COMMISSIONERS.

GEORGE T. MATHEWSON, President, Thompsonville, Conn.

ROBERT G. PIKE,

E. HART GEER, Secretary,

Middletown, Conn.

Hadlyme, Conn.

REPORT.

To His Excellency the Governor, and the General Assembly of the State of Connecticut:

Fish can be artificially propagated in unlimited numbers, while nothing can be done for game, except to protect it while there is some to protect.

In a large measure, the success of fish culture depends upon the magnitude of the operations- that is, if it is conducted upon a large scale, the results will be far more satisfactory to the public, than if carried on upon a limited basis that its effects cannot be readily appreciated. For this reason, it has been considered advisable to keep a large stock of brood fish at the State hatchery in Windsor Locks, and it is expected that the yield of eggs this fall will furnish all the hatching house can accommodate, and we can confidently expect in this way to increase the output of the State hatchery to such an extent, that the cost of producing young fish to the fingerling size, will compare favorably with the best results obtained in other states, or by commercial fish culturists.

With the continued efforts to have the hatchery increase the output of fingerlings, comes the question of expense. The principal item entering into the cost of producing this size of fish, and keeping the large number of brood fish necessary to produce the eggs to raise them from, is the food.

If a brook or a suitable pond could be found, where a part of the large brood fish could be placed to care for themselves the conditions being favorable for securing the fish again, to take the eggs at the proper time, and protection given against poachers—the question of a large part of the expense would be solved. A stronger and healthier egg would be the result, and consequently a larger percentage of fish would be raised from eggs that are taken from fish whose haunts and habits are of the wild and natural conditions.