676 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 



for the low output. The usual maintenance repairs and improvements were 

 carried on and a new garage and storage room was planned during the year and 

 partially constructed. 



MANCHESTER (IOWA) STATION 

 [G. H. Gill, Superintendent] 



The fish-cultural activities at Manchester consisted mainly of the propagation 

 of rainbow and brook trout. Although the rearing of the pond fishes is not 

 attempted on a large scale, four earth ponds are reserved for the rearing of small- 

 mouth black bass and rock bass. During the season rainbow trout eggs totaling 

 862,900 were collected. Consignments of 436,000 eyed eggs were shipped to other 

 stations or supplied to applicants. The remaining stock was reserved to be 

 hatched and reared for later distribution. Brook trout eggs to the number of 

 923,000 were received by transfer. The year's total trout distributions amounted 

 to 1,276,200, and at the end of June 92,000 rainbow trout and 152,400 brook trout 

 fingerlings were still on hand. 



The prevalence of furunculosis among the brood stock of rainbow trout caused 

 a heavy mortality. One thousand adult rainbows were killed and buried in 

 lime, on instructions of the district supervisor, and all ponds, drains, and equip- 

 ment were disinfected with slacked lime or potassium permanganate. 



Improvements consisted in enlarging Pond Z, hauling 125 cubic yards of clay 

 for the bottom and sides of the large bass pond, erecting framework over the 

 rearing ponds and covering it with poultry netting, constructing 100 feet of 

 cement flume near the brood ponds, and removing 65 feet of wooden drain at the 

 rearing ponds and replacing it with an 8-inch terra-cotta pipe. Cement holding 

 platforms were also installed at the head of canal ponds Nos. 2 and 3. 



NEOSHO (MO.) STATION AND SUBSTATIONS 

 [W. H. Thomas, Superintendent] 



This station and its auxiliaries experienced a very satisfactory year notwith- 

 standing the fact that the extended drought materially affected the Avater supply 

 of both the Bourbon and Langdon substations. The total number of eggs, fry, 

 and fingerlings handled amounted to 3,277,255, all from station stock. 



Neosho (Mo.) station. — The physical condition of the station is satisfactory 

 with the exception of a few needed minor repairs to pond walls and banks, which 

 were damaged by winter frost. There has been no epidemic disease either in the 

 brood stock or fingerling fish, and the rainbow trout spawn was of a slightly better 

 quality than in the previous year. Experiments in the feeding of rainbow trout 

 during the year again demonstrated that better results are obtainable at this 

 station b}^ including a portion of sheep liver in the diet. During the winter a 

 shipment of eyed Loch Leven trout eggs was received from the Bozeman (IMont.) 

 station. The eggs were in good condition when received and they developed 

 normally, but the young fish resulting from them would not partake readily of the 

 several foods offered. For this reason their growth has not been equal to that of 

 rainbow trout of the same age. Continued experiments at this station in pond 

 culture have resulted satisfactorily as compared with former years. The output 

 of pond fishes during the past two years has been greater than in the best four 

 years in the previous history of the work in this field. 



Bourhon {Mo.) substation. — This station is operated on a cooperative basis 

 with the owners of the property, and the interest of the bureau is in the production 

 of rainbow trout spawn. All fish reared belong to the owners, for use as future 

 brood stock or for such other disposition as they may desire. Owing to the heavy 

 loss of yearling fish as a result of the flood in August, 1929. fewer 2-year-old 

 spawners than heretofore were available. For this reason the egg collections 

 were smaller than those of the previous year. The prevailing drought during the 

 summer of 1930 also cut down the spring water supply to the extent that the flow 

 was only about 40 per cent of normal. 



Langdon (Kans.) substation. — As in past years the collections of pond fishes 

 consisted of black bass, crappie, bluegill sunfish, and other pond species, with 

 black bass forming the larger portion of the total. As was the case in other fields, 

 the drought had an adverse effect upon the work, and while fairly satisfactory 

 collections were obtained, they were not as large as they would have been under 

 normal weather conditions. Some of the ponds dried up for the first time since 

 they were built 25 years ago, causing the total loss of all fish held therein. 



