Buck. — Controlling the Movements of Fish 141 



Perhaps insect food does not travel so fast nor so far as 

 we are apt to suppose. Quite possibly these creatures which 

 breed in running water find shelters there and mostly re- 

 main in the stream. Probably insect food should be pro- 

 duced where the fish can find it rather than where it must be 

 carried to them either in the water-supply or otherwise. F< ir- 

 tunately in bass culture the conditions which favor the pro- 

 duction of insect food suit the young fish also. It may be 

 that a reason for the good results obtained with large ponds 

 for bass is the greater proportion of warm, quiet water ex- 

 isting in such ponds, since it may easily happen that the in- 

 crease of water-supply is by no means in proportion to the 

 increase of pond surface. 



Number and kind of plants, the shape of the pond and 

 configuration and quality of its bottom as well as amount 

 and position of intake and doubtless many other conditions 

 affect results, and it may well be that these varying condi- 

 tions account for the difference of faith and practice of fish- 

 culturists as illustrated in the fact that some find it necessary 

 to sweep as soon as the young are large enough to be han- 

 dled while others leave the young in the brood ponds until 

 fall and have good success. Some who leave them till fall 

 mention that the young are all of about one size. This fad 

 would not justify an inference that there had been no canni- 

 balism, but rather suggest that all smaller had been devoured. 

 Sorting is a recognized means for control of cannibalism. 

 But where the young are taken out and placed in a pond by 

 themselves losses continue and to an extent which would be 

 considered ruinous in any other business. An illustration of 

 this is the case mentioned by Air. Titcomb in his "Aquatic 

 Plants in Pond Culture," of 6,000 fine fingerlings being 

 taken from a pond into which 20,000 fry had been put 

 eight weeks before. 



The inference is not far-fetched that the same thing 

 may be true when the young fish are planted. Here, how- 

 ever, there are two things for our encouragement. The fish 



