knowledge that a large and productive business will mean greater prosperity to themselves and their families, then a great impediment in forming a perfected system will be removed. Every shellfish producing State save one is in possession of one or more boats for use in the economical and necessary transaction of its affairs. Upon this subject I beg leave to submit the following abstract from the last annual report of your superintendent: "A SUITABLE BOAT IS REQUIRED "It may seem singular that in a bureau which deals with marine matters exclusively, whose every item of business is connected with the public waters and the land under those waters, we should be entirely without the means of going upon the waters. In explanation of this situation it may be said that years ago a small naphtha launch was provided for this Department, and an endeavor was made to use it but it was found to be altogether inadequate for the purpose, besides being a constant source of danger to the lives of those who ventured in her upon the often rough waters of our coast. The boat was therefore sent up the State for use upon the inland lakes and rivers, for which purpose it was better adapted. Since this, as one of the Metropolitan newspapers some time ago rather flippantly put it, 'fisheries officials may wade or borrow a boat.' It is true that during the past year there has been an appropriation from which boat hire might be paid, but this sum was small and was not altogether for use in this bureau. A suitable, seaworthy boat is needed for many purposes; in fact it should be used in connection with every subject with which the bureau deals. For information, the following purposes are specified: "A boat is needed in carrying on the triangulations and basic hydrographic surveys as well as the necessary measurements for the allotments of oyster lands. "A boat is necessary to determine the character of the bay and sound bottoms upon upon which may be based an accurate knowledge of the value of the different localities for shellfish culture. This is now more than ever the case since the law, as amended at the last legislative session, charged this bureau with the duty of grading these lands in accordance with their value. "A boat (or boats) is needed for the prevention of the illegal and improper taking of oysters, clams, escallops, etc., and to prevent the placing of nets in prohibited localities. Such a boat would be warranted if it were only to enable the State to resume the policy of gathering the eggs of lobsters for hatching and distribution, also numbers of other salt water species might be increased by many millions, including the valuable codfish. "No State upon our seaboard has more important marine fisheries than our own, and no such State is without a boat; indeed some of these States possess what they call a 'shellfish navy.' The State of Virginia, for instance, by its Board of Fisheries, operates six large boats and three gasoline yawls. The largest of these boats is said by the Board to be worth $40,000; the smallest of the six is worth $1,000. Your superintendent recommends that a suitable appropriation be made for the purchase of a proper boat and for its maintenance." Statistics of Oyster Production It has been impossible to get exact figures of production, but the following are given as, so far as they extend, approximately correct, being based upon formal reports made by individual oyster planters. Some oyster-producing localities, not being under the immediate jurisdiction of this bureau, are not represented, and oysters used for consumption locally, i. e., in the neighborhood of the beds where raised, are generally not included in the count. An effort has been made to cover the ground as completely as possible, but it has been necessary to rely almost entirely upon statements voluntarily sent by the planters. For the purpose of arriving at approximation the figures given are of value: Value of steam vessels and appliances.. Number of power vessels other than steam vessels. 35 2,143.6 $223,000 00 2 II 2,059.50 304 FIFTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT OF FOREST, FISH AND GAME COMMISSIONER. The quantities carried to market by vessels owned or operated by oyster planters do not enter into the foregoing table. NEW YORK, December 24, 1909. REPORT OF HON. J. D. LAWRENCE, DEPUTY COMMISSIONER IN CHARGE Hon. J. S. WHIPPLE, Forest, Fish and Game Commissioner: D EAR SIR. An advance far beyond all our expectations has been made during the year 1909 in our fish cultural work. Every hatchery shows a marked increase in its productiveness, and the many people who are interested in this branch of your Department will undoubtedly be pleased with the notable expansion which is shown. Particularly is this desirable at the present time when the cost of meat has soared so high that a supply of cheap fish food is an absolute necessity for the great majority of our people. A year ago the hatcheries turned out a total of 394,177,789 fish of all kinds to be planted in the waters of the State. This was high-water mark at the time; but it has been far eclipsed by the record of the past year, which shows a total of 531,293.721 fish of all kinds, including 9,235,641 game fish and 522,058,080 food fish. The total cost of the hatchery system for the year past was $82,839.21. This may seem a considerable sum, but dollar for dollar many times this amount has been returned to the State in actual value for the benefit of the people. Figured on the basis of the price prevailing in commercial hatcheries, the 531,293,721 fish planted by the Commission during the year were worth $753,838.74. This large sum is what it would have cost the people of the State to buy the fish which were raised in our hatcheries at a cost of $82,839.21. All fish sent out by the Commission from the State hatcheries are large and vigorous, amply able to take care of themselves when planted, and easily worth the highest price charged for each species by the commercial hatcheries. For the benefit of those interested in such matters, it may be said that in making the estimate given we have figured game fish fry at $25 per thousand, fingerlings at $50 per thousand, food fish fry at $0.50 per thousand, and fingerlings at the same rate. This estimate gives us $128,662.50 as the value of the game fish fry; for game fish fingerlings, $204,457.05; food fish fry, $260,869.19; and fingerlings, $159,850. It may be said that a lesser price would have prevailed at commercial hatcheries for such a large number of fish, but this contention is readily met by the statement that the estimate is based on conservative figures furnished by the leading commercial hatcheries of this and other States. Many letters have been received during the year which show the appreciation of both the food and game fishermen for the work which is being done by this Commission. It is conceded by everybody interested in keeping up the supply of fish in our inland waters that the efforts of the Commission. alone prevent the natural decrease which would come from the additional number of fishermen who visit these waters yearly. The hope is expressed on all sides that the Legislature will continue to see the wisdom of your suggestions and will keep up the work by making the necessary appropriations for the hatchery service. We also are in receipt of many suggestions for increasing our output, and these mainly are in the line of adding additional species to those already propagated in the State hatcheries. I have called attention to the desirability of such extensions in former reports, which were largely based on personal investigation and knowledge of the conditions which prevailed. We can call attention with proper pride to the large increase shown in the species of salt water fishes propagated at the Cold Spring Harbor hatchery. Too little attention has been paid in the past to this very important part of the work of our Commission. The carefully collected statistics of the United States Bureau of Fisheries show that our salt water fisheries are a most important branch of our work, and the approval given to the attention which we are now paying to propagating desirable salt water food fish is in itself a sufficient commentary on the desirability of the work that is being done. With the proper attention, the Cold Spring Harbor hatchery could be made one of the most important branches of our work, and its location admirably fits it for this service. If, instead of raising the brook trout to the fry or fingerling stage at this station, we should ship to various other |