PROPAGATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF FOOD FISHES, 1927 729 
METHOD OF DISTRIBUTION 
In making distribution of fish the bureau first supplies the waters 
from which the eggs are collected. After such waters have been 
stocked shipments are made to suitable public or private waters 
on applications previously submitted. The bureau aims to apportion 
the output of its hatcheries so as to obtain the best results, giving 
special attention to waters where it is apparent that the fish planted 
will find suitable spawning grounds. Blanks on which formal requests 
for fish may be made are furnished to applicants on request. Such 
blanks call for a complete description of the waters to be stocked, 
and from the information supplied the bureau assigns species that 
are suitable. It is decidedly important that the information given 
in applications be as accurate and complete as possible. 
Applicants are notified at once as to the species that will be sent 
them and the approximate date of delivery, and they are given 
instructions for receiving and caring for the fish. Before shipment 
is made, a second notice is given, usually by telegram, stating the 
exact time of arrival of the fish at the railroad station. The fish 
are delivered to the applicant’s railroad station without expense to 
him. In the event that the shipment is delayed, the applicant is 
notified accordingly. 
Fish usually are shipped in carload lots to central points, and 
messengers leave the cars at various points to deliver fish to applicants 
whose railroad stations are on branch lines. These messengers travel 
in the baggage cars of passenger trains, and therefore the deliveries 
necessarily must be made at the time when the train makes its 
customary stops. A messenger often has a dozen or more deliveries 
to make before rejoining his car and must return his full quota 
of pails promptly in order that further shipments may be made in 
accordance with the prearranged schedule. As the pails are a part 
of the car’s equipment, it is obvious that if they were lent to applicants 
it would necessitate suspension of the bureau’s work until they were 
returned. Applicants are expected, therefore, to provide themselves 
with receptacles suited to carrying fish. Such receptacles should 
be in readiness at the railroad station specified in the advance notice 
of delivery. The vessels should be uncovered and empty. If no 
receptacles have been provided, the fish will not be delivered, nor 
will they be delivered even though the receptacles are in readiness 
unless the applicant or his representative is on hand to take care 
of the consignment. 
In making allotments of fish on applications the following items 
are taken into consideration : The area of water to be stocked, as 
stated in application; size and number of fish available for distribu- 
tion; and the distance the fish must be transported. The bureau 
distributes fish as fingerlings or yearlings. At some stations, however, 
it is necessary to distribute a portion of the output before ‘this stage 
is reached in order to prevent overcrowding. The basses, bream, 
and other pondfishes are distributed three weeks to several months 
after they are hatched. The basses usually range from 2 to 6 inches 
and the sunfishes from 2 to 4 inches in length. Commercial species, 
such as whitefish and pike perch, are hatched in large calves and 
necessarily are planted as fry. 
