COMMISSIONERS OF INLAND FISHERIES. 7 



trout, as the American Fish Culture Co., at Carolina, R. I., owns one 

 of the best equipped and most successful trout hatcheries in the 

 country and has always made favorable terms to the Commission 

 for its annual requisitions of fish for restocking purposes. 



In regard to black bass, however, the situation is entirely different. 

 The Commission receives annually many requests for distribution 

 of this very valuable species of food fish, but the majority of these 

 requests could not be granted owing to the extreme difficulty in 

 obtaining anywhere near an adequate supply. Nearly all the govern- 

 ment and commercial black bass hatcheries are located at remote 

 distances and, considering prices for fish of suitable size and expenses 

 of transportation, the outlay is almost prohibitive. 



Your Commission believes that if the State could own or lease a 

 small pond near to its Experiment Station so that the supervision 

 and necessary work could be done by our superintendent and his 

 employees, a comparatively small initial outlay and annual expendi- 

 ture would provide an output of young black bass and perch that 

 would be ample for present needs. 



With the increasing popularity of outdoor pursuits — of which 

 fishing plays an important part — and with the growing facilities of 

 trolleys, automobiles, motorcycles, etc., affording easy access to 

 remote ponds, comes the necessity for extra effort along the lines 

 of propagation and restocking and the need of rigid enforcement of 

 protective laws. 



TROUT AND BLACK BASS IN 1911. 



It has been the custom of your Commission to expend annually 

 a portion of its appropriation for the restocking of the streams and 

 lakes of the State with trout and black bass. While the Commission 

 is still of the opinion that such expense is fully warranted, yet, owing 

 to the lack of appropriation of funds and to the fact that there would 

 be no actual moneyed loss to the State by omitting this work, it was 

 early decided that this branch of work would not be continued this 

 year. 



