A)iiericnii FisJieries Society. loS 



DISCOURAGEMENTS IN BASS CULTURE. 



BY H. D. DEAX. 



This is a wide subject, too wide for tlie limited time nt my 

 disposal, but I will endeavor to present a few facts wbieh have 

 occurred during my five years experience at a bass station. 



One of the greatest trials in fish culture, especially bass cul- 

 ture, is the fact that it takes a year to try an experiment, conse- 

 quently experience is acquired slowly and. while we are trying 

 our theories, the years slip by. 



One year we may have a good cro]) of l)ass and the next sea- 

 son, under the same conditions, so far as we know, we have 

 almost a failure. 



At the Xeosho Station we have tried many schemes tliat 

 seemed feasible under the conditions existing at that station. xVt 

 first the breeders were placed in the ponds in March; the ponds 

 were drawn in Julv and the young fish transferred to hatching 

 troughs; the fish were taught to take artificial food and thus car- 

 ried until distribution which usually commenced about October 

 1st. Afterwards the troughs were placed outside where they 

 could l)e supplied with water from one of the ])onds at a tem- 

 perature of from 65 to 77. This plan worked very well, l)ut the 

 young fish did not grow very fast and it entailed a large amount 

 of work in feeding and caring for the fish. Again some of the 

 small fish about one-half inch long, were brought to the hatchery 

 and taught to take food and a good ])er centum raised, but they 

 were very small and it was concluded that it would not he ])rac- 

 tical to raise large numbers in this mannei'. 



One year about six thousand fry three quarters of an inch 

 long, were seined from the spawning pond and transferred to a 

 small i)ond well filled with vegt'tal.U' and aiiinuil life: two 

 months later this pond was drawn ami a little over eight hun- 

 dred fine bass taken out. This result was loo small to te of prac- 

 tical value. 



Another year, two of the ponds were fitted with partitions so 

 the breeders could l)e placed in a small portion of the pond for 



