REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES. 11 



tions for this fish, and in instances where the waters described are 

 unsuited to other species the requests are complied with by transfer- 

 ring carp from other waters. In this connection it may be interest- 

 ing- to quote from the census records that in 1903 the total catch of 

 carp in the United States was 18,942,763 pounds, valued at $442,255. 

 and in 1908 the total catch was 42,763,100 pounds, valued at $1,135,390. 



NEW STATIONS AND IMPROVEMENTS. 



Under authority of the act providing for two or more new fish- 

 cultural stations on Puget Sound or its tributaries, a careful investi- 

 gation has been made and two suitable sites decided on. As soon as 

 title can be obtained construction will begin. 



At Holden, Vt, 24.3 acres of land were acquired for an auxiliary 

 to the station at St. Johnsbur}^ the facilities of which were too lim- 

 ited for the requirements of northern New England. 



The opportunities for fish-cultural and biological work in the val- 

 ley of the upper Mississippi prompted Congress to authorize a station 

 auxiliary to that at Fairport, Iowa, but to be more particularly 

 devoted to propagation and the saving of fishes from overflowed lands. 

 A site of about 31 acres was purchased at Homer, Minn., about 5 miles 

 from Winona, and a pumping plant and ponds are now nearly com- 

 pleted and other buildings begun. The station will be ready for oper- 

 ation at an early date. 



Results in the past having warranted the extension of the station 

 at Mammoth Spring, Ark., 10.5 additional acres have been purchased 

 there for the construction of several large ponds, which will soon be 

 ready for use. 



At the Fairport, Iowa, biological station much work in grading, 

 construction of roads, and laj-ing out ponds was done. A building 20 

 by 50 feet, with pebble-dash finish, containing an office, storage room, 

 and small laboratory equipped for experimental work in fresh-water 

 mussel culture, was practically completed during the year. A pump- 

 ing plant consisting of two gasoline engines and two centrifugal 

 pumps was installed in a small frame building 20 by 30 feet constructed 

 for that purpose. Eleven cement ponds (4 small ones, 6 of medium 

 size, and 1 large one) were also constructed for practical experiments 

 in mussel propagation. 



Improvements provided for by special appropriations were made 

 at many of the stations. At Bozeman, Mont., cement hatching 

 troughs were installed in place of wooden ones, in accordance with 

 modern practice, and are giving excellent results. At Boothbay 

 Harbor, Me., a coal house was built, the wharf extended and 

 altered, and the dams at the lobster pound completed. At Erwin, 

 Tenn., a new hatchery was built on modern plans, the old one hav- 



