36 American Fisheries Society. 



large numbers of fry when the temperature goes very high 

 during protracted hot spells. 



As to the future of bass production I wish merely to in- 

 dicate some of the possibilities for I realize that prophesying 

 is dangerous to the reputation. In judging of the possi- 

 bilities it is necessary to consider w^hether the natural and 

 artificial checks which now exist may be modified in either 

 direction in the future. 



1. As to conditions which interfere with spawning, it 

 seems futile to attempt to devise any method of preventing 

 storms or sudden deleterious changes in temperature. 

 Pollution may be cleared up so the bass can return to their 

 original spawning grounds and thus extend their area of 

 distribution. 



2. Parasitism and disease are not likely to be controlled 

 to any extent in wild fishes, except through the destruction 

 of fish-eating birds and other animals which are the inter- 

 mediate hosts of fish parasites, though it may be possible to 

 prevent parasitism to a large extent in hatcheries, as is al- 

 ready stated. 



3. Natural enemies can be controlled to a great extent 

 and some of these are already much fewer than in a state of 

 nature. Fish-eating birds and reptiles are less num.erous 

 than formerly and likely to become still more reduced. 

 Highly predaceous fishes, such as the pikes and gars, which 

 prey on the basses, have been reduced to some extent. 

 The pikes are good game fishes and are edible, but the 

 worthless gars are usually more numerous. Every sports- 

 man kills them when opportunity offers, of course, and in 

 some lakes thej^ have been netted to advantage to get rid of 

 them. It would seem possible to reduce the number of en- 

 emies very considerably. It may be argued that the bass 

 are vicious enemies of their own young and this is sometimes 

 the case, but every young bass that enters the stomach of an 

 older one at least contributes to the supply of larger bass, 

 so there is an element of consolation in this. Moreover if 

 there is plenty of cover and food the young bass are not like- 

 ly to be greatly depleted by attacks of the larger ones. 



4. The amount of food is naturally a very vital ques- 

 tion. The cleaning up of sv/amps and stream beds and the 

 bottom.s and shores of lakes reduces the amount of natural 

 food as well as cover. Deforestation, resulting in alternate 

 floods and seasons of extremely low water, has the same re- 

 sult. The lowering of the water level in smaller lakes and 

 reservoirs for water power or for construction work has a 

 very deleterious effect on the food organisms as well asonthe 

 young fish directly. The cultivation of farm lands results 



