made threats and boasted that they
would kdl any officer who would dare to arrest them. I was detailed
on the cases and suceede<l in arresting all parties implicated, ami
they were all convicted and their tines were pai<l

Dming the year 1 i>atrolled many streams some of them bein-
the Conodoguinet, Yellow Breeches, Conewago, Manada, Water
House Dam, Little an<l Big Swatara, Millbach, Tulpehocken, Swamp,
Chickies .Susquehanna. Juniata, Mohontonga, Pine, Deep, (Vve or
Halter Creek and Buffalo.

In the streams above mentioned T found the fishing this year to
l»e exceptionally good, large catches of fish being reported 'to me
In scnne streams the bass catches were tine, esiKMiallv on <me stream'
the 31ohontonga Creek, in the ui»]km' part of Dauphin'Countv It was
reported to be that a few years ago this stream was alnN»st depleted
ot bass, and this year the same parties lei^orted that the bass rishin*--
in that stream never was so good and never before were such fine
catches made.

During the year I visited and inspected many manufacturin*r
plants throughout the State in regard to their pollution and waste
going into the streams. I found the gi eater part of the manufacturers
doing their very best to keei) theii- pollution out of the streams some
of them reclaiming tlieir by-pr^Mlucl. Some paper companies are re-
claiming about ninety per cent of th<M*r wastes that formerly went
into the streams. Then agaiii 1 foun<l some who have not done any
thing to take care of their wastes and refuse, but said they would
take immediate stei)S to do so, after 1 explained the law to them

IB

hepoht of nm^

Off. Doc.

However, some of the operators of the plants who turn their waste
and refuse into the streams will not stop until they are brought into
the courts and heavy fines are imposed upon them.

I also investigated many complaints during the year of different
violations of the fish laws. In many of these cases the information
was sent to the Department that large numbers of fish were being de-
stroyed in certain streams, and after making an investigation and
interviewing many people who reside on the streams found the com-
plaints to be absolutely groundless. These investigations incur heavv
expense and the loss of much valuable time.

The fish law violations have been considerably less this vear than
m former years, in some sections of the State none having been re-
ported at all. ^

Respectfully submitted,

J. P. ALBERT.

REPOUT OF WARDEN W. E. kSHOEMAKER.

^, _ Laceyville, Pa., November 30, 1917.

Hon. N. R. Buller,

Commissioner of Fisheries,
Harrisburg, Penn'a.

Sir:— This has been a peculiar year for tliose wlio like to spend
9 few days along the North Branch of the Suscpiehanna River tor an
outing and fishing whether for pleasure or for the markets, because
from about April 20th until after the latter part of August it was wet
and cold, and the river was practically bank full of water and
very roily. On this account there was very little fishing done, except
ny the people who fished with nets and outlines. There was scarcelv
any one camping along the river as compared with other seasons
and even when the good black bass fishing came along in Octol)er
there were only a few good days fishing on account of the high water.

For the fishermen the season was practicallv a failure. For the
flsh, it would seem to me to be a pretty good vear. In this vicinitv
alone there are usually thousands of 'black and rock bass caught
every October, and I feel sure that if we have a goo<l season next
May when the fish spawn that it will show a big increase in the
number of small-mouth bass for next season's hatch because of the
small number being caught during the ojjen season.

The man with the spear was also unable to get in his dirty work
this last season, thereby saving a large number of game fish which
will naturally be left to si)awn another season. On account of the
roily water I was unable to note whether there were as many small
bass along the shores of the river as usual. Tt is the supposition bv
many that on account of the high water in May and the first part
of June the spawning beds of the bass were ruined.

In our lakes and ponds there was more than the usual amount
of fishing done this season, the reason for this being on account of

No. 9.

DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.

79

rH^S~ -^» '- r.i?iSi5 sir

a i.,emb«r of the United kSmnfen^pSS " ' ','^'' "^ •''<" '« ''
TLi. »me gentle„a„tadCr<lm„ aSff„'£ n «°°5 "'""'"B'

the course they all pursue after be iVLmrc ^d of ille^nlfi'l^''*'"*
Myron and I have been detailed nn p l,f i u ^. fishing.

The latter part of AprTand the first part oT MnT^ ""^ *^" ^°'"'^-
several of the lakes in Wnvr,«. n, "^"^^1 part of May we were sent to

low perch egg which 7erlZntTthl%T'' "gathering the yel-
gathered millions otthrm "'^ '^'^^''^''^ hatcheries, and we

woTi:-r ^nrfXihir^: i^!^^:; - tt?s i-i ^^

fetl^^naJ^fXe^/L-JritaTSU

very much. ^ ysviK v^as au over with, which I regretted

ma<U two tM,„ TlSi? 7*1™ ,ri,;S.i J'S """■ »"" ' •'"

?»"i«io™ .n„,i«, ot dS^';,"ffi'*e .ter.hr"' t"

mmmmm

ud^e arrested six times and convicted -ach time. We caught two

80

REPORT OF THE

Off. Doc.

of these particular violators twice within a week, one of them going
to jail while the other paid his fines by paying so much a month.
These fines are now nearly all paid and in the hands of the Justices
of the Peace.

The violators above mentioned are the only people who used wing-
walls and nets this season in the North Branch of the Susquehanna
River, nor were there any in the river from Wysox to the Luzerne
County line, and so far as we could learn there were no wingwalls
in the river three miles above Towanda to the New York State Line.

The pollution work seems to be at a standstill at this writing. This,
I think is due to the fact that the Tioga County Court has not yet
rendered a decision in a case brought against one of the large tan-
neries.

With the assistance of Myron E. Shoemaker, I have patrolled the
North Branch of the Susquehanna River from the New York State
Line to the Luzerne County Line, a distance of about one hundred
miles, and together we also patrolled a number of its tributaries. We
also patrolled numbers of ponds and lakes in I»ike, Wayne, Lacka-
wanna, Susquehanna, Bradford and Wyoming Counties, besides do-
ing the special work of taking the spawn of the lish on two different
occasions. We have made sixty-five arrests and sixty-four convictions.
We have tried to temper justice with mercy and in only a few cases
have we asked the Justice of the Peace or Alderman to impose the
full penalty of the law.

One of these cases was a dynamite case in which two people were
involved the one having been arrested before on the same charge but
managed to get acquitted. He is the ling leader in this kind of work
in his vicinity, but since his arrest and conviction it has practically
broken up the dynamiting thereabout.

Forty-two arrests were made for catching and having in possession
short fish, six arrests for catching game fish out of season, five arrests
for catching game fish an<l using live bait on outlines, five arrests
for using fyke nets in wingwalls, four for fishing on Sumlayj and one
arrest for using too many hand lines.

The one arrest 1 nmde and did not convict was because when I took
the evidence and expected to prove that the defendant fished with a net
in wingwalls when the trial came u]», my witnesses would not iden-
tify the defendant, so, of course, the case was lost. Out of the sixty-
five arrests one was acquitted, live of the <lef(Midants were committed
to jail, sixty of them paid fines and costs amounting to 1924.75. Eight
outlines, together with snoods and hooks, three fyke nets made of
twine and two fyke nets nmde of wire were confiscated and destroyed,
as per orders from the Commissioner. A (piantity of fish and eels
were also confiscated and given to people who were sick, some were
kept as evidence and those that wen; still alive were replaced in the
waters again.

