32 American Fisheries Society 



tends to keep the stragglers up with the procession, and 

 to assist those in returning that became stranded. 



Indisputable evidence that this method of construction 

 is adapted to the propagation of black bass, and that the 

 fingerlings avail themselves of its advantages, is the fact 

 that the 100,000 No. 1 fingerling bass were collected from 

 the ponds for distribution by means of casting seines of 

 ten and twenty feet lengths from the water's edge before 

 it became necessary to enter the water and haul the 

 seines, and the fact that young bass taken from the ponds 

 on July 3 measured six inches and others taken on Sep- 

 tember 20 measured nine inches and weighed one-half 

 pound. 



Experience and observation have demonstrated the 

 fact that it is impossible to do successful pond cultural 

 work without an adequate supply of natural food, also 

 that the only reliable source of this supply is the breeding 

 of animalculae on aquatic vegetation. No nearer approach 

 to natural conditions is possible in pond culture than by 

 providing the fish with any desired depth of water, a suf- 

 ficient supply of natural food, and facilities for escaping 

 their enemies. 



Perfect control of the water system on the Orangeburg 

 station is secured by means of cast iron pipe lines laid 

 from the reservoir to the various ponds and provided 

 with brass trimmed valves, with cement boxes, screened, 

 at both intake and outlet ends. From the overflow box 

 of the reservoir a twenty-four inch terra cotta main 

 drain extends alongside the pond system to the extreme 

 lower end. When rains come and the reservoir becomes 

 muddy, the valves supplying the ponds are closed and 

 the muddy water diverted through this drain. All ponds 

 are provided with cement outlets and suitable terra cotta 

 drains connecting with the main drain. 



The brood ponds were completed and the collection 

 of brood bass was begun in December, 1915. By the time 

 the fish were ready to spawn, 300 had been collected and 

 placed in the ponds. Nest building began the last days 

 of February. The first eggs were found March 14 and 



