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PROPAGATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF FOOD FISHES, 1923. 79 



WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS (W. VA. ) STATION, 

 [Edward M. Haynes^ Superintendent.] 



The outcome of the year's fish-cultural work was the most suc- 

 cessful ever experienced in this field, the distribution of eyed trout 

 eggs being the largest in the station's history while the production 

 of fish compared favorably with the record output established in 

 1922. In fact, the volume of the work has now reached a point 

 where it can not be further extended without enlarging the hatching 

 and rearing facilities of the station. The results secured were ac- 

 complished in the face of unusually difficult conditions. Lack of 

 rain throughout the entire fall reduced the water supply in the 

 hatchery and ponds to such an extent that a considerable number of 

 the brood trout perished though every possible precaution was taken 

 to save them. While this loss did not appear to reflect unfavorably 

 on the egg collections, its full force will be felt in a considerable 

 curtailment of the work next year because of the shortage of brood 

 fish. The year's operations were also unfavorably affected by ad- 

 verse weather conditions during the spawning season of the so-called 

 pond fishes. Sudden and extreme temperature changes of air and 

 water occurred repeatedly throughout the entire spring, causing the 

 parent fish to desert their nests and resulting in heavy losses of eggs 

 and fry. 



The species handled were the rainbow trout, brook trout, large- 

 mouth and smallmouth black bass, sunfish, and rock bass, and the 

 grand total of the distributions aggregated 2,653,826, of which num- 

 ber 1,097,500 were eyed eggs of the rainbow trout. With the ex- 

 cesption of 114,500 black bass, which were distributed in the fry 

 stage, all the remainder of the output consisted of fingerling fish of 

 the various species mentioned, rainbow and brook trout predomi- 

 nating. 



Notwithstanding the injurious effect of the abnormally low water 

 stages upon the brood rainbows, some of which succumbed prior to 

 the spawning period and others immediately after being stripped, 

 the egg collections, amounting to 2,316,000, were the largest in the 

 station's history. Their quality was also good, the percentage of 

 hatch exceeding that of the previous year, while the reports on eyed 

 eggs shipped to applicants were uniformly favorable. The output 

 of fingerlings from this stock numbered 726,900. The fish were dis- 

 tributed somewhat earlier than in former years and to this fact is 

 attributed the smaller losses sustained in shipment. The health of 

 3'oung trout is liable to become somewhat impaired when they are 

 held for an extended length of time under the crowded conditions 

 necessitated by the limited rearing facilities available at this station, 

 and for this reason the practice of early distributions should be con- 

 tinued, the work to be started not later than the middle of March 

 if possible. 



All brook-trout eggs handled were purchased from commercial 

 fish-culturists, no collections being made or transfers effected from 

 other hatcheries of the bureau. The number received amounted to 

 approximately 923,000, nearly half of them being paid for by the 

 State of West Virginia with the understanding that the product 



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