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43<br />
arrived here I took one lot of 60,000 to Lochaber, Antigonish County, and a second<br />
lot of 50,000 to Sheet Harbor; these were placed in the troughs of the temporary<br />
hatcheries erected there and with these the most perfect success was met with<br />
in hatching them. These hatcheries, being used only for a few weeks in<br />
the spring of the year, while well and conveniently arranged for the purpose,<br />
have not the numerous appliances for carrying out the work that the main or central<br />
establishment is provided with, and in consequence large quantities of filth and sedi.<br />
mentary matter are at times carried in to the troughs and deposited upon the ova.<br />
This occurred at these points on several occasions and necessitated severe handling<br />
of the ova, in order to cleanse them, but notwithstanding this, almost every egg<br />
hatched and the young fish, after emerging from the shell, was stronger and more<br />
lively than were the salmon ova hatched under similar circumstances, and I am<br />
informed by the parties in charge of them, that, when turned into the lakes they were<br />
in perfect condition and had outgrown the salmon. The reverse was the case with<br />
those retained in this hatchery; as stated before, nearly all died when bursting from<br />
the shell, and the few that survived I found almost impossible to save until the proper<br />
time for distribution. Fearing the supply of water to the troughs set aside for the<br />
hatching of these fish was insufficient, I procured four large galvanized tanks, which<br />
were placed on a foundation outside of the hatching room, and the young fish put in<br />
them, and a bountiful supply of water turned on, but in spite of every effort they<br />
continued dying, so that when at the proper age for distribution, but a small percentage<br />
of them was left.<br />
These eggs, from the time they were placed in the troughs here until hatched,<br />
received the closest attention, and no sediment or fungoid matter permitted to remain<br />
upon them for a moment. Having failed in past years with this particular kind of<br />
ilsh, I was determined to succeed this season if possible, yet I was doomed to disap.<br />
pointment. I have now concluded that the water with which this hatchery is<br />
supplied is of such a nature as to be injurious and detrimental to the growth of the<br />
young salmon trout, and that it will be useless to make any further attempt here.<br />
Should the department contemplate continuing the effort to stock the lakes of this<br />
Province with salmon trout, the little hatcheries erected throughout the more remote<br />
counties can be utilized for that purpose, and to this end I would respectfully suggest<br />
that they be enlarged so that room may be provided for the usual number of salmon<br />
ova, in addition to the numbers of trout ova, that may be sent them.<br />
This hatchery can be used as a point at which the ova may be reed ved from<br />
Ontario and from which the several quota may be sent to the outlying points. Since<br />
the first attempt on the part of your department to introduce the whitefish and<br />
salmon trout into the inland waters of this Province, a very general desire has arisen<br />
amongst fishermen and others interested that these efforts be continued on a liberal<br />
£cale, Covered, as this Province is to one-fifth its area, by large and deep lakes, it<br />
presents a very favorable field for the creation of an extensive inland fishery, which,<br />
if once established and properly nurtured thereafter, might attain almost unlimited<br />
possibilities. The completion of new lines of railways, now under construction and<br />
in contemplation, will open the interior of the Province where the best of these lakes<br />
are situated to the markets of the continent, and add materially to the value of the<br />
fisheries of Nova Scotia.<br />
Distribution of Fr'.<br />
The distribution of the various kinds of young fish hatched in this institution<br />
last spring was successfully effected amongst the lakes and rivers as per following<br />
£chedule :—<br />
Salmon Fry.<br />
Musquodoboit River, Halifax County ... 80,000<br />
Sackville do do do 80,000<br />
Nine Mile do do do 80,000<br />
Pennant do do do 40,000<br />
Indian do do do 40,000