Out of the sixty-five arrests, fifty-two of the defendants plead
guilty, eleven stood trial before the Justice and one was found not
guilty. I had the assistance of an attorney only in two cases and they
were tried jointly, the same being <lynamite ciises. We endeavoreci
to catch the men with the goods on them so there would be no getting
away, and advised them that the best plan would be for them to
plead guilty and save costs.

Very respectfully submitted,

W. E. SHOEMAKER,
.^.... Warden.

No. 9.

DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.

m.

REPORT OF WARDEN FRANK F. SAYLOR.

_ _ Tronbridge, Pa., November 30, 1917.

Hon, N. R. Buller,

Commissioner of Fisheries,
Harrisburg, Penn'a.

Sir:— I have the honor to respectfully submit the following report
of my duties as a fish warden for one year from November 30 1916
to November 30, 1917: *

During the past year I patrolled 80 streams, much of my timn
being taken up with pollution work.

Fishing was rei>orted very good in this district. The sporting
men seem to be realizing the fact that by a constant watch of the
streams, and the thorough stocking of the streams which has been
done by the Dei)artment of Fisheries and the United Htates Goveriv
ment, together with the new fish code prohibiting all nets, that it
will not be long before any boy or gii'l can go to a stream and catch
a string of fish the same as the experienced angler. The people are
well satisfied and api)reciate the stocking of the streams and the
I»rotection which the Department is trying to give them at all times.

In performing my duties as warden I received much valuable as-
sistance from the various Fish and Game Associations, especially
from the the Montgomery County Fish and Game Association, the
Bucks County Fish and Game Association and the Phoenixville and
Delaware County Associations. The officers of these Associations
were very kind to me, and willing at all times to assist me by dav
or by night, and were always ready to stand by me in upholding
the law.

On December fth I was called to Erie to visit the Erie Hatchery,
also the Union City, Corry and Bellefonte Hatcheries, in company
with the Ccmimisssioner, Chief Clerk and the rest of the wardens.
This trip was for the purpose of educating the wardens in real fish
culture and was one of the most beneficial trips I ever had, as I can
now explain to the people in the east about the work that is being
done at the western hatcheries.

1 found all the hatcheries in very good condition, everything be*
ing nice and clean and in perfect order. The Commissioner cer-
tainly deserves a great deal of credit for having had erected such fine
substantial buildings. I cannot refrain from making comment on
the Corry Hatcherv, as this is surelv one of the finest hatcheries in
the State.

The balance of the month was taken up on pollution work.

On January 1st, 1 was called to the Harrisburg office and re-
nmined for two da vs.

I di<l no work on pollution in January, but patrolled the following
streams: The Schuylkill River, Perkiomen, West Branch Creek and
Skippack Creek in Montgomery County, and the Chester and Ridley

6^9—1918

82

REPORT OF THE

Off. Doc.

Creeks in Delaware County. Patrolling was very hard worl- nlnna
these streams during this month, owing to the heavy snows and
Zi^'ZZS^' '^'"^^ ^' -^^^ ^^-^^- along^^t^^rsTre^mt

r J" /ebniary I again took up the Avork on pollution in Beiks
County, making a survey of tlie Scliuylkill RivL- from Re .lin- to
Hamburg; also Little Creek, Mill Creel , Small Run Ke rdine s lln

Creek "TnlTn' V'^^ '^'''''' ^^'^ '^'^'^' ^an^' Cm^ Saucon^
Creek Toad Creek, Manatawney Creek, Monocacv Creek Antiet^im

"eiiomerRTve?"'^' '"'""^ ^''^'^^ ""'' *"« ^^'-t Bralut'^of C
In March I patrolled a number of streams in Montgomery and
Berks Counties, and visited a number of plants wherf hnd r^
ported po lu lons and in each case arranged plans or takim^ca,^
of the pollution. On March 13th I was called t<. the office it H .r
nsburg to a meeting- of the Commissioners and wardens It^hi^
meeting we received valuable instructions on the work "f p^dlutim"

SroZg^'raLi^^""'^^'"^- "^'^ ^^"^"•^"^- «' "- n.ont:v;rt*i::

Cou"n;^e<!'" of l™"fl!*'r"'' "' Montgomery, Chester and Delaware
Counties. On April 9th I was called to the office and on \Dril 11th
I was directed to visit McCall's Ferry Dam in companv wUh War
.Tr^*' ?°i '^•^''^■■' ''^'''^'•t and ^^'atson. We inspected te fish wVv
at McCalls Ferry Dam and found what we believeTwo, d be a Ln^t
hardship for a fish to get up that fishway. *'^*

i.f^'l ^P',\ /^"' ^ received notice Ihat the fish laws were being vio-
lated in Delaware Countv by the use of cast nt^tl t o f ? ^
ceeded to Delaware County aL wLTuccessf'd int res i^ Zle^^r

?in f *'"'•'?? ^^''\ ''"^^ ^'''' operating the nets. Thc-de en£,t wis
found guilty and paid the penalty, which amounted to *Too Thl

on April 14th I arrested a man at IronbridTe for seffi,.<r fi.«w.

?r'his".?sidenJe ^T^ie dT f'T ''''r^ -Salf^.ri.^fthL^r
IK. defendant was found guilty and paia a flue of

an?"on^'wifoLy'T*>'"?^'''^ " '^»'"I>lai..t at I'erkiomen Jrinction,

Sy'Tik',;r """ '^^^^"^'-'^ was found 'g^;it\:^^;:i'"Si/":

On May 8th 1 was directed to rejiort to the oflfpo at Hnrrf^Knrn.
and was there for two days when I returne,! toTonbrw'r m'v
12th I attended a meeting before Squire Howell at Phoe ixville n
l'f„f '%,^' the si.x men 1 arreste,! at I'erkiomen dumS o (i..!

fitr ; J!^^" """'. ''■'^'■•^ eonvicted and each paid a penaltv of s^n ,
the total amounting to .fl 20.00. i'i".nr.A or .%u.((u.

May 24th I arrested a man at the Swede Street Dam at Xorris

trc"ed to?rfo^fiVH'f ""'^r-. T'"-^ '""" ^-- -nv,';';;.,ramrsen:

lencea to jail for fifty days m default of pavment of fine

bin "".?i"'f •""'""' ^ Pat'-"l'ed the following streams- The Sclnivl

Creeks "■''"'°"" ''''''''' ''^'^'^'P'''^'^' «^^""'I^ I'-'<«-i"8 ""'1 F.en-ch

coiSnTtJiertiStlo^unTtSf '^ '' '''''''' '^'^ """^ ^""-^ '^^

No. 9.

DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.

