Part III.] Pond Fish Culture. 181 



SPECIAL ARTICLES. 



POSSIBILITIES OF AN ACRE FISH POND. 



This article was read by the author of this bulletin before the forty- 

 third annual meeting of the American Fisheries Society, in Boston, Sep- 

 tember 9, 1913. It will be published in the proceedings of that society. 

 We also desire to publish it in this bulletin, believing that by so doing 

 the article will meet with a wider circulation and fall into the hands of 

 those specially interested in pond fish culture. 



The work covered by this paper was carried on partly as an experi- 

 ment and partly for the purpose of raising a good lot of fish for brood- 

 stock purposes, to be used in stocking ponds in the new Hatchery. 

 Another experiment might not come out so well; in fact, this one ex- 

 ceeded our most sanguine expectations. However, it will give an idea of 

 what the possibilities of an acre pond may be under the most favorable 

 circumstances. We really got three or four times as many fish and three 

 or four times as many pounds of fish from the pond as we expected, and 

 we expected a good yield from the pond, inasmuch as we watched it and 

 gave more or less time and attention to caring for it. 



Three years ago an acre pond was stocked with several 

 kinds of fish at the Kansas State Fish Hatchery. The exact 

 size of this pond, which is No. 214 in the old series, was one 

 and sixteen one-hundredths (1.16) of an acre when the pond 

 was at standard height, but as the water usually stood a little 

 below standard, the pond was almost an exact acre in size. 

 After the pond was stocked but little attention or care was 

 given to it for a period of three years, other than to see that 

 the water supply was good and that the fish had food, natural 

 or artificial, when they needed it. The pond was stocked as an 

 experiment and with the hope of raising some good brood fish 

 that could be used in the future to stock a then proposed new 

 Fish Hatchery. The pond is nearly circular; however, shape 

 makes but little difference. Near the edge of the pond the 

 water is shallow, but the gr9und or bottom surface, in a gen- 

 eral way, is basin-shaped and gradually slopes to the deepest 

 place, which is about thirty feet from the east shore line. At 

 the bottom of this deepest place, or kettle, there is a drain pipe 

 which is used when it is desirable or necessary to lower the 

 water or drain the pond. When the pond is full of water, or at 

 standard height, it is six feet deep in the deepest place. 



This pond has a soft mud bottom, except for a few spots 

 where the ground is rather hard and covered with a little sand 

 and gravel. The water was carried into the pond through two 

 three-inch pipes that connect with other ponds. However, just 

 enough water was allowed to run into the pond to keep it at a 

 certain height. Usually the water stood about five feet deep 

 in the kettle in the summer time and six feet in the winter 



