1927 The Texas Almanac and State Industrial Guide Page: 183
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THE TEXAS ALMANAC. 183
a program of sixteen sections. We have
held religiously to this program, and feel
that we can conservatively say at this
time that we are well over the top with
each, section of that program. The first
section covered scientific investigation of
the :alt waters of our Texas coast, and
we have 'carried this investigation to the
point where we now know the time and
place of spawning and the annual growth
of our littoral fish. This will be most
helpful to us in framing conservative leg-
islation for the improvement of the com-
mercial fish industry. - Our back bays are
already teeming with fish that are just
reaching marketable size and -men -with
pole and line are making more money
than the netters have been making.
"When we bring the fish back to the
point that should be held, many more men
will be employed in fishing with a small
overhead expense and a more uniform
supply will be furnished.
"We made a complete survey of our oys-
ter beds and this work is being carried
on in a scientific manner rather than in
the hit-and-miss manner which was neces-
sarily the custom without this scientific
investigation. Our oyster planting results
have been especially good. The sections
covering conservation and propagation
could really be covered under one head.
Conservation is really nothing more than
education and we have devoted a lot of
time to educational work, having issued
a year book, following this with an Illus-
trated annual report, which has been well
received by the general public and we
have secured a ready response to our ap-
peals for their co-operation.
Stream Pollution.
"Anti-pollution has come in for its
share of our attention. It is absolutely
necessary that we clean up our rivers in
order that they may be stocked with
game fish.' We began with a survey of
the Trinity and the Brazos, which rivers
we consider a key to the pollution of this
State, and we have seen a marked im-
provement in the watershed of these two
rivers.
"Our fish hatchery program has gone
over exceedingly well. We were able to
complete two new hatcheries in time to
secure a splendid output from them for
the current year. With a top-production
at the three State hatcheries next year,
we will have a surplus supply of fish for
planting in the public waters. We are at
this time preparing to begin work on two
additional hatcheries, which will give us
an outlet into sections of the State we
have not been able to successfully stock
in years past on account of the long
haul.
"Our first year's experiments in culture
of channel catfish have proved successful
and these choi-ce fish will in future be
produced in quantity for distribution in
public streams. Where this variety is
planted in tanks or lakes it will be neces-
sary to place kegs, barrels or sewer pipe-
in these waters as the catfish spawn only
U - -"o . -I jin such places or under overhanging
shelving rocks. In the operation of fish
hatcheries in this State we have been
compelled to resort to the one and only
method of pond propagation since none of
our native varieties of game fish can be
artificially propagated. We have, how-
ever, introduced two very popular and
prolific varieties: the rainbow trout and
ring perch, both of which can be propa-
gated artificially; if we are successful in
introducing these two varieties we will
be able to very materially increase the
production of fry for distribution.
Game Warden Districts.
"We have divided the State into forty
game warden districts, having made a
slight change in our original plans in
this connection, which called for twenty-
five warden districts. With the increased
revenues which we have been able to se-
cuie, we feel that we can amply provide
for the forty district wardens with ten as-
sistant full time wardens and twenty spe-
cial men during the active hunting sea-
son.
"We have established fifty game pre-
serves to date, each and every one of
them a real game preserve. Practically
all of' these have been stocked with birds
and game and we will continue to estab-
lish such preserves as in our judgment
are suitable for the work.
Would Designate Islands.
"We are prepaid ing to ask the Legisla-
ture to designate the islands along the
Gulf Coast which belong to' the State of
Texas as public shooting grounds under
the jurisdiction of the Game and Fish De-
partment and thus prevent these islands
from being taken up and utilized as pri-
vate clubs which will in the course of a
few years shut off practically all of the
public shooting grounds to the outside
world.
"We have in our educational program
strongly urged the passage of a law cre-
ating a conservation commission to be
composed of five non-paid men to be ap-
pointed by the Governor, which commis-
sion would control the operations of this
department. We feel this is the best
method of getting the department as far
away from political control as possible
and permit us to use experienced men
in the work."
TEXAS GAME AND FUR-BEARING
ANIMALS.
The. Virginia or white tail deer is found
in limited numbers in the heavily tim-
bered sections of Middle East and South-
east Texas, and in considerable numbers
in Southwest Texas and the Trans-Pecos.
The black tail deer is found also, and
there are some mule deer in the Guada-
lupe, Davis and Chisos Mountains. Ante-
lope are found in very limited number in
West and Southwest Texas.
Small black and brown bear are found
in the mountains of the Trans-Pecos andTHE TEXAS ALMANAC.
183
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1927 The Texas Almanac and State Industrial Guide, book, 1927~; Dallas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth123785/m1/187/: accessed May 21, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.