83

June 12th I was assisted by Warden W. J. Acker in investigating
a complaint on the ^eshaminy Creek in the vicinity of Doyleltowiu
We were along this stream for nearly a week day and night The

Sncf"* Tf' ^^ ^o.^ i^^ '^^^^^ "^^^^y ''^^'"^^ kept the violators from
?ho ^^'i ^^. J"^^ 23^^ J was again assisted by Warden Acker along
the Neshaminy Creek, but the violators must have gotten the tip, as
everything was quiet. ^'

Til^^f!^^ '{''K^ P^^^f!!^^ the Schuylkill River from Manayunk to
rrPPk^^'on'T *,^^J^^^kiomen River, Skippack, Swamp and' Valley
Creeks On July 9th I was called to Monocacy, Berks County, where
the water of a mill dam was about to be drawn for repairs to the
f^i?- ^ remained at the dam day and night form Julv 9th to Julv
L^^.^ 1 ^ ^^^^ ^^^^^ competed and the water was^again turne^l
into the dam. There, were no fish destroyed in the progress of re-
pairs and I saw to it that there were no violations
bur " July 25th I was called to the office and directed to go to Sun-

« ?'] n^F.^^ ^^* ^ ^'^^ notified that there had been a number of
hsh killed m Branch Creek east of Swencksville by a dynamite ex-
plosion. I at once made an investigation and found that all the fish
that were killed were suckers. I then followed up the stream for
some distance when I noticed a small run coming into the stream
where the dead fish were. I followed up the run and found that a
farmer had placed a lot of carbide in a gutter which washed into
the run and killed the suckers. The farmer at once removed the cause
and promised not to have it occur again.

During tlie month I patrolled Ridley and Chester Creeks in Del-
aAvare Countj'.

On August 8th 1 patrolled Valley Creek running through Chester
and Montgomery Counties. This is considered a trout stream and
has been heavily stocked from time to time bv the Department of
l^isheries and by the United States Government, but 1 found verv
few trout in the stream, so I decided to take the temperature of the
water and found it to be from GS to 72 degrees. This, I think, is too
warm in the summer for a good trout stream.

On August 20th I was notified that there were thousands of dead
fish floating down the Schuylkill River at Phoenixville. I at once
made an investigation and traced the cause to Reading. There 1
found a number of dye works and hat factories, tanneries and
bleacheries turning their pollution into the river. These fish had
been killed with blue dye water, as the Schuylkill River and canal
were blue as far down as Norristown. I made a careful investigation
of the river from Spring Mill to Reading. I found some fish were still
dying down the river as far as Phoenixville a week after the report
came that the fish were dying at Reading and Birdsl)oro.

On September 1st I assisted in planting in the Perkiomen from
Oaks to East Greenville seven thousand four hundred catfish which
were shipped by the United States Government from Mount Mc-
Greeger, Iowa.

On September 3rd I assisted in planting four thousand and three
hundred small-mouth black bass in the Perkiomen River which were
shipped by the Department of Fisheries from the Union City
Hatchery. These bass were in fine condition and of good size. Not
one of the fish was dead.

84

Report of the

Off. Doc.

th?t Si!" n^*^ ^ investigated a complaint at Chester Springs
that Piclvering Creek was being pollnted from the Graphite Mills
which pollution I had already reported more than a year ago '

..2" SfPtember 20th I investigated a complaint at Ephrata Lan-
caster County of illegal fishing. This cou.plaint was made on hearsay
evidence and I could not get any one wlio could give a v direct ev
dence of any kind that there had been any violations

During the month I patrolled a number of streams in Chester
Berks and Montgomery Counties '--"esrei,

.7s'sr rSmcr '-"'"'-' •'^""■"" ""''■ »'''ki"« •' "A

o„V'Jk"? ^^^ '""!?*'' ^ assisted in the distribution of two hundre<l

and thirty cans of catfish and sunflsh which were distributed ii the

I erkiomen Kner and Branch Creek. These fish were "l inped by

the Department of Fisheries from the Toires.lale Hatchery ^

On October 6th and 13th I investigated a complaint at TvIm-'s r»oit

of Illegal fishing. This being hearsay evidence and as I did no havi

any direct evidence 1 thought it best not to prosecute at thai time!

On October l<thl was directed to investigate a complaint that the

dam at Lenni Delaware County, had been draine<l and that ..one

fish had been taKen illegally. 1 spent .some time in making this n!

vestigation and foun.l that the <lani had been partly diained tor tlm

purpose of repairing the head gates, the work taking Syabot

thirty-six hours. During the operation the dam had ple^itT of wa te •

the regular stream flowing through all the time. I was unab e to ^'

cure 'l"-ect evidence of any kind that the huv ha,l been Sated

On October 22nd I was <lirec<ed to investigate a comidaint at
Sheridan, Lebanon County, on the Tnlpehocken Creel The eom
plaint was hat many fish were being kiJle.l from ]K>llntion from Tie
Berkshire Furnace at Sheridan. 1 found this con plaint to be rue
and made a report to the office on the 24th. '

In November 1 patrolled the Scbnylkill L'iver, the Perkiomen the
Maiiatawney and the Skippack (',e,.k. The weather was "id'-nS
fishing had entirely stopped. During the month of Nm'en.be I ns
sisted the Game Protector at various limes in his woi-k

On November 21st 1 was <lirecte.l t„ go to Erie to assist Mr P H
Hartman, the Sui)eriiitendent of (he Erie Hatchery, .iml on the •'''n,!
1 went to Pnt-in-Bay. Ohio, for herring and white l^segk "fse
ciired from tJie Ohio State Hatchery and from tlie Cnited St-ites
Hatcliery at Put-in-Bay. 7fi,l(»8.(K)(. white fish an.l i.erri gtL^^
balance .,f the month I worke.l at the Erie Hat.herv

While 1 was at Piit,iii-Bay I had the pleasure of visiting the OJiio
State Hatchery and tlie Unite.l States Hatchery. Both tLsel.atc
eries are very fine and well ke,.t, but i think 'the hatchery a E-.
about the finest I ever saw. it being in perfect order all Vhe time

On .\ovember 30th there were nearly two million herring and white
fish eggs in the Erie Hatchery, and still more were collected nd
shipped to the Union City and (N>rrv Hatcheries «^o"e"eci .ni.l

^o- 9- DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES. sq

The following is a list of pollutions reported by me during the year-
Hosiery Mills, ^

Furnaces, Foundries and Machine Shops. in

Bleach Works ^ ' ^"

Knitting Mills, r

Broom Works ^

Flour Mills, • • • • 7

Cider Mills, .'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.' I

Gas and Electric Plants, t

Pumping Stations, ,

Dye Works, ' ' ' ' " ^

Bi-ewery, • . . o

Saw Mills I

Cement Works ■■■■■............ ^

Creameries, [[ ] ^

Shoe Manufacturing „

Woolen Mills j.

Mjlipa »

GraHdtewoiis::.;::.:.::::::::::::::::::;:;;:;;:;;;::;;; {

'^"*'''' ~~7o

During the year I niade 18 arrests and secured 17 convictions one
detendant going to jail for 50 days in default of the ,.ayn e.U of thi
fine. The fines and penalties imposed and paid to the DeSrtment
during the year were ^3G0.00. me iFeparwueut

In closing niy report I wish to express mv gratitude to the Com
inssiouer and olMce force tor the hearty co-operation and asmstS^
rendered me in my work during the past year! asM&tauce

Very respectfully submitted,

FB4lNK F. SAYtOT?.

