68 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 
condition. They commenced spawning late in March, and it is 
expected that there will be a considerable number of young available 
for distribution. This fish is much more hardy than the crappie and, 
unlike it, will thrive in clear water. 
The breeding crappie were placed in a pond about an acre in area, 
together with 26 adult carp for keeping the water in a slightly muddy 
condition, which is apparently essential in the propagation of this 
species. About the middle of June a haul of the seine in this pond 
resulted in the capture of nearly 1,000 fry 2 to 3 inches long. Crappie 
were also placed in several other ponds and tanks in the vicinity, but 
owing to the drought the water in them dried up and the fish had to 
be removed. The spawning season of crappie at this station extends 
from the latter part of March to midsummer, and under favorable 
conditions fish from 12 to 16 months old will spawn during the fall. 
The bream, of which there are 45 adults, have proven very produc- 
tive, grow rapidly, and are especially well adapted for small ponds. 
They were placed in Pond Pin March and commenced spawning in 
April. A peculiarity of these fish is that their spawning page nce 
throughout the entire summer and early fall. 
As usual, a great deal of attention has been paid to providing the 
various forms of fish food. Carp and mud shad were cultivated for 
the black bass and crappie, and shrimp (Crangon vulgaris) have been 
introduced in the ponds containing bass and bream, and this year 
furnished a large amount of excellent food for the adults and young. 
During the summer shrimp in large numbers and an occasional sala- 
mander came up from the artesian well. 
Many aquatic birds, snakes, and turtles have been killed, the ponds 
proving an especially great attraction to wild ducks of different 
varieties during the winter. Crawfish and bullfrogs were also very 
numerous and furnished a valuable supply of food for the fry. 
The station has been very free from diseases of all kinds until this 
year, when fungus attacked a lot of 1,000 crappie transferred from a 
pond in the vicinity. The water in this pond was quite muddy and 
the temperature high, and fungus made its appearance very shortly 
after their transfer to the station in water at 75°. During the spring 
fungus also developed in the five ponds supplied by the artesian well, 
killing a number of the adult black bass and about 30,000 young 
before it could be checked. This was believed to have been caused 
by the cold weather killing the upper portion of the very dense growth 
of water plants, and partly also to the poor circulation of the water, 
the flow from the artesian well being very light during that period. 
The plants were all cut out of the ponds, and while the water was 
very low salt was applied, about half a pint for each square foot of 
surface at the bottom and sides being allowed. ‘The fish were also 
taken out and immersed in a bath of strong brine. Though very 
seriously affected, they commenced to improve at once under this 
treatment. and the fungus disappeared in a very short time. 
