54 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 
POND-FISH CULTURE 
Bass investigations—In April 1936, experimental sections for the 
study of smallmouth black bass and associated fishes were established 
in two bass streams, the South Branch of the Potomac River near 
Romney, W. Va., and the Shenandoah River near Berryville, Va. 
Each section is approximately 4 miles long and the limits are plainly 
defined by appropriate signs. Anglers were requested to leave re- 
ports of each day’s fishing in mail boxes set up at convenient points. 
These reports show that the average length of legal bass taken in 
the Shenandoah River was considerably greater than that of bass 
taken in the South Branch (13.3 and 11.9 inches respectively). Fur- 
thermore, the relative number of legal-sized bass was greater in the 
Shenandoah than in the South Branch (Shenandoah, 132 legal to 
80 undersized; South Branch, 150 legal to 160 undersized). 
The growth of the young bass was followed from the time the 
fry rose from the nests to the end of the growing season. It was 
found that in the Shenandoah, the larger stream, the bass reached 
an average length of about 4.25 inches at the end of the season, as 
compared with 2.75 inches in the South Branch. Other species of 
fish, including the stoneroller, common sucker, and fallfish, also 
grew more rapidly in the Shenandoah. The stonerollers, especially, 
grew too fast to be available as food for the average fingerling bass. 
The most desirable forage fish for fingerling bass appeared to be 
the blunt-nosed minnow, which had successive brooks of young 
throughout the summer and thus provided fish small enough for 
the young bass to consume. Minnows in general appeared to be 
less abundant in the South Branch, while bass were far more abun- 
dant per unit area. The hatch of fry on the 4-mile section of the 
South Branch was estimated to have been at least 216,000. This 
fact, among others, raises the question of the need for stocking a 
stream such as this with hatchery-reared fish. 
Growth studies showed that very few bass in the South Branch 
reach the legal length of 10 inches before their fourth year while 
in the Shenandoah nearly all bass reached that length in their third 
year. This rapid growth of the Shenandoah bass was made in 
spite of the fact that the river carried large quantities of silt through- 
out the summer. 
Quantitative bottom samples were taken at regular intervals in 
the rifles of both rivers. The average number and weight of bottom 
animals was somewhat greater in the Shenandoah and there was a 
marked difference in the characteristic organisms in the two streams. 
Fingerling bass from the two streams also showed differences in 
the extent of parasitism. The livers of nearly all fingerlings from 
the South Branch showed encysted trematodes (Strigeidae) while 
Shenandoah fingerlings were nearly free from parasites. In some 
instances the parasitized livers were so large as to affect the external 
appearance of the fish. 
Pond culture-—Karly in the year O. Lloyd Meehean was trans- 
ferred to the Marion (Ala.) station from Natchitoches, La., where 
he had been conducting investigations in pond culture for several 
years. Unfortunately, conditions at Marion were found to be un- 
suitable for such studies and they were discontinued at the end of 
the season. The results at Marion confirmed findings of previous 
