PROPAGATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF FOOD FISHES, 1931 679 



and otherwise improved. More fish were propagated at the station during the 

 year than in the previous year. Of a total of 656,888 fish produced and dis- 

 tributed 612,000 were smallmouth black bass fry and 3,730 were fingerlings; 

 27,000 were largemouth black bass fry and 5,810 were fingerlings; 8,223 were 

 rock bass, and 125 were fingerling bream. One pond was constructed by enlarg- 

 ing Pond B and using the excess earth to form an embankment across a swale at 

 the lower end of the station. This additional pond space is partially accountable 

 for the material increase effected in the output of fish. The lack of pond acreage 

 compels the distribution of bass in the fry stage. The few fingerlings distributed 

 were fish that had escaped as fry and remained in the breeding ponds with the 

 brood stock. Considerable saving was effected in the distribution work by 

 having many applicants call at the station for their fish, by the use of the station 

 automobile for principal messenger trips, and by taking advantage of reduced 

 rates offered by the railroads over week-ends and holidays. 



MAMMOTH SPRING (ARK.) STATION 

 [Dell Brown, Superintendent] 



All buildings were given two coats of paint outside, the oflEice and workshop 

 were refinished inside, and a flue was built in the office room. The two upper 

 ponds were consolidated and 6 to 8 inches of gravel was removed from the bottom 

 of the pond and replaced with clay, to stop seepage. The smallmouth black bass 

 season was a failure, as the eggs failed to hatch. However, the largemouth black 

 bass did exceptionally well, and while only 169,000 fingerlings of this species 

 were shipped, they were all of good size and probably they had a greater stocking 

 value than those in any previous year's output. The output of rock bass and 

 bream was also satisfactory. 



In addition to the station fish-cultural work 800,000 pond fishes, one-half of 

 which were bass, were produced at four cooperative units in whose work the 

 station actively participated. The most important of these establishments was 

 the Arkansas State hatchery at Lonoke. Ark. 



ORANGEBURG (S. C.) STATION 



[S. A. Scott and G. W. Hoofnagle, Superintendents] 



A new building 31^ by 33 feet in dimensions, containing an office, two bed- 

 rooms, a bath, and storage space in the basement, was completed in the course 

 of the year, after which the old office building and shop were dismantled. The 

 ponds were cleaned, several were sanded, and several were fertilized with 50 

 per cent sheep manure and 50 per cent superi^hosphate, approximately 600 pounds 

 to the acre being used. The year's output of warm-water pond fishes was some- 

 what smaller than that of last year, but all fish were distributed in the fingerling 

 stage. Two rice fields below Jacksonboro were converted into experimental 

 rearing ponds for bass. Gates were installed at the inlet from the river and the 

 fields flooded on high tide. Closing automatically on the falling tide, the gates 

 retain in the ponds the water thus acquired. In the larger pond, approximately 

 40 acres in area, 55,225 fingerling bass were planted, while the smaller 15-acre 

 pond was stocked with 20,000 of the same size. When the ponds were inspected 

 on June 16 the water in the larger one was so muddy that nothing could be seen, 

 but a goodly number of bass were observed around the edges of the other inclo- 

 sure. The ponds will be drained in the fall and any i reduction of j'oung bass 

 found therein will be distributed to applicants. The output of bream was ab- 

 normally low, doubtless because of a diseased condition among the brood stock, 

 a parasite being found imbedded in the ovaries of the fish. These fishes were dis- 

 carded and a new brood stock acquired for next year's work. The station also 

 produced an output of 15,420 warmouth bass, 23,300 crappie, and 1,220 catfish. 

 At the close of the year work on the enlargement of the Orangeburg station had 

 started. 



SAN MARCOS (TEX.) STATION AND SUBSTATIONS 



[O. N. Baldwin and C. B. Grater, Superintendents] 



The establishment of a new brood stock of black bass at the main station in 

 advance of the spawning season was followed by a fairly successful production of 

 that species. The calamitous effects upon early spawning by the usual occur- 

 rence of sudden and severe periods of temperature decline were practically nul- 



