142 BOAED OF AGRICULTURE. [Jan., 



caught now of all sizes — much more than at first. They 

 vary in size from a quarter of a pound to two or three pounds. 

 The largest that I have ever caught there weighed two ounces 

 less than five pounds. 



With regard to the quality of the bass, I am not here to 

 advocate its superiority of quality, by any means; but if those 

 who enjoy fishing can by any process induce the bass to bite 

 the hook, there is certainly a great deal of sport in catching 

 them — much more than in catching the average of fish. And 

 as I have had considerable sport in catching them, I felt as 

 though at least a word should be said in their favor. 



Dr. SxuRTEyANT. I would like to correct one misunder- 

 standing. The bass do not appear to attack grown pickerel. 

 The destruction of pickerel comes from the destruction of the 

 young, the small fish of the year's hatching. By reducing 

 these, the pickerel remaining in a pond at first grow larger, 

 and you catch large fish, and think they are really increasing. 

 But as you catch out those large ones, they are not replaced 

 by the young ones, as they would have been if the bass were 

 not in the pond. 



Now, in order that you may see what confidence may be 

 placed in my statements, I will give the circumstances in re- 

 gard to Waushakum Pond. It is leased of the State by an 

 association of fishermen, to which belong many old salmon- 

 fishers and trout-fishermen — men who are familiar with fish- 

 ing, and who are familiar with fish. This lake of ninety- 

 acres has liad a man in charge of it for years, who keeps off 

 all trespassers. For years a record has been kept of the fish- 

 ing on that lake, the number of fish taken, and their weight, 

 so that my information is based upon those figures. This is 

 one of the few cases where you can get accurate statistics in 

 regard to fish. And when I speak of the bass not being a 

 good fish to catch, I mean that they are an uncertain fish. 

 On some days you may have splendid luck, perhaps for two 

 days running, but as a rule you can never depend upon their 

 taking the hook readily, no matter what may be your skill. 

 Now, our statistics show that we have spent several thousand 



