hatcheries in the State the eyed eggs collected there, we could devote this hatchery in a much larger degree to the propagation of important salt water fish and at the same time save a large amount of money. The cost of shipping trout from the Cold Spring Harbor hatchery to other portions of the State in cans is unusually large on account of the ferry charges, whereas eyed eggs could be shipped to other hatcheries at a comparatively small expense, leaving the Cold Spring Harbor hatchery to devote itself chiefly to replenishing the trout waters of Long Island and our marine fisheries, upon which a very considerable portion of our people depend annually.

The total number of applications received by the Commission in 1908 and filled was 2,878. During the past year (1909) the total number of applications filled was 4,057. Of these the Adirondack hatchery filled 1,370, Caledonia 929; Chautauqua 104; Cold Spring 395; Delaware 408, Fulton Chain 78, Linlithgo, 26, Oneida 438; Pleasant Valley 309.

A number of improvements necessary to the desired increase in our hatchery work are mentioned in the reports of the foremen of the several hatcheries. I deem it particularly important that the Commission should secure the necessary land to control the water supply of the Caledonia hatchery and the Southwell property at the Oneida hatchery. We also, should have more land and a better water supply at the Chautauqua hatchery which, if properly enlarged, will furnish an ample supply of fish for a territory which is now difficult to reach from other hatcheries.

Our thanks are due to the various railroads of the State which year after year assist in our work by supplying the necessary transportation for fish and the messenger in charge while en route to our inland waters. It is to be regretted that there are one or two railroads which do not join in this public spirited consideration of our very important work.

Very valuable assistance also is rendered by the United States Commission of Fisheries. Their assistance is in the main confined to joining with us in stocking the Great Lakes and rivers of the State. Unfortunately, however, there is no way at present apparent by which enthusiastic citizens can be prevented from securing from the government all sorts of fish for our inland waters. Our law prohibits the placing of anything but trout in Adirondack waters, except with the specific approval of the State Commission, but it is feared that many of our Adirondack lakes have received from this

source bass and other fish which never should have been placed in trout waters. Some method should immediately be devised by which all applications for fish coming into the State should be vised by this Commission before they are filled. We have as our State Fish Culturist, Dr. Tarleton H. Bean, who is a scientific man of international reputation and whose judgment certainly should control in all questions of the introduction of new species, at least. He also should pass on requests for fish intended for waters which do not now contain them, even though these fish are desired by those who are unsatisfied with their efforts in well-known trout waters. Undoubtedly the United States Commission would favorably consider any presentment in this matter which you might see fit to make, and I am advised both by the State Fish Culturist and by private correspondence that the time has come for the Commission of New York State to take a firm stand in this matter. We most certainly desire to continue to produce from the Federal hatcheries every year such allotments as are necessary to keep up the stock in our inland waters, but we respectfully submit that this allotment should only be made with the advice of this Commission based on the scientific knowledge of the State Fish Culturist.

December 29, 1909.

Report of the State Fish Culturist

DR. TARLETON H. BEAN

Hon. JAMES S. WHIPPLE, Forest, Fish and Game Commissioner:

SIR. In submitting my report of the fish cultural work I take pleasure in calling your attention, first, to the steady growth in the output of the stations from 1907 to 1909, as exhibited in tabulated form. It will be observed that in 1909 the Commission distributed nearly 135,757,115 more fish than in 1908, notwithstanding the fact that 1908 showed a large increase over the yield of 1907.

Since the date of the last report many important improvements have been made at most of the stations, and the station at Linlithgo has been placed

in position to do very effective work. It has a stock of brood fish, black bass and calico bass, and its ponds are now in condition for active service, while the water supply has been reinforced by a pumping plant for taking water from Roeliff-Jansen Kill. This will always obviate the danger of a failure of the supply from Kleine Kill, and will furnish cooler water in the spring, in all probability making it possible to carry brook trout to fingerling size. The ordinary work of that station was supplemented in 1909 by a succesful experiment with the river herring, of which Foreman Winchester planted 9,500,000 of fry, besides having liberated more than 1,000,000 shad in the Hudson river and the Roeliff-Jansen Kill. He also filled applications for 44,800 black bass from adult stock brought chiefly from the Oneida station. At the Linlithgo station there are now about 500 adult calico bass which were collected by Foreman Winchester in Nassau lake, Rensselaer county, where this species was introduced many years ago by the State.

A glance at the distribution for 1907, 1908 and 1909 reveals gratifying increases at the Adirondack, Caledonia, Chautauqua, Cold Spring Harbor, Linlithgo and Oneida stations. These gains are principally represented by brook trout, whitefish, pike perch, blue pike, river and lake herring and by several marine species such as the smelt, flatfish and lobster, which contribute so largely to the food supply.

In the first place,

Very serious difficulty has been encountered in the collection of lake trout and whitefish eggs. It seems almost impossible now to get lake trout eggs from Canada, as the Commission formerly did. it is hard to find an expert who will collect the eggs in numbers sufficient for our purposes; and, again, the lake trout season is so frequently interrupted by storms as to make the crop of eggs a very uncertain one. Mr. Marks was sent to Owen Sound where he obtained about 4,000,000 eggs of lake trout, but these arrived at Caledonia in bad shape, and will yield only a small percentage of healthy fish, probably less than forty per cent. The number of eggs taken by Foremen Burke and Otis in the Fulton Chain and other Adirondack lakes is too small to be worth considering, and Foreman Davidson took none at all in Keuka lake, owing to the natural difficulties in fishing that body of water. He has at last discovered a spawning bed of the lake trout in Keuka lake, on which he believes he can obtain the trout, but only in gill nets, owing to the peculiar conformation of the lake bottom.