PROPAGATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF FOOD FISHES, 1939 587 
Although the total number of rainbow trout eggs collected at the 
Neosho (Mo.) station was approximately 570,000 less than last year, 
the number shipped, due to the superior vitality of the eggs, nearly 
equaled that of last season. The selected brood stock of rainbow 
trout produced 1,305 eggs per pound of fish. Due to favorable 
weather during the pondfish spawning season, the output of warm- 
water species was the largest in the history of the station. Two 
rectangular trout ponds east of the hatchery building were razed and 
replaced by 3 circular concrete ponds. A concrete roadway was built 
and considerable landscaping was accomplished by W. P. A. laborers. 
At the Bourbon (Mo.) substation, which is operated on a coopera- 
tive basis for the sole purpose of producing rainbow trout eggs, there 
was a material increase in the yield. 
The collection of rainbow trout eggs from the Wytheville (Va.) 
station’s brood stock amounted to 2,152,000 green eggs, which was 
slightly less than the previous season when 2,237,000 were collected. 
Approximately 1,133,000 of these eggs were shipped to other Federal 
and State hatcheries. The production of brook trout was the lowest 
in recent years, due to a gill infection which practically wiped out this 
species. The smallmouth black bass yield was also negligible, due to 
sudden changes in the temperature during the spawning season. The 
output of bream and rock bass was normal. The fry resulting from 
the pike perch eggs received from the Put in Bay (Ohio) unit were 
liberated in New River. Both hatchery buildings were reroofed and 
approximately 3,000 feet of pipe were laid to the ponds which are 
utilized for propagating spiny-rayed fishes. A new six-car garage 
was constructed, and eight brood trout ponds were rebuilt. 
The inferior quality of the rainbow and Loch Leven trout eggs 
collected at the White Sulphur Springs (W. Va.) hatchery was ascribed 
to the food fed the brood stock. Due to the rebuilding of ponds 
utilized for the propagation of warm-water fishes, the output of bass 
was insufficient to meet the demands in that locality. The painting 
of all buildings except the work shop was completed. A number of 
new troughs were constructed and installed in the hatchery building. 
At the close of the year the spring pond and supply ditch were being 
walled up with stone, and the surrounding grounds landscaped. 
At the Leetown (W. Va.) station results in trout-cultural work this 
year were gratifying, both as to the size and numbers of fish produced. 
A total of 625,735 fingerling brook, brown, and rainbow trout, of 
which number approximately 70,000 were in excess of 5 inches in 
length, were distributed. However, the percentage of hatch obtained 
from the 3,244,000 trout eggs collected from the station’s brood stock 
was very low. Several thousand trout were assigned to the Monon- 
gahela and George Washington National Forests for the stocking of 
waters within their boundaries. Experiments in the feeding of fish 
meal, cod liver oil, and kelp meal to trout were carried on in order to 
further test their value as fish food. Other experiments were made to 
determine the effects of over- and underfeeding of trout. The pro- 
duction of spiny-rayed fishes was quadruple that of last season. The 
experiments in the stocking of warm-water rearing ponds with black- 
head minnows were continued for the purpose of determining how 
many forage minnows should be stocked per acre of water, and the 
time of year that they should be introduced into the rearing ponds. 
Three new residences were completed, and a sewerage system, whichis 
for the combined use of the residences and the new dormitory, was 
