PROPAGATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF FOOD FISHES, 1924 363 



Fishes of minor interior waters — Continued. 



Pondfish cultural stations — Continued. Page 



Edenton (N. C.) station 428 



Louisville (Ky.) station 428 



Mammoth Spring (Ark.) station 429 



Orangeburg (S. C.) station . 429 



San Marcos (Tex.) station 429 



Tupelo (Miss.) station 4.30 



Lakeland (Md.) Ponds substation ^ 430 



Central station and aquarium, Washington, D. C 431 



Part 2.— DISTRIBUTION OF FISH AND FISH EGGS 



Summaries of distribution 431 



Method of distribution 435 



Distribution of fishes of interior waters 436 



Car No. 3 436 



Car No. 4 436 



Car No. 7. 438 



Car No. 8 438 



Car No. 9 439 



New transportation pails 440 



Comparative table showing cost of distributing fishes rescued from the 



upper Mississippi River during the fiscal years 1923 and 1924 _ _ 440 



INTRODUCTION 



During the fiscal year 1924 the fish-cultural activities of the bureau 

 were not varied in any essential particular from those of recent years. 

 No extension of the fields of operation was possible owing to lack of 

 funds. However, the output of fish and fish eggs was the largest in 

 many years, notwithstanding the fact that the funds available for the 

 work were no greater than in 1917. There is no question but that 

 at the present time the fish-cultural stations of the bureau are operat- 

 ing on a very hi^h standard of efficiency, and the results are being 

 accomplished in tne face of increased expenditures for all materials 

 and labor entering into the work. 



FRESH-WATER FISHES 



The demands for fish for stocking interior waters were greatly 

 increased in 1924, probably because the interest in fish culture is be- 

 coming greater and because of the constantly increasing number of 

 fishponds constructed. Some of the States have recently estabUshed 

 additional hatcheries, opened up new fields of operation, and strength- 

 ened their game-warden service. 



With respect to the fishes of interior waters no material changes 

 occurred in the bureau's methods of procedure. No extensions in 

 hatching facilities were made during the year, since the financial situa- 

 tion prohibits the enlargement of the pond areas. Moreover, the 

 holding of a larger stock of brood fish would have involved increased 

 expenditures for food, and funds to cover its purchase were out of 

 the question. 



The bureau has always depended upon the overflowed lands along 

 the Mississippi River to furnish approximately 70 per cent of the 

 black bass, crappie, and other so-called warm-water fishes needed for 

 stocking ponds and streams in various parts of the country, the facili- 

 ties for the production of such species at the permanently established 

 pond-culture stations being too limited to meet the requirements. 