Warden.

REPORT OF WAKDEX ROY A. WATSOX.

Hon. x\. R. Buller, ^"'''''''•' ^°"''' ^«' ^^'«^«n»ber 30, l»tf.

Coiniuissioner of FisheriM,
Hairisbnrg, Penn'a.
®'**' — I have llie honor to suhmif hoT.mvi'fh ,..,. i

rawfl,„t Into the .tm,i„. Sn.l IllS M „i 5 . ,™i, '.""."'"e "'

.hfiiss KX^s.'™*;;; 'iS* sir ■?-Sr';r'r' '""i

found them all in very cood «Iiine wiVl w. 7 ^, ^''^^^'' ""*'
plenty of young fislf foi?the s ring stocl-inl *'t.'^'^' ''•''*''""^ '''"*'
structive trip and we all lear^d I gS Ll aW.rtL\Tl>"
and rearing of fish, which is very useful to us n oi'r work ^"^

86

REPORT OF THE

Off. Doc.

In January I worked on the pollution of Slippery Rock Creek and
Its tributaries, except when I went to Eaymilton to inspect a dam
belonging to Samuel Walker which I found to be in very bad shape

in February I inspected three sand plants at Derry and found the
owners to be running lots of their refuse into the streams which I
at once reported to the Department. I also inspected a powder
£ . '*T ^r ^''^"Ar*^ *°"."^^ ^^'"^ *« ^ P«""ting the Shenango

tt"^Vcinyy;r(fro4 ^r""'" "' ''' ""'' "'^"""^ "'''''''''
During March I worked mostly on the pollution of Slippery Rock
Creek and its tributaries. Also made a trip to Harrisbur| to a m^t

ag!r of one^o? trV'"*^ another trip to Grove City to m^t the man-
ager of one of the companies who were polluting the streams in re-
gard to putting in a filter at one of their receiving tanks which he
put in and which worked very satisfactorily not allowing km refuse
at all to get into the streams. ^ ^elu^e

During April I worked some on the i)ollution of Slippery Rock

S. M^n'n/*?.*"^"^''"^"- ^1^« ^^ent to Harrisburg and from there
to McCall's Ferry Dam to inspect the passageway for fish at that
place. After inspecting the same very carefully it was found to he

How/vernn/. ••"""'''■ 'T '^' ""^'l *« "^^^""^ and descend the fish wa""
Ho\\e\er, nothing was done at that time to remedv the matter arnl
the same will be taken up at a later date.

I then investigated a complaint of seining at Evans Oitv and
another coniplaint received from Thorn Creek in regard to deld fish
beuig seen floating in the water. I finally decided^he rouble was
due to salt water and notifie.l the jmrties who were running the L t

T„ m!^" the stream, making a report of the same to the Department

T ] ^^^J i investigated a complaint of illegal fishing at Conneant

Lake. Made one arrest and conviction, the fine amounting to S

hnt^ll-^ one dollar costs. This arrest did a whoT ot of good in

te h^ ?.?^ ^' fl^^'^""^ ''■^'■^ "° •""'■« complaints coming from theTake
the balance of the .season. I then m ent to Mea.lville to see Mr Horn
heck, who >.s very mud. intereste<I in the stocking of the streams and
the protection of the fish. »ueam.s ana

ini" Thfhni r"* V.P'"""^''^'""^ ♦" investigate a complaint of sein-
mg. The balance of the month I worked on pollution cases in Butler

Si iSd ' aK init;''t*'r- '^"•^'r!'^ «''"^'^' Brancht'n! Goff m
ing of fish Th^.11 ^''^'''^ "• complaint on Brush Creek for the shoot-
.^L ■ ""^'^ ^■'■'^ °"e complaint from Beattys in recard to a

rnui;rce'.lXi"H ""^ ^ ^t'-e-'.-'-h I mvLlgat JS had
i CO d not i;L t nfi' ^- ?"'rj" ^fe" *^eing to remove the sawdust so
It touid not be washed into the streams during heavy rains

During Augu.st I worked on pollution of the variou.s streams at

Assisted cTmew' f'^'r^^''"' Euclid, Claytonia and Coa lowm
1 assisted (xame harden Joseph Curts to make an nrrp^jt at, +h..

a "v^oh". /"t'haT r'l'^V"^ "' '''"^°"- '^'- -VttigatedTc'om^^la ;
Creek ^ ""* ^'^"^ '""""'"^ refuse into the Neshannock

In September worked on i.ollntioii. patrolling Slii.pery Rock Creek

S'?.i.;;^"£rT""' '""I'^'^fh' Patfeion'Ln', AmsSong
Hun lavlor Run. .Tamison Run. Wolf Creek and Muddy Creek T
found plenty of fishermen but no violations ^

In October went to Blairsville to investigate a comnlaint !., ,.«
gard to the draining of the old canal bed. but found yer?Se"o it.

DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.

No. 9.

^^»^iviiu.ji,i>ii ue J< istnaKlJflS. ST

I then went to Harrisburg and from there was ordered by the Com
miss.oner, to go to Allentown to Colonel Trexler's fish hatcheryto
help take the spawn of the trout and to deliver trout eSs to thp
different hatcheries. From there I went to the Eiie nffcherv ?«
help out during the spawning season, arriving home on DeceSr 2,

In conclusion I desire to state that the streams in this vicinity are

t"e';j"flfS':r;;e;;;;':-ea;:''*"^ ^^ ^«"- "•«" ^^ ^- "- 'o^

Respectfully submitted,

ROY A. WATSON,

Warden.

REPORT OF AVARDEN WILLIAM J. ACKER.

Allentown, Pa., November 30, 1917.

Hon. N. R. Puller,

Commissioner of Fisheries,
Harrisburg, Penn'a.

thf''^''^^ ^""7'^ ^l^ *'''"'''' *^ ^^"^""t ^he I'^Port of work done during
the year ending November 30, 1917- auiing

During the month of December I was on pollution work in Lehigh
Northampton and Carbon Counties I^>om the firlt tn fL ^f^i ^^

msMsmmm

les to attend a meeting of the Coinmik^ione s a nSens Ve .^^^^^^
ast' rtSjI^i^t ^nr r**' ««--'"r-" relati^e^^a pollS
Co:ntr'eIa?ur;rthe^\'^lSiZTtre^ ^tJ^^^^^^

Through the montli of Januai v 1017 to th^ osfi, ^# ^.i
1 e t " nn! e Ihfh I'st ';.'f f*""' T'^ '■"''"'■^•'' "" "''» >^^'^^^"^^ <"

II,.. n\^ oo"„tiV> " "'"' '""'" '■'■I'"" "' «»'l' ■■«'"'f«t,..»r l„

.■.°'l™!,"'7t'' ,l?"n',"";" '". "••'!' f«'S to nitend a mwing of the

88

REPORT OF THE

Off. Doc.

