BASS REARING IN TEXAS 



By Mark Riley, San Marcos, Texas. 



The output of bass from the San Marcos Station dur- 

 ing each of the past four years, while exceeding that of 

 any previous year by many thousands, has not been en- 

 tirely satisfactory to its superintendent. Many letters of 

 commendation relative to our work have been received 

 and the Bureau of Fisheries has been particularly appre- 

 ciative, yet, while such commendation is gratifying, the 

 fact remains that we know so little relative to the natural 

 propagation of fishes that the results of our well-meant 

 efforts too often prove fruitless. Pond culture has many 

 vexing problems and no doubt a solution that will apply 

 on one station may prove useless on another. Had the 

 privilege of attending a meeting of superintendents each 

 year been possible, I am confident that the results accom- 

 plished from applied information there obtained would 

 have well recompensed the Government for the slight ex- 

 pense so contracted, for one who can not acquire valuable 

 ideas from associates engaged in the same line of work 

 and utilize them for his own particular needs, in my 

 opinion, falls far short of getting the best possible re- 

 sults from the station over which he has supervision. 



The greater part of our work at the San Marcos 

 Station is with the large-mouth black bass, the small- 

 mouth being unknown in the state to the best of my 

 knowledge. Our methods are practically those employed 

 at other pond cultural stations, judging from the infor- 

 mation that I have been able to gather, for as yet I have 

 never had the pleasure of visiting other stations and ob- 

 serving for myself the work of my associates. It is well 

 known that different people have different ways of doing 

 the same thing, so a short description of our work may 

 result in some criticism or suggestion that will be of 

 benefit to the station at San Marcos, in which event I 

 will be well repaid. 



