PROPAGATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF FOOD FISHES, 1927 721 
Past experience has demonstrated the fallacy of maintaining a brook-trout 
brood stock at this point. All but 15,000 brook-trout eggs were secured from 
outside sources. Of a total of 1,836,086 eggs handled, 1,000,000 were for the 
account of the State of West Virginia under the usual cooperative agreement. 
These eggs, together with 250,000 Loch Leven eggs purchased and 250,000 
rainbow eggs furnished by the bureau, were hatched at the station and distributed 
by the State. The bureau received 250,000 brook-trout eggs in return for those 
of the rainbow. One lot of commercial brook-trout eggs was of inferior quality 
but a good percentage of hatch was obtained from the remainder. 
There is being built up a station stock of Loch Leven trout, and this year 
355,000 eggs were taken from these fish, numbering 1,800 adults and 1,000 
yearlings. The eggs were of fine quality and produced healthy, vigorous fry. 
The fish thrive well in these waters and are becoming established locally. Two 
hundred thousand Loch Leven eggs were received from the Bozeman (Mont.) 
station for the State of West Virginia. 
Emphasis was placed on the rainbow work and the take of eggs was increased 
950,000 over that of the previous year. The total was 2,430,000 eggs, of which 
approximately 71 per cent hatched. Of the resulting fish, 763,250 were dis- 
tributed as fingerlings and 25,000 were on hand at the close of the year. 
Touching upon the production of pond species, the results with rock bass, 
sunfish, and smallmouth black bass were unsatisfactory. Difficulty in securing 
good adult stock for breeders is a retarding factor, and climatic conditions are 
generally unfavorable. In the comparatively high altitude of White Sulphur 
Springs late May usually is cold, which delays spawning or causes the eggs and 
fry to be killed. However, from a stock of 225 adult largemouth bass, 134,500 
fingerlings were distributed, as against 38,800 of the same species last year. A 
number remain on hand for fall distribution. Constant effort is being made to 
overcome handicaps and secure a greater production of these species. Distri- 
bution of the output of the station was continuous from March 9 to June 22. 
WYTHEVILLE (Va.) STATION 
[C. B. GRATER, Superintendent] 
The experience with rainbow-trout collections at this station during the fiscal 
year 1927 can be said to be a repetition of that in 1926, when the yield fell far 
below the average of other years. The dry weather, resulting in a diminution 
of the flow of water, caused a very light egg production per fish, and the ravages 
of furunculosis, which reached its greatest development during the spawning 
season, was a further handicap. As yet no precautions have been effective in 
preventing this disease. A slightly better percentage of hatch than last year was 
obtained from these eggs. Octomitiasis, a disease that affects fingerlings, also 
was present, but early distribution minimized its ravages. The usual shipment of 
wild eggs for maintaining the brood stock was received. A shipment of 400,000 
brook-trout eggs from a commercial dealer turned out very poorly. Only about 
25 per cent of the lot could be raised to a size suitable for distribution. The 
brood stock of brown trout was wiped out entirely by furunculosis. 
A fair output of pondfish was had. The largemouth bass spawned exceptionally 
early; cold weather followed, and no fish from the first spawning were captured. 
Later spawnings produced some fish for distribution. A small stock of small- 
mouth bass produced 27,000 fry for distribution, and this stock was increased by 
a shipment of 60 adults from Lake Erie late in the season. Most of the sunfish 
brood stock died, and very few of this species were produced. 
PONDFISH STATIONS 
The stations exclusively or partially engaged in the production of 
warm-water fishes are situated in the Southern States. Several of 
them exceeded all previous records for the production of pondfish, 
and the output of the group as a whole was very satisfactory. Exten- 
sion of the pond area, particularly at the Tupelo (Miss.) and the 
Mammoth Springs (Ark.) stations, has increased production. The 
success or failure of pond-cultural operations is dependent largely 
upon weather conditions, and in general the past season has been 
