FISH CULTURAL ACTIVITIES OF THE FAIRPORT 

 BIOLOGICAL STATION. 



By Austin F. Shira, 

 Director of the Station. 



While the work of the United States Fisheries Biological 

 Station, Fairport, Iowa, is known primarily for its service in con- 

 nection with the propagation and investigation of fresh-water 

 mussels, its field of activities is quite broad and includes in its 

 scope various fishery problems of a specific or general nature. 

 This multiform functioning is clearly stated by Dr. R. E. Coker 

 in his recent article descriptive of the Fairport Station.* For 

 present purposes the work may be conveniently divided as follows : 

 1. Mussel Propagation; 2. Fish Propagation; 3. Associated 

 Activities. The first and third will not be dwelt on at length 

 here, but in passing it will be stated that under the former are 

 included both the practical and experimental phases of artificial 

 mussel propagation. 



My object at this time is to present to you some of the less 

 familiar activities of the station grouped under the second heading. 

 This heading may be further sub-divided into (a) Intensive pond 

 culture; (b) Artificial hatching in jars; (c) Studies of natural 

 food, and (d) Experiments in artificial feeding of river fishes. 



(a) Intensive Pond Culture. — The pond cultural experi- 

 ments have been designed to augment our knowledge of the 

 conditions most conducive to increasing the productivity of 

 small ponds on farms or elsewhere. In order to accomplish such 

 an end, it is of course quite necessary that the problem be attacked 

 from the small pond owner's point of view to some extent. The 

 possessors of small ponds desire to have their ponds well stocked 

 with fish, primarily for the meat furnished the table and also for 

 the sport afforded in catching them. The farmer is a busy man; 

 but he is beginning to realize more and more that recreation as 

 well as a greater variety of diet makes for increased energy and 

 efficiency. The fish pond helps to meet these requirements, by 

 furnishing sport on the one hand and acceptable food on the other. 



*Robert E. Coker: The Fairport Fisheries Biological Station — Its 

 Equipment, Organization and Functions. Bureau of Fisheries Document 829. 



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