April second to ninth visited the different manufactuiing plants
at Easton, and on the 10th of April I was called to Harrisbnrg in
regard to work at McCall's Ferry Dam, and on the thirteenth re-
turned to Allentown. ^^'atched trout fishing on the Little Lehigh
Kiver to see there were no violations before tlie oijening of the season
which was the fifteenth.

On tlje nineteenth I went to Penn Forest. Paradise and AVolters'
Trout Hatcheries, and from there went to Bath. This latter trip
was in regard to a lot of dead fisli in tlie streams there. After an
investigation I found the trouble to be due to ammonia oil comin<--
Irora a creamery at Bath. Upon my return home found a complaint
that some foreignei-s were outlining in the Monocacy Creek at Beth-
lehem, which complaint I investigated.

On the twenty-fith I made information against tlie Supidee Milk
Company, at Bath, for pollution. They i)leaded guilty to the charsre
and paid their fine.

I then went to Kutztowu and [)atrolled Saiiconv Creek aiirl lo
Bethlehem and patrolled Monocacy Creek.

May first I returned to Batli for a meeting with tlie Supplee Milk
Company officials relative to a filter which they intende<l to install
and to close up their ca.se finally. 1 also went to Easton and visited
the Paper Makers' Chemical Company in regard to their pollution
and on the ninth myself and Warden Edgar AV. Davis took samples
of their pollution for analysis. Returned to Lockland, Lehigh Conntv
and patrolled the Jordan on the twelfth, thirteenth and fouis-
teenth.

On the fourteenth Mr. Davis and I again went to Easton and took
more pollution samples in the Bushkill Creek for analy.sis. also pa-
trolled the Delaware and streams in Xorthampton and Monroe
Counties.

June 1st went to Bangor and jiatrolled Martin's Creek to the Del-
aware River. On the fourth went to Bath in answer to a telegram
received from the Supplee Milk Company in regard to the filter On
the fifth I sat as Registrar at Allentown. as i)er the draft bill

On the twelfth went to Doylestown, as per instructions from the
office, and worked with Warden Saylor for a week on the Xeshaminv
returning on the seventeenth. 1 then attended a meeeting of the of-^
fleers of the Trojan Powder Company in Lehigh Countv in regard to
taking care of their pollution. May nineteenth au<l twentieth went
to Romigs Dam as the miller was cleaning the same, in order to save

iK + !u' m^'" ^''?^ ^ "I^^"* *" Macungie to investigate a complaint
that the Thomas Iron Company were killing fish in the Swabian
Creek. Went to Doylestown with Warden Saylor to assist in im-
trolliiig Neshaminy Creek. Returned on the twentv-fifth and went
to balisburg on a dog case, taking a dog from an unnaturalized for-
eigner, and making information against him. I then went to Ea.ston
to investigate complaint against the Meth-O-Lene Chemical Connianv
and had to go to Tataniy to .see the Superintendent, afterward going
to Fogelsvillle to in.spect the L. P. Cement Compauv. Watched for
bull-frog hunters for three nights before the season opened

July 3rd went to the Trojan Powder Companv. Ironbridge on
complaint, and patrolled the Jordan River relative to gigging and
hunting buIl-frog;s illegally. Went to Saylorsburg, on the hike rela-
tive to a complaint of some one catching short bass and from there

No. 0.

DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.

89

went to Freemausburg on a dog complaint. Returned and patrolled
he Little Lehigh for three nights-eighth, ninth and tenth Went
o Palmerton and patrolled the Aquashicola Creek in Carbon County
Returned by way of Saylorsburg, Lake Creek, and then goine to
FogelsviUe and patrolling Haasen and Jordan Creeks to the ifttle
Lehigh. Then went to Bath and patrolled the Monacacy to Be hie
hem and then patrolled the Jordan and watched for illegal frog
hunters on the fourteenth, fifteenth and sixteenth ^

1 then investigated a case of pollution of the County Home Cedar
Creek. Went to Stroudsburg on the eigtheenth and patroll«l Broad
heads, a so patrolled streams in lehigh, Bucks, Montg^o^nery Coun?fes
and both branches of the Perkiomen. ^-^"iimies,

In August went to Pine Grove on complaint of a Fish and Game As
sm..a ion, Roeder.sville, Schuylkill County. On the se,e„th went to
Harrisburg, returned going to Bethlehen, to investigate coniokin^
received at the office, and to Easton on complaint of the F°sh and
Game Assoc.a ion. ]{eturned went to Centei Valley on complaint
On the eleventh went to Cedarville and FogelsviUe relative to h.
vest.gat.ng a complaint of a dog-chasing rabbits. On the th Ke^nth
went to Reading and Mohnton on complaint that the Mohn ton Water
Company was polluting the stream. """lou »aier

Went to Orefleld and patrolled Beaver Creek, Haasen Creek and
part ui the Jordan in Lehigh County. On the eighteenth returaedo
Mohnton in regard to the Angelica Dam case ^ "* leuiinecl to

The rest of the nionth 1 i)atrolled streams in Lehigh, Xorthampton
and Bucks Counties. On September first to fourth w is nt FaitnT
on the Bushkill Creek, watching the .lam at the a -k On the fourth
went to the IVojan Powder Company plant, and afterward to gSS
Lane on the Perkiomen Creek. 1 tlieii went to Brown's Woods on
a complaint that foreigners were taking game illegally also soina
o Germansville on Maiden Ci-eek. RetuT-ned to eSo , as theyTe"e
building a new dam at the park there and I was to seL that no fish
were taken while they were building the same. ' '** ^"**'^ "° ''*"

Went to Willianisport. Lycoming County. reTattte to tlie klllinff of
fish .„ the Susquehanna River, and while here went to L^ck H°ve«
Jersey Shore. Xewbeny. Roaring Branch and Ralston nmkiL a fui
report o my trip to the office. Returned to Harrisburg, then wen
to Allentown on a dog case and to Wilkes-Barre and Pleasant Mount
fbr^^wo weeks- work on Beaver Meadow Dam, this behig all n°ghE

Pla^ro,^ !?.e 'Don!- '"''"*• **^*'***'" ^'^ investigate a wingwall com-
ptaint on the Delaware river in comi)any with Warden Loveless of
New Jer.sey. and Warden Davis, of Scranton. it having leerSorted
that slmd were being ill,.gally taken. We made ten arrests TitS
connection, the charge being setting fyke nets in whigwal " and
thereby idestroying thousands „f young 'shad. The defendan s C!

ti^,T],'\^"'' ;'**''''•'■ '""' ^""victed and fined. With the coopera^
tion of the .>ew Jersey authorities this practice was broken np

Xoveud.er tirst to twelfth ,.atrolled streams in Berks Lehieh

Xorthampton. two in Bucks county ami one in Carbon county S

nye.st.gated t. -out .selling in Monroe county, pollution at Tatamv and

a tannery m Lehigh county, the same being a new plant on Tmnt

creek, alno a chemical plant on the Little iTehigh in Lehigh couX

90

REPORT OF THE

Off. Doc.

