PROPAGATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF FOOD FISHES, 1921. 63 



COLD SPRINGS (GA.) STATION. 

 [Charles W. Bullock, Superintendent.] 



Five spawning and two rearing ponds were completed during the 

 year at this station, and it was hoped the additional facilities pro- 

 vided would permit of a material increase in output. As at other 

 points in the Southern States, the weather during the bass spawning 

 season was not propitious. There Avas a heavy spawning during an 

 unusually warm period in jSIarch, permitting of the shipment of more 

 than 100,000 advanced fry in April, whereas the distribution does not 

 usually begin before May 1. A sudden cold spell in April caused a 

 drop of 20 degrees in the water temperature. This resulted in de- 

 stroying wluit had appeared to be bright prospects for a remarkably 

 successful season. During the cold weather many of the schools 

 disappeared, and the fish hatched later were small and their rate of 

 growth slow. The few stragglers surviving from the schools de- 

 stroyed preyed freely on the weaker fish. Perhaps not of the least 

 importance in contributing to the disappointing results was the al- 

 most total disappearance from the ponds of the cladocerans, cope- 

 pods, and chironomids that had been observed in abundance during 

 the early spring. "While the numbers of bass produced for distribu- 

 tion represent a very fair average for the station, in view of the 

 promising outlook in the early spring the results are disappointing. 



At the Harris Ponds substation catfish and bbiogills are reared in 

 the same ponds. In certain respects the bhiogills can be more satis- 

 factorily handleil than the bass, as they take readily to artificial 

 feeding. It is never possible to anticipate results in the i)ropagation 

 of catfish. In certain seasons the output will be ample for all needs, 

 while the next season, under ap[)arentlv identical conditions, only 

 small numbers of young are produced. iDuring the past season only 

 5,000 fingerlings were obtained from 60 adults. In the course of the 

 spring one of the ponds were stocked with 50 adult catfish in addition 

 to the bluegills. Later in the season a heavy mortality occurred as a 

 result of a parasitic affection. 



Attempts to propagate crappie at this station have not been par- 

 ticularly successful. Two ponds devoted to the species produced 

 1,750 fingerlings. Two hundred of these were reserved for brood 

 fish, but as they are very shy and nervous, refusing to take artificial 

 food, it is doubted if they will be of much value in that connection. 



The station water supply is lacking in lime or other mineral sub- 

 stance, excepting for a trace of silica. The presence of lime in solu- 

 tion has always been considered desirable in pond fish culture. By 

 way of experiment the water supply to one of the ponds was ar- 

 ranged to pass over a cask of lime, and the results are being noted. 



The output of the station for the fiscal year consisted of 212,555 

 Inrgemouth V)]ack bass. 4,120 catfish, 1.550 crappie, 61,850 sunfish, 

 and 100 warmouth bass. Approximately 145,000 of the bass were 

 fry, while the others were all of the fingerling size. 



EDENTON (N, C. ) STATION. 

 [Edw, M. Haynes, Superlntondnnt.] 



Five ponds at this station are devoted to the production of the 

 pond fislies, and their output for the year consisted of 23,085 large- 



100267'— 22 5 



