PROPAGATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF FOOD FISHES, 1923. 73 



In order to remedy a defect in the original planning of the pond 

 system and to provide for a more ecojiomical consumption of water, 

 a part of the year's fish-cultural allotment was diverted to the re- 

 moval of the earth partitions at the ends of the ponds and rearrang- 

 ing the system so that the water supply will flow through the entire 

 series of ponds instead of through only two, as under the former 

 arrangement. It is planned to have this work completed in time for 

 the beginning of fish-cultural work next season. 



The conduct of fish-cultural work at the Nashua station is annually 

 becoming more difficult and uncertain. Shortage in the station's 

 allotment of funds for a long period of years has prohibited all 

 possibility of necessary repairs and improvements, with the result 

 that the hatchery, ponds, water-supply flume, and other equipment 

 have now reached such an advanced stage of dilapidation that it is 

 not considered entirely safe to attempt the handling of a valuable 

 brood stock of eggs or fish. It is estimated that a special fund of 

 at least $20,000 would be required to place the station in condition 

 for the conduct of fish-cultural work on an efficient and economical 

 basis. 



COMBINATION TROUT AND POND STATIONS. 



The stations included in this group are located in the States of 

 Tennessee, Iowa, Missouri, and West Virginia. As compared with 

 last year's production their output of brook trout and rainbow trout 

 was substantially increased, but the unseasonably cold, late spring 

 resulted in a serious reduction in the distributions of the pond fishes. 

 Some of these stations also incubated yellow-perch eggs and used 

 the product for the stocking of local waters. 



erwt;n (tenn.) station. 

 » 



[A. G. Keesecker, Superintendent.] 



Though eight species of food fishes figure in the output at this 

 point the principal part of the station's production consisted, as in 

 past years, of fry and fingerling rainbow and brook trout, the 

 former species predominating in numbers. Other fishes included in 

 the distributions were largemouth black bass, smallmouth black bass, 

 yellow perch, rock bass, and bluegill bream. 



During the period from October 26 to the end of the first week 

 in February 1,309,000 rainbow-trout eggs were taken from the sta- 

 tion brood "^stock, but owing, it is believed, to the abnormally mild 

 weather prevailing prior to and througliout the spawning season 

 their quality was impaired to the extent that the losses to the eyed 

 stage amounted to fully 44 per cent of the original stock. From 

 the 743,740 fry hatched 659,770 fingerling fish were reared and dis- 

 tributed. As the natural conditions at this station are unsuitable 

 for the maintenance of a brood stock of brook trout, all work ac- 

 complished with that species must necessarily depend upon the trans- 

 fer of eggs from other sources. A stock of 285,700 eggs purchased 

 from a commercial brook-trout hatchery was incubated Avith a loss 

 of only ^ per cent, and from the resulting fry 278,200 fingerlings 

 Nos. 1 to 2-i were reared and distributed. 



