28 FISH PONDS ON FARMS. 
until late in the fall. The later distribution is of fnereme fish, 
their size increasing as the work progresses. 
The distributions are arranged to cover the country by States or 
groups of States, and cadiyidual trips are routed in such a way as to 
most effectively and economically supply all applicants of a particu- 
lar section of a State. The Bureau does not carry at all times a 
supply of fish that can be delivered on demand. Fish reproduce 
only once a year, and when the supply for any one year is exhausted 
it is necessary to wait another year, or until the next breeding season, 
before another supply can be obtained. Rarely is a second trip made 
over a route in the course of a year, and if for any reason an appli- 
cant fails to meet the Bureau’s messenger and receive his consign- 
ment, the application is held for another attempt the following year. 
Only in extraordinarily good seasons can the entire area of the 
United States be covered. Each section is supplied in turn, so far 
as practicable, priority being given to the older applications on file. 
Applicants are notified from 30 to 60 days in advance of the con- 
templated shipments of their fish, and a second notice, specifying the 
exact time of arrival, is sent by the messenger while en route. Every 
precaution is taken by the Bureau to avoid misunderstandings, and 
it is essential that applicants follow all the instructions they may 
receive. p 
REMOVING FISH FROM PONDS. 
In removing fish from a pond at any time the same care should be 
exercised as in handling stock, due precaution being taken to reserve 
the best specimens for breeders, and to retain a sufficient number for 
future reproduction. Their number and size must be left to the 
judgment of the proprietor of the pond, as it will vary greatly with 
the character of the water, size of the pond, climatic conditions, and 
geographical location. 
In southern latitudes pond fishes commence nest building in March, 
while farther north, in Iowa and Illinois, reproduction does not occur 
until May or June. Young fish recently hatched are very tender and 
should not be molested for at least 30 days. 
Care should be taken in removing adult fish from a pond, espe- 
cially during the spring and summer months. In making the selec- 
tion the larger fish should be preferred to the medium-sized ones, as 
the larger specimens are very destructive to the smaller fish. They 
are not as prolific as those of average weight, and have usually at- 
tained their size through cannibalism. 
If a few fish for table use are desired, and one has the time, they 
can probably best be taken with hook and line. A fyke net might 
be used under certain conditions, or a few may be taken in a tray 
constructed of light wooden framing, covered with netting or galvan- 
ized wire cloth of about 1-inch-square mesh. The trap should have 
a cone-shaped entrance for the fish, and the interior should contain a 
few minnows in a wire cage which are used as bait. 