I then went to Centre Valley and took a doe which was found there
IneS^n. ''^ '" '^' ^^'^'^ *" '^^ ^^^^^^^^ ^^^^'t HOSPU.K

Very respectfully submitted.

WILLIAM J. ACKER,

Warden.

REPORT OF WARDEN EDGAR W. DAVIS,

Hon. N. R. Buller, ^'''"'""' ^"'^ ^""''"^'^ ^«' ^^'^'

Commissiouer of Fisheries,
Hariisburg, Penn'a.

Sir: I have the honor to submit the foIIo^N ina; report of mv woi t
as fish warden for the year ending \ovember lo m?- ^

In January and February I investigated and reporteU tl'ie condifio..
o twenty streams, tributaries of tlie Tunlchanno ck ciSl Tl f« m
'ne?ced*?nm;r "' ''' Tunkhannock creek and trlllutaS co:;;:

During the year I patrolled the following streams- Broadhe-i<l'<«
creek, Taupack, Roaring Brook, Tobyhanna and Tunkhanod creek

I also reported several cases of pollution

On April 23d 1 arrested a j.arty of five men for netrtn» tn the
Lackawaxen r.ver at White Mills. Pa., which I snppo:od tnd J 1
believe, to be a trout strean.. but the case was .led m1 ..ai" t e

o?rreri':'LiTv;:ut^;t;rnr "^"" -^ ''- ^^^•-"- ^^"- •-

Se Sr'ThI' [nV ;?''"!?■ 'I'^f "' ^ ^^'^h wing^aUsl'iirthe Dr

ttTpi.rr.?rofFi:hS. '-" '-' -'- ""-*•" i"''--iv^-t

From November ^d to Novend)or ^Htli T ixoc i,. n + • -m
taking White fish spawn. aXS t^'whi,:! 'se'^^^r ':.;, f ^r ^^

of e4ellentmnlitv''^'?l ''•'"' ""l '^'"^; ''"'^^ '''"'^ ' --"""» ' -
^nJht ^f '"^ throughout northeastern Pennsylvania the past .ei

^''* ^* DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES. ^

During the year I makie seventeen arrests as follows:
For using nets in trout streams

For having trout under size . '^

For having yellow perch undersize i

For having yellow perch out of season* .'.'.*:: f

Aliens fishing 3

Interfering with an officer ..........!. ' ^

Total

Number of convictions 1*^

Number of cases appealed ^^

Committed to jail ... 2

Fines paid 1

The -abo^-e is' r^specVfuify submitted, ^'''■''

i3DGAR W. DAVIS,

Warden.

REPQET OF WARDEN a R. HOLLANii

Hon. N. R. Bullep, ^^^""^ ^^^ ^' November 30, 1 017.

Commissioner of Fisheries,
Harrisburg, Penn'a.

duSg leZ:t^l;^^::\^\^^-^^^ -k done by me

waSTaTEi'-if ^Tl.frr'^''"""^'"^ "' ^^'^ Con.mi.ssioners an.l
different k nSs of rt.l an The'c'rr'" 'T!,"'."'^'' '''' ''•''^^'''"g "^ "he
were large enough to p" uLZ Tf *'** t '""''•' *'''^'» »"*» thev

theflshho„.sesafngthe^^keXrlthi1''/^' ^''.'' ''""' *"'"^'^» ^°
banks and saw theni uVlail , .1^^? l ?. °!5*? *^'""*' '" '^'•'"" "'o Ashing
hatching. ''*' •""' J''*'^'' ^'"^ ''•^'' '-"'d gather the eggs for

wh X: TirDe;:rTnt"trs1o?eT;rtr rT^/^^- '^-^ ^'^ ^-"-'"

^tS^l^^S^^S^ ^' ^ =S= - in.

purpose at night we could find IuJT "^^f"*" *° «» ^''ere for anv
pose of this nfee ing was to X^ "' L'"',::'' T'*''?/ ^"<«^">t.v. The pur-
and e.Tplai„ how the fish Ire tcS^ Tf'*'"' ",'*" '''"•''•™^ I.atcheries
would be able to exnHin ^^thf . i r ' ''''*'"'*''^- "" *''at the wardens
done. '^ *"" ^" ^""^ •'"'•''«' ^''en asked how the Mork was

92

REPORT OF THE

Off. Doc.

During the remainder of December I visited the hikes and dams
searching for illegal fishermen, but found none, which was (due no
doubt to the fact that last winter 1 made several arrests for using
tip-ups through the ice in trout streams and tliis naturallv had a
fleterrent effect on other lishermen.

^ During the month of January I was on survey work in Luzerne,
Columbia and Montour counties, which work T continued durin^^
February until the roads became impassable. ^^

In March 1 visited a sawmill in the mountains back of Harvev's
Lake in company with Warden Edgar W. Davis. This was a very bad
trip as we were nine hours going eigliteen miles. The infonnation
in this case was sent in by an attornev and the information was
given to him by a discharged employe of tlie mill, and general] v in
tormation coming from such a source is useless.

I started to patrol the trout streams on April first and continued
to do so until May 10th wlien I was ordered to go to McCalPs Ferrv
Dam. During my patrol work 1 found no illegal fishing and examined
many fish baskets, but do not think I ever saw so manv large trout

I reached McCalFs Ferry Dam on May lltli. The sliad were bein-
caught then and they were much larger than they were in 1915 and
1910, and the prices ranged from |L00 to |1.50 a i)iece. There were
very few fishermen compared to the year before as the run of shad
was too poor to warrant any return to the fishermen for their time
and labor I was assisted in this work by Mr. W. E. Buller who was
a great help to me.

On June 8th the Commissioner came to Hidtwood and ordered me
to return to Harrisburg as he had some special work for me to do in
Luzerne county. After attending to this w<u-k 1 returnc^d to H(dtwoo<l
on the 10th ot June and found the sha<l lunning well. I remained
there until the 20th of June, the end of the shad season

1 then returned home ami again took up the work of patrolling

aS^^'^of idling"'''''' ^ ^"'"'^ '' *^' ^^ ^'^'^ ^^^^ '"^^^ "^ ^^^^ *«
In July there was an eiddemic of snakes on the streams and 1 never
saw so many snakes in my life before. The fishermen were afraid to
venture out to fish and there were very few campers, onlv the bunga-
lows being occupied by women ami children. '

The bass fishing was very i,oor owing to the hi^h water which
>^ashed the coal dirt into the river arJd which was siirred up bv the
dredges so that very few fish were left in the North Branch of the
Susquehanna between Northumberland and Piltston
thP.T"^ l^'^ fim two weeks of September the river IVll and just at

S thl'"nhW^ii -^T, ^'^''^ ''**^' '"^^ '^'"^ ''^ ^^''' I'^'-^^tes laid up some
of the old walls in the river. On Octol)er 10th Warden Edgar W

Davis came down from Scranton to assist me, and I also had the Stare

Police help me. The State Pcdice were stationed along the bank we

Mr. Davis and T went in a boat, but about a half hour after he d

gone^the fog sett ed on us so thick that we could not see the^ei gtb

he boat and below the wall we ran into two patrol boats and thev

nnniediately disappeared in the f<,g. We got to the shore safelv b iV

Sri UP. . fhf '1i^ '^^''^'^' V' '^^'*' ^^« ^^^ »*»* «»« flHhermen did
not go near the walls again after the night we were after them

No. 9.

DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.

93

On the 28th of September I learned that some Nescopeck pirates
were at Gould;s Island putting up a wall, so I went up and found
two men working at the wall while a third was on guard. I went
home then intending to go back the next day, but the next day when
1 went a constable had already arrested them for stealing boats and
Oc tob. ,!'"^^^^ T f^?^;*'f >"^^'^ ^^^'«^^«d there. I did not get them until

on h^ rfi '''*"'*' ^""^ ^ convicted them for putting an obstruc

lioii iiit(» the I'lvor.

On Apiil nth the Commissioner sent me, together with five otiier
uanlens to the McCall's Ferrj^ Dam. This trip was in order to ac'
<).ia.iit the other wardens with the shad fishing gronnds so that in

TckM SndX ''"'* /"•^'rr*'"""^ ''T '^"^•^ fl«hi"g reason they would
nndeistand tlie worlv. We spent the Hay there in loolcing over the
grounds, returning to Harrisburg the neit day

On tlie last .lay of the trout season a lepoit came to the Depart-
ment that a gang of fishermen from Berwicli were going to the l^ead-

h. the 1?.^H""/'rf"" ^r"^' '•""' ^*'»*'"S th«t these fifhermen were
in the 1 a bit of talving sliort trout and eating them on the stream

and adv.s.ng that a warden he sent to arrest them should any viol^:

or ler7o 1 t iirn ""''''"' '" '""'Z^'*^'' '''' '''"^'^ violators.Vnd h.
order to (lo tins it was necessary for me to hire an automobile and

drive thirty m les. only to find that one man. who was The in the

ioKn t .e'""'t ";1,^" '"'" '"*""• "'"^ «"'^" tl^i^ informa Ton a a
Sn fn„. PeHv I ' "' '"'■'■■•• } '"""" ^^"^ fishermen to be business
men tiom Berwick who were just out for a dav's sport. Of course the

^ o7Z'''-tV''f */'"* 'I 7"' '■'■'"'"• ^^I'™^'^^ '-the DepaZerit

On the oth of August I was sent to Dushore, Sullivan Coimtr to
malce an investigation in regard to dynamiting which it wa^ daimert
was being done in the Little Lovalsock creek After natrolHm^th*

Stream, 1 found no signs of any explosion. I called on the mrtv
wlio reported the case only to find that he had made the report cm
liearsjiy and did not have any real evidence in the case. ^

1 thank the Commissioner and the office force for the manv kind-
n^ses shown me kluring the past year ^

The above is respectfully submitted.

C. R. HOLLAND,
Warden.

SPEnL4L FISH WARDENS.

04

REPORT OIT THE

Off. Doc.

Department. Under the provisions of this act these sneHnl fi«h
J^mZ" r'"'"' ^'" ^'o^^Pensation whatever for Sir servicerand arl

iJn'e/"":::;'!;:'; li«t of the «pedal fish wardens who were ap-

of the Legislature approve.! Jui 2Vr9?^!'Ar ic L 5 ''"''' ''" '''
loS'Jf T" '*''■ ^''l re-appoi„tment of these wakens on Januarv 1

effecting the':;Vtren\'of^s',!e^-n?t7:a'rl„"s" ''"'"'^'' '^^'■^'"•^■-

NAME,

• ••••««

Albright, C. E

Allen, William ....
Atkinson, Albert R.
Andrcss, John G. . .

Bayle, W. G

Baiiman, William .
Blocher, Ernest . . .
Boettcher, Ernest .

Bookberger, John

^%^^^ Edwin D

§"",'''*' 9^^

Burke, Michael

S"'^I'' /"^^'V

Butterbaiigh, Thomas .
Butterbaugh, Thomas .

Buzby, A L

C.onstabel, Stephen N.
Canfield, Roy . .
Caulkins, R. A.
Chatham, John H. ." '. [ '.
Cochrane, D. C.
Cossman. Edward '.'.'.'.

Cox. Wilson B

^""'% Charles

DeTurk Benjamin D. . ,

Davis, Martin

Davis, Oscar

Earnest, J. C

Enty, L. T

Bsser, J. Keith
Elliott. Charles R.
Parrell, William L
Frere, Everett ...
Frederick, H. J.
Frost. Harrv

Fry. Elam .*

Oibb, William L. . .
Ootwals. William L

Could, O. D

»rover, H. A
Craeff, Robert .' .* ." ! !
Hamilton. Charles A
Hafflev. J. r

• • • •

• • ■ •

RESIDENCE

• «-« «^ « »»♦

• •••••

• • • •

• • • •

• n • •

• • • • ■

• « • • •

• • • • •

• « • •

• • • •

• * •

• « •

• •••••♦

• • • • «

• • • • •

• ■ « • •

• « • * *

• » • • •

* « • ■ i

• • • • ]

• • * • •

• ••*••««

• ■•••«,

• • • • t

Roaring Springs,

Johnstown

Doylestown.

\\est Chester,

Altoona,

Meyersdale,

Elk Lick

Mauch Chunk,

4^toona

Weissport,

St. Clair,

Tionesta,

houth Lakemont

South Lakemont, .'

Ambler

Philadelphia,

v'^'^^t'

Pr""^^tte

MeEIhattan,

State College,

Mauch Chunk

Plymouth Meeting,

Rose Bud,

Altoona,

S^y"^ i

Pennsylvania Furnace, . .
Bedford I

i «nsy. •

Mauch Chunk ;

Altoona, I

Roulette, ...
T.nke Winola,
Hosensack, . .

I >uryea

Trrre Hill, .
Carlisle,

^'«i'"«town, . . . .'

Jfahaffey

Mauch Chunk ;

Robesonia

McDonald

Lewistown,

COUNTY FOR

WHICH
APPOINTED.

• •»••»•••••

• • • •

• •••■••■•

• •••••••■

••■•••••••••••

• ••■••

Blair.

Cambria.

Bucks.

Chester.

Blair.

Somerset.

Somerset.

Carbon.

Blair.

Carbon.

Erie..

Schuylkill.

Forest.

Blair.

Huntingdon.

Montgomery.

Philadelphia.

York.

Potter.

Clinton.

Centre.

Carbon.

Montgomery.

Clearfield.

Blair.

Delaware.

Huntingdon.

Bedford.

Jpfferson.

Carbon.

Blair.

Potter.

Wyoming.

Lehigh.

Luzerne.

Lancaster.

Cumberland.

I^Iontgomery.

Clearfield.

Carbon.

Berks.

Washington.

Mifflin.

No. 9.

DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.

WARDENS.— Continued.

95

NAME.

RESIDENCE.

COUNTY FOR

WHICH
APPOINTED.

Hale, H. B

Haney, Edwin F.

