BRIEF NOTES ON POND CULTURE AT SAN 

 MARCOS, TEXAS 



By John L. Leary 



Tt has been observed at the San Marcos, Texas, station 

 that during the past ten years the spawning season of the 

 large-mouth black bass has without exception begun each 

 season during the period of ten days from February 8 to 18. 

 The average temperature during this month has ranged 

 from 58° to 64° F. Crappie, bream, and rock bass begin 

 spawning later, during the month of March when the tem- 

 perature gets to be about 65°, though during the spawning 

 period from the middle of March to the middle of May it 

 may vary from 62° to 68°. It is when the temperature 

 ranges from 65° to 68° that the fish spawn in largest 

 numbers. 



There appears to be quite an analogy as regards the sea- 

 son for spawning of fish and the blooming of plants and 

 trees. However, this is no doubt due to the fact that atmos- 

 pheric conditions suitable to development in the one case are 

 equally applicable in the other. The cause and effect are 

 common to both. 



In the locality of the San Marcos station black bass are 

 the first fish to spawn and the following trees and shrubs 

 bloom about the same time : white elm ( Uhnus americana) , 

 red bud (Ccrcis occidentalis), and the Mexican buckeye 

 {Ungnadia speciosa). The elm is the earliest of the three, 

 but all, however, bloom about the same time that the bass 

 spawn, giving the idea that when these trees bloom the 

 spawning season for bass has arrived, whereas, of course, it 

 is the atmospheric condition that promotes both blooming 

 and spawning. It is an accepted fact among the fishermen of 

 North Carolina that the big runs of herring do not come into 

 the sounds until the dogwood (C omits florida) blooms, or 

 about the middle of April; also that no sturgeon make their 

 appearance until this tree blooms. Again atmospheric con- 



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