724 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 
San Marcos (TEx.) Station 
{O. N. BALDwIn, Superintendent] 
The reconstruction of one of the residences and the initation of a ‘program of 
widening and deepening ponds constituted the most important improvements 
undertaken at this point. Difficulty is experienced still in making collections of 
brood bass sufficient to maintain the stock. Some yearlings are reared for re- 
placement purposes, but one large pond should be devoted entirely to the rearing 
of brood fish. 
Ponds were prepared for fish early in February, but the majority of the bass 
spawned late, and shipment could not be undertaken until April. Fish were dis- 
tributed at a considerably larger size than last year. While fewer were carried 
in the cans they probably had a greater value for stocking purposes. It is be- 
lieved that a substantial number remains in the ponds to be distributed during 
the coming year. 
The output of bream at San Marcos was restricted because the San Marcos 
River overflowed the bream ponds and the fish were scattered and mixed. By 
seining, 15,000 fingerlings were recovered, and it is likely that a considerable 
number will be carried over, which will help to meet the requirements of the 
coming year. Crappie are not produced in the station ponds but are secured from 
ponds and tanks in the surrounding country. From this source 48,115 fingerlings 
were obtained for filling 224 applications. An attempt is being made to rear a 
brood stock of rock bass, and afew warmouth bass were produced. The green sun- 
fish also is propagated, and there appears to be a fair number of fingerlings in the 
ponds at present. The pond auxiliary at New Braunfels was the source of 47,275 
bream, and it is thought that a goodly number can be carried over. The sub- 
station at Medina Lake is having great difficulty due to the condition of the 
ponds, which leak so badiy that water can not be kept up to the proper level. 
Apparently the only way to overcome the trouble is to reconstruct the ponds 
completely. 
TupELo (Miss.) STATION 
{CHARLES R. WIANT, Superintendent] 
The construction of three new ponds, covering 5.3 acres, at this station has 
provided a 70 per cent increase in the pond area. No water was available for 
these ponds during the present season. One of the older ponds was enlarged 
and deepened. It is interesting to note that the diversion of surface water into 
some of the ponds during the winter has, to a noticeable extent, curtailed the 
amount of pumping necessary to maintain a level. 
A larger number of brood bass in the greater pond space, together with favor- 
able weather conditions, produced the high total of 37,847 young. In the dis- 
tribution of this output 2214 per cent were distributed as fingerlings of 1 to 4 
inches, compared with 16.8 per cent last year. 
Two species of sunfish were handled during the year, and it was found that 
fingerlings of Lepomis heros, the strawberry bass, were much larger in the fall 
than was the case with Lepomis pallidus. It was also noted that a greater pro- 
duction per adult was attained where the sunfish were kept in the bass ponds 
than when the ponds were devoted exclusively to the former. The output was 
increased from 113,050 last year to 313,200 in 1927. The production of crappie 
was a failure, as is usually the case. A few warmouth bass were produced. The 
total output of combined species for 1927 exceeded that of the previous year 
by 200,000, attaining the high figure of 956,952. 
LAKELAND (Mp.) Ponps SuBSTATION 
[Supervised by Washington ottice of fish culture] 
These leased ponds, situated a few miles out of Washington, were stocked in 
the spring, as in previous years. However, a repetition of the excessive devel- 
opment of algze experienced during recent years, due to insufficient water, re- 
stricted the output and only a few thousand fish, largely bass and sunfish, were 
recovered in the fall. Very few crappie were obtained because of this condition 
and also because there appeared to be only a light hatch of this species, although 
conditions were favorable for the spawning of the other species. 
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