Hartle, V. E.

Hendricks, William

• • • •

bhawaiiese, i Luzerne.

buylorsburg, Monroe.

Meyersdale. | Somerset.

Hunt. W. T. {^P^i^^f r'" I Bucks.

Heiile, Richard '. ■ /A^f H'^f •*''' i Chester.

Herman, William F. .'.'..: (vm i?^'"^' ' Philadelphia.

Johnson, Thomas .... }l ^^^^-Barre, Luzerne^

Jones, Mathew H .* [^ l?^^^'*"' Delaware.

Johnson, J. C. . Uvsco, Monroe.

Ketner, H. E. . . i/^^'*- Erie.

Kiehl, O. S : Henrietta, Blair.

Kimball. Arthur .* i?t"^Plv ' Jefferson.

Klegg, George V Roulette Poj^er.

Kline, Leo W ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! * ' * * ' ' y:^:^5!^^ ..: • Delaware.

Keppley, Robert

Lewis, J. R

Lawrence, Charles L.
Lindauer, Charles

• • • •

R^?""^'. Blair.

Robesonia, Berks.

^^r^T*"*' Blair.

McCherrystown. Adams.

Lockwood, Harrv C. . . . , v/i"^? ^*^^' Chester.

McCormick, GeoVge ru'}'''^''^''' ' Monroe.

MoXally. R. II

Maitz, M. D ;

Martin, Gervase

May, C. M

Meagiier, Maurice . ^,
M^'yers. Clayton N. .

Mills, .John

Mitcln'iier. William A.

Mooney, Thomas

Morris, Mulford

Mong, Charles C

O Donnol, .James

Chester,

Delaware.

• • • • •

Roaring Springs, , Blair.

•-•^ ■»-•. *-•» ^^ •-»-(

East Mauch Chunk, . . . .

bellcTsviIle,

Elk Lick

t nioudale,

Mcbherrystown

H"f tol,

Uallstead,

U ilkes-Barre,

iiH<'«»a'

Bristol,

'rger, uene
Kosenborger, Sam
Rowland, Horace
Rowland. Horaco
Schram, William . . .
Seglin, George W. . .
Seitzinger, James . . .
Shoemaker. Mvron E
Spangler, Daniel, Jr.

fpanglor. F

gtates, Harry

Statler, Clan^nco . . .
Shaw, Samufl J. .
ghipman, R. W. . . . ]
►Stoplions, E. T.
Stephens, E. T.
Soarfoss, Lyman ' .* .* ."

Syhultz, .John

Thomas, A. E. . . .

Tittle, .James K

Ipnt J. C

Ihnmpson, E. D.
Vogol, .J. C.

Juliette, Bonjamin . . .
Walters, Frank A. . .
H eaver, H. R

•.«••.

••«...

.....

Meyersdale,
Moyersdale,
Philadolphia,
Philadelphia,
Elk Lick, . .
Saylorsburg,
Gordon, . . .
Laceyxille,

Bristol,

Coalport,

South Canaan,
Elk Lick,
Altoona, . .
Frankstown,
Altoona, . .
Altoona, . .

• •••••

• • • •

• ■••••

• • • • •

• * « • •

• •••••

• •••••

• ■ • ■ •

• • • •

• • • • •

«•••«•

• • • • •

• ••••#

\\ ilkes-Barre,

Qunkortown,

(oalport,

Bartonsville,

Elk Lick, ..' ;;:;:;;

Altoona,

I'SSJ;;; ;::.■•■•••■ ?{;»j;i«-

Wilkea-Barre,- i i i i ! [ l ! ; ' fc^"

Carbon.
Bucks.
Somerset,
Wayne.

Adams.

Luzerne.
I Bucks.
! Susquehanna.

Luzerne.

Blair.

Bucks.

Chester.

Montgomery.

Somerset.

Luzerne.

Bucks.

Wayne.

Somerset.

Somerset.

Philadelphia.

Bucks.

Somerset.

Monroe.

Schuylkill.

Wyoming.

Bucks.

Clearfield.

Wayne.

Somerset.

Blair.

Blair.

Blair.

Huntingdon.

Luzerne.

Bucks.

Clearfield.

Monroe.

Somerset.

Blair.

96

REPORT OP THE
WARDENS.— Continued.

NAME.

RESIDENCE.

Werner, Ellis ; Mohnton

Wiriiench, Charles East Mauih cinink.

\Vills, George A. Warrior's Mark, . .

JVinner, Howard Hatboro

Winters, J. H Altoona,

Off. Doc.

COUNTY FOR

WHICH
APPOINTED.

Berks.

Carbon.

Huntingdon.

Montgomery.

Blair.

Waener H ? W^^os-Barre.* ! i! i! i! ^ [i Wyoming

wlSL'?-^ Atoona i Blair.

Winters J. H Altoona,

Zaverl, Joseph Ararat,

Huntingdon.
Susquehanna.

No. 9.

DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.

07

I also desire to extend to you my sincere thanks for the many
courtesies shown me during the year, and for the many kind words
ot encouragement which have indeed been a great help to me in per-
forming my duties, and I assure you it is my aim and desire at al]
times to co-operate with you in every possible way.

Respectfully submitted,

N. R. BULLER,
Commissioner of Fisheries.

CONCLUSION.

Before closing my report I take the opportunity to liere express
my appreciation of the assistance rendered me during the year bv
all those associated with me. To the members of the Board of
Fishery Commission I give especial credit, as thev give their time
and services to aid me in my work clieerfullv and without any thou^-lit
of compensation for their trouble, except 'their actual traveling ex-
penses, and other minor expenses incurred while traveling to'^and
from the places where the meetings are held.

Comparatively few meetings were called during the vear for the
reason that the funds apjiropriated by the Legislature would not
permit of much traveling, but from the few meetings held with the
members of the Board much good was derived, and for their <^ood
advices and co-operation in my work, I cannot speak too highly ""

The unstinted loyalty of the 8uperinten<lents of the different
hatcheries must not be overlooked either, for without their untiriufr
devotion to the work of tish i>roimgation and caring for the fish, which
requires constant attention, my Iiands would be tied, as it is onlv
through the co-operation of the emploves of the Department that the
work can be brought to a successful termination.

The wardens too have been very faithful in the performance of
their many ai^uous duties. They are so few in number and their
duties so many that they rarely have any time to themselves, being
kept busy day and night with the many comi)laints of illegal flshinrr
ccmiing in daily and looking after the pollution of the streams, and
many incidentals which could not be enumerated here

Last, but l|y no means least, 1 desire to extend mv sincere thanks
to my very able office force. While they too are few' in number thev
manage to keep their work up to the minute at all times and it
IS never too much trouble for any of them to do extra work when
called upon, and best of all they do it clieerfullv and efflcientlv. Tak-

'"^ I fJI ""^ "V''"^ ""^ ^^^ employes connected with the 'Depart-
ment of Fisheries being experienced in fish cuture, are so interested
in every branch of the work that it is not a hardship for them to be
transferred to the different branches when shorthanded in one par-

7—9—1018

(m)

END

YEAR