PROPAGATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF FOOD FISHES, 1940 59] 
At the Manchester (lowa) unit 206,400 more rainbow-trout eggs 
were taken than last year, even though a shortage of water caused the 
loss of a number of brood fish before spawning. Of the 3,198,400 ereen 
eggs taken, 94 percent eyed. Only 172,000 of these eggs were held 
at the hatchery. The brook trout resulting from eggs received from 
another hatchery were infected with western gill disease and required 
constant treatment. Brown-trout eggs were received from the 
Michigan Department of Conservation. The smallmouth black bass 
failed to spawn normally and consequently the output was small. 
Arrangements have been made to secure new brood stock for next 
year. The rock bass produced a normal crop. The area for the 
production of pondfish is very limited, only 2.13 acres being available. 
At the Leetown (W. Va.) station a total of 1,363,600 rainbow-trout 
eggs and 270,600 brown trout eggs were taken. The low hatch of 
trout eggs was attributable to dietary deficiency. During the year 
189,380 rainbow trout, 61,690 brook trout, and 67,700 brown trout 
were distributed, and 32,370 trout of 6 inches or more in length were 
furnished to the George Washington National Forest. Approxi- 
mately 58,560 smallmouth black bass were distributed direct to appli- 
cants or transferred to Wytheville and New Castle, Va., for supplying 
applicants in these sections. Artificial feeding of smallmouth black 
bass was carried on in 8 of the new ponds. These fish exceeded the 
growth of bass. produced on natural food; in some cases by several 
inches. Experiments with blackhead minnows as forage fish showed 
that the production of smallmouth fingerling bass was in reverse 
proportion to the number of adult forage minnows used. 
The Lake Mills (Wis.) station is not equipped to maintain a stock 
of brood trout. Brook-, brown-, and rainbow-trout eggs were received 
from other hatcheries and the resultant fish were distributed in waters 
of Wisconsin, Michigan, and northern Illinois. This station has a 
pond area of 29 acres, with 35 ponds available for the production of 
warm-water fishes. Largemouth and smallmouth black bass, 
crappie, and sunfish were propagated. There were approximately 
8,940 pondfish produced per acre, or a total output of 259,370 finger- 
lings. 
The Northville (Mich.) hatchery produced both trout and pond- 
fishes, in addition to supervising the propagation of lake trout and 
steelhead trout at the Charlevoix substation and the rearing of trout 
at cooperative nurseries in the Marquette National Forest (Sullivan 
Creek), Huron National Forest (Pine River), Clare County, and the 
Fontinalis Club. The trout were transferred from the Northville 
Station to the nurseries by Fisheries Car No. 9 during the early part 
of May. Rainbow- and brook-trout eggs were received from other 
Bureau stations while the brown-trout eggs were supplied by the 
Michigan Department of Conservation. In addition to the trout 
work, three species of pondfishes were propagated. About 27,400 
smallmouth black bass, 6,415 largemouth black bass, and 41,690 
sunfish fingerlings were distributed. These fish were produced in 4.8 
acres of water, which is the total acreage available for the culture of 
warm-water fishes. 
The take of rainbow-trout eggs at the Neosho” (Mo.) unit was 
slightly less than for the last year because approximately 1,000 
2-year-old females failed to reach maturity. Selective breeding was 
practiced, and no eggs were retained to hatch for brood stock except 
