64 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



remain, and these, with 17 two-year-old fish, w^ere placed in two ponds 

 previoius to the spawning season, which l)egan March 10. The product 

 from this brood stock during the year amounted to 1,450 young fish. 

 At the close of the year the ponds had not V)een drawn, but the 3'oung 

 fish seen in them appeared to be about one-third larger than rock bass 

 of the same age. 



The (juestion of fish food is an important one in the conduct of a 

 pond station. As most of the streams in the vicinity from which sup- 

 plies of food have been obtained in previous 3'ears had dried up, it was 

 difficult to secure natural food in aliundance and cannibalism among 

 the 3'oung was much more prevalent as a result. Carp and mud shad 

 have been propagated for a supply of fish food. The carp are placed 

 in the ponds with the bass, where the young make excellent food for 

 the fry. RiA^er shrimp have been planted in the ponds in large num- 

 bers, but as they have no protection are soon devoured. The}" make 

 very excellent food for all kinds of tvy in the ponds. Crawfish, also 

 a valuable food supply, have been scarcer than for the past four years. 

 Bullfrogs breed in the ponds, but were not so plentiful as in former 

 seasons. Their 3'oung make fine food for the adult bass. 



Blind cave salamanders and shrimp continued to come up with the 

 waters of the artesian well. 



It becomes necessary in the protection of the fish to kill man}" wild 

 ducks, other water fowl, and snakes, as they are very destructive to 

 the young fish. 



With very few exceptions the railroads of the State have given free 

 transportation for messengers with cans of fish and messengers return- 

 ing with empty cans, thus contributing very largely to the success of 

 the station. 



Neosho Station, Missouri (H. D. Dean, Superintendent). 



The construction work begun last year was continued throughout 

 the year. The hatchery was reconstructed and changed from a low 

 one-story to a two-story building, the office was enlarged, and a hot- 

 water furnace was installed for heating the building. The hatching- 

 room is now 28 ))y 86 feet, with space for 20 hatching-troughs and 

 a capacity for 1,000,000 trout eggs. A room of the same size on the 

 second floor is used for storage and workshop. Some necessary 

 repairs were made on the residence and a new pond, 12,000 square 

 feet in area, was constructed. Two of the old ponds were enlarged, 

 deepened, and replied with l^-inch cypress, and a drainage sewer 800 

 feet in length was constructed. Over 200 feet of retaining wall and 

 gutter were constructed to protect the embankments on the north side 

 of the station property, a cement concrete walk was built from the 

 hatchery to connect with the walk on the south side of the driveway, 

 and considerable grading was done around the ponds and grounds. 

 This construction interfered somew^hat with fish-cultural work, as some 

 of the ponds were undergoing repairs during the spawning season. 



