PROPAGATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF FOOD FISHES, 1940 597 
the spawning season, the output of bass fry was far below normal. 
Enough fry were obtained, however, to stock the rearing ponds and 
assign several thousand to the State of Kentucky for its rearing units. 
The two ponds under construction at the close of the fiscal year 1939 
were completed. i 
The Harrison Lake (Va.) unit propagated three species of pond- 
fishes m addition to its shad operations; largemouth black bass, 
bream, and crappie, with normal production. Enough daphnia were 
produced to furnish an ample supply of food for the bass fry. 
At the Marianna (Fla.) station the majority of the ponds were 
drained earlier than usual in order to treat them with bentonite in 
an endeavor to decrease the loss of water through seepage. Cold 
weather occurring during the bass spawning season caused an ab- 
normal loss of eggs, thereby curtailing the production of bass. The 
output of bream and crappie was normal, since they did not spawn 
until after the cold weather. ‘Two crops of bream are produced here 
each year and two crops of largemouth black bass are possible. This 
station produced 21,597 largemouth bass and 50,070 bream per acre. 
An abundance of daphnia and natural food was produced in the rear- 
ing ponds by fertilization with from 500 to 1,000 pounds stable 
manure per acre during the season. 
In addition to the work necessary for the maintenance of the hatch- 
ery property, three new ponds of 2 acres each were constructed at the 
Natchitoches (La.) station, and excavation was begun on a fourth 
pond. Due to unusual fluctuations in water temperatures in the ponds 
at spawning time, the largemouth black bass hatch was only about 50 
percent of normal. It also is probable that the crappie production 
was similarly curtailed, since they began spawning about the same 
time as the bass. Due to the brevity of the experiment and the cold 
weather during spawning season this spring, no definite conclusions 
can be reached on the attempt to rear gizzard shad as forage for the 
bass. Notwithstanding the adverse conditions, 725,870 fingerlings 
were distributed during the year for the stocking of Louisiana, Texas, 
and Arkansas waters. 
Even though the Mammoth Spring (Ark.) station produced a record 
output of smallmouth black bass last year, the production for the 
current year shows a gain of approximately 10 percent for this species, 
and an average output of the other spiny-rayed fish handled. Min- 
nows and crayfish constituted the chief food for the brood stock, and 
daphnia was cultured for the fry and small fingerlings. The conserva- 
tion departments of Arkansas, Missouri, Hlinois, and Idaho received 
smallmouth black bass fry from this unit. The Arkansas Game and 
Fish Commission aided materially with the distribution of fish within 
that State. The fuel house and garage floor were repaired; the fuel 
house, residence, and pump house were painted; and the tank house 
was reroofed. , 
Four species of pondfish were propagated at the Edenton (N. C.) 
unit. Sunfish stocked with the largemouth black bass furnished for- 
age for the young bass and sufficient fingerlings to supply the local 
requirements. Although the crappie production was somewhat below 
last year’s, the total number of pondfish was about 15 percent above 
the 1939 output. Daphnia were cultured as food for the small fish. 
In addition to pondfish, yellow perch, white perch, shad, striped bass, 
and herring were propagated. This work is discussed under the 
heading ‘‘Anadromous Species, Atlantic Coast.” 
