Dychc. — New State Hatchery for Kansas 167 



ponds and water system of the old hatchery will be rebuilt 

 separate from the contract for the new hatchery. 



We will leave the old hatchery as it is for the present, 

 in order to hold over fish for the proper stocking of the new 

 ponds. The old part will not be rebuilt until the new part 

 is finished and stocked. The ponds in the new hatchery will 

 vary in size and shape, but will average about one acre each. 

 When normally full no pond will have less than six feet of 

 water in the deepest part. The water will grow shallower 

 toward the perimeter. This arrangement will furnish good 

 feeding grounds for the young fish in the grass, weeds and 

 moss growing near the shore line. The embankments will 

 be made of earth. We have had no success raising fish in a 

 pond with cement walls instead of earth embankments. 

 There is not sufficient shallow water near the shore line for 

 the young fish to feed in ; and not a sufficient growth of vege- 

 tation to furnish and support fish food in such a pond. The 

 cement pond seems to be a failure so far as raising fish is 

 concerned. 



Other ponds with steep 1 tanks and deep water near the 

 banks have not proved satisfactory, yielding but few young 

 fish. The ponds of about an acre in size with a considerable 

 amount of perimeter and shallow water with vegetation 

 growing in them have proved most satisfactory as fish pro- 

 ducers. To illustrate: Take this pond [indicating on the 

 map] in the old hatchery. We have a pond here of a little 

 less than an acre, with shore line and vegetation as previously 

 described. A year ago last spring we stocked it with about 

 88 giant crappie or strawberry bass. W r e left them in the 

 pond the entire year. They did not cost anything, so far 

 as any special labor or care was concerned, as they were not 

 fed, except that the pond was stocked with goldfish. We 

 paid little or no attention to them except to keep the turtles 

 out. They recpiired only seining and sorting. We drained 

 the pond last spring and counted the fish, as it was an ex- 

 periment. We took out 14.600 crappie nearly a year old, 

 and found the old fish in good condition. The pond was a 



