PROPAGATION AXD DISTRIBUTION OF FOOD FISHES, 1921. 51 



In accordance with past custom a considerable number of brook- 

 trout eggs was purchased, and as usual they were greatly inferior 

 to the eggs obtained from wild stock. Such purchases amounted 

 to 877,800, and 56,000 eggs in addition were turned over to St. 

 Johnsbury station by a Massachusetts dealer, with the understand- 

 ing that half the resulting fry were to be placed at his disposal 

 for sale to persons desiring fish for stocking private waters, the 

 other half to be the property of the bureau. Two shipments of 

 steelhead-salmon eggs, aggregating 58,000, were received from one 

 of the Puget Sound (Wash.) stations, and a consignment of 25,000 

 landlocked-salmon eggs was forwarded from the Grand Lake Stream 

 (Me.) hatchery. 



Following the custom of past years, collections of smallmouth 

 black bass fry were undertaken at take Tarleton, and though started 

 some 10 days earlier than ever before they did not precede the un- 

 usually early spawning of the bass. High winds interfered with the 

 work, making difficult the placing of screens and the dipping of the 

 fish, and in some instances the screens were destroyed. xVpproxi- 

 mately 54,000 fry were obtained from this source and placed in 

 ponds at the St. Johnsbury station for later distribution. This 

 work at Lake Tarleton enables the bureau to secure limited numbers 

 of bass for distribution in the Vermont fiehl and at the same time 

 assists in keeping down their numbers in the lake, where they are 

 considered objectionable. 



At the Ilolden substation approximately 350,000 brook-trout eggs 

 were received, some from tlic field stations and some from commer- 

 cial hatcheries, and the distributions of fry and fingerliiig fish from 

 this lot amounted to 173,700, with 47,380 iingerlings on hand at the 

 end of the year. Tlie rather serious losses made evident by these 

 figures are attributed mainly to an accident occurring on Ajiril 15, 

 when the spring water supply to tlic hatchery was cut off. A more 

 extensive system of aeration liad been installed to overcome the 

 losses occurring in recent years through defective aeration of the 

 water. The new system promises good results, but because of this 

 accident the evidence in its favor can not yet be considered con- 

 clusive. This substation also handled and distributed the product 

 of approximately 145,000 lake-trout eggs collected at Lake Dunmore, 

 Vt., 25,000 of the same species transferred from the Charlevoix 

 (Mich.) field, and 50.000 rainbow-trout eggs received from the West 

 Virginia hatrhery of the bureau. 



Woik looking to the develoi)ment of the York Pond (X. H.) site 

 as a station for the production of brook-trout eggs was carried for- 

 ward as expeditiously as the limited funds available for the purpose 

 would allow. Duiing the summer the small bottom west of the 

 pond and the extensive fiat below it were cleared and a small log 

 cabin to house the employees was constructed. Officers of the For- 

 est Service have rendered valuable aid in the work of developing this 

 station. Through their efforts the camp has been provided with 

 telephone connections, and thev are i)lanning for the construction 

 of a wagon road to the site. They have also rendered assistance in 

 running lc\els, with tlie view of turning the fiow of one or more 

 of the adjacent brooks into the pond system. 



