PROPAGATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF FOOD FISHES, 1922. 69 



ST. JOHNSBUEY (VT.) STATION. 



Five species of fish were propagated at this point, the brook, rain- 

 bow, brown, and lake trouts, and the steelhead salmon, the results be- 

 ing generally satisfactory. During the summer arrangements were 

 made to collect brook-trout eggs on the Margalloway River and Par- 

 mancheence Lake in Oxford County, Me. As a preliminary to egg- 

 collecting operations in this field a very satisfactory number of 

 brood trout were captured and penned. Just at the approach of the 

 spawning season there was evidence of malicious interference, which 

 resulted in the liberation of the greater part of them. This being the 

 third season's work in this region without any previous molestation 

 no precautions had been taken to prevent such an occurrence. From 

 the remaining fish only about 200,000 eggs were secured, half of 

 which, by agreement, were turned over to the Guides Association 

 after being eyed. The bureau's share of the fry hatched was released 

 in adjacent waters with the exception of a lot of 10,000, which were 

 reserved for rearing at York Pond. On account of the high quality 

 of the eggs obtained and the rapid growth of the fry produced it is 

 a matter of regret that the bureau's experience of the past three years 

 has demonstrated the uncertainty of success in this field. 



In order that all efforts might be concentrated on the work at 

 York Pond and on the Margalloway River, it was decided to dis- 

 continue operations at Darling Pond and Lake Mitchell, in Ver- 

 mont, but the owners of these waters were so urgent in their desire 

 that the bureau continue its management of the work that it was 

 finally agreed for them to assume the expense of operations and 

 receive as compensation two-thirds of the fry produced from the 

 egg collections at those points. The outcome of this arrangement 

 was that the bureau secured about 290,000 eggs without incurring 

 any expense in connection therewith. In addition to the collections 

 referred to above 756,368 eyed eggs were purchased from a commer- 

 cial establishment in Massachusetts, and 300,000 were transferred 

 from the Pennsylvania Department of Fisheries and Game. For 

 convenience in distributing the fry and fingerlings about 500,000 of 

 the brook-trout eggs acquired were sent to the Holden substation. 

 Besides the brook trout handled on behalf of the bureau some 

 40,000, the property of the Percy Sumner Club, were incubated for 

 stocking Lake Christine, in New Hampshire. A consignment of 

 brown-trout eggs were secured from the New York Conservation 

 Commission, a portion of which were delivered to the State's hatchery 

 at Roxbury, Vt., and 70,000 lake-trout eggs from the collections at 

 Lake Dunmore were received from the Holden substation. Twenty- 

 five thousand eggs of the steelhead obtained by employees of the 

 State of Vermont in Caspian Lake were incubated at the station, 

 the fry resulting being held at the disposal of the State. 



Bass propagation at this station can not be termed successful so 

 far as numbers are concerned, but quality has to some extent com- 

 pensated for quantity, many of the bass distributed having attained 

 a length of 4 to 6 inches. On account of the meager returns and 

 insufficient funds nothing was attempted along this line during 1922. 



Besides the usual distribution to applicants, liberal assignments 

 of trout fry are made each year from, this station for stocking 



