Part III.] Pond Fish Culture. 183 



In the spring of 1911 about 1500 two-year-old crappie were 

 added to the stock of this pond. These were a fine lot of fish, 

 and many of them had spawn in them. However, they were 

 the same size and age as the yearling crappie that had been 

 left in the pond in 1910. At this time 2000 Bullhead catfish 

 one and two years of age were added to the stock; also 192 

 Channel catfish that would weigh from one to two pounds each. 

 The Channel catfish were placed in the pond by mistake, due 

 to a misunderstanding of orders. About one-half of them were 

 caught at the feeding station and removed during the summer 

 and fall of 1912. They did not breed in the pond, at least no 

 young fish were found. We considered it a misfortune to have 

 them in with the other fish, which they continually fed upon. 

 During the spring of 1912 about a thousand more one- and 

 two-year-old fish, a miscellaneous lot, were placed in this pond. 

 They were mostly small fish that we had no particular place or 

 use for. They were thrown into pond No. 4, as it was called, 

 with the idea that they might, for the most part, serve as food 

 for other fish. Altogether, about 15,000 fish were placed in the 

 pond ; however, many of them were only considered as food fish 

 for the others. 



FOOD FOR THE FISH PRODUCED IN THE POND. 



Around the shores of this pond during the spring and sum- 

 mer of the years 1912 and 1913 there were thousands and 

 thousands of young fish to be seen, frequently appearing in 

 clouds or bunches several feet long. Among these young fish 

 we noticed bass, Bluegills, sunfish, carp, goldfish, shad and 

 bullheads. It was very apparent that many of the fish in the 

 pond had spawned and that great numbers of the eggs had 

 hatched. This crop of young fish served for the most part as 

 food for the older and larger fish. 



This pond, from the time it was first stocked, was allowed 

 to stand practically undisturbed. Most of the food supply for 

 the fish was produced in the pond. The dense growth of vege- 

 tation was not disturbed, except that boats were sometimes run 

 through it to open up channels of water. The Chara "moss," 

 lilies and other water plants grew to that extent that the sur- 

 face of the water during part of the summer months was 

 almost completely covered with vegetable matter ; and at times 

 only small patches or lanes of water could be seen. On two or 

 three occasions during the hottest part of the summer the 

 water went down until the deepest basin was not over four or 

 four and one-half feet in depth. This was due to growths of 

 vegetable matter that partly stopped up the water pipes. How- 

 ever, we made it a point to watch the water pipes and keep 

 them open. 



