LXXXVIII REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



during the season the crappie seemed to suffer from an affection of the 

 eyes. This was attributed to the clear, shallow water, and was partly 

 overcome by partitioning off a part of the pond and placing in this space 

 a lot of carp, which stirred up the mud and kept the water cloudy. 



In order to increase the food supply at the station a pond, li acres in 

 area, was constructed during the summer, so arranged as to have a 

 very large area of shallow water ; it was nearly oval in shape, and varied 

 in depth from nothing to 9 feet at the stand-pipe. It was supplied with 

 water by means of a hydraulic ram placed at the lower end of the grounds 

 near the river and operated by the overflow of the upper ponds, the fall 

 being 3J feet. By this meaus an average of 50,000 gallons of water per 

 day enters the pcnd, and so far it has been kept full constantly, though 

 the weather was very dry for six months of the time and the evapora- 

 tion and absorption great. The ram has been running steadily since 

 October 7, and has required very little attention except to keep the 

 screen clean. This pond has proved a great success, both for the pro- 

 duction of food and for rearing bass. The large area of shallow water 

 provides a great quantity of insect life and a safe retreat for young 

 fish. When sudden changes of temperature occur, the fish seek the 

 deep water. 



The construction of four additional ponds was commenced during 

 the spring near the southwest end of the grounds; each of them will be 

 ^ acre in area and similar in character to the one built during the pre- 

 vious summer. A water-wheel was also built on the river to supply 

 water to this new system. The water will be pumped into a distributing 

 reservoir and conducted from there to the ponds by gravity. The 

 grounds have been improved by planting Bermuda grass and shade 

 trees, and a small orchard of pear, apple, plum, and other fruit trees 

 was set out in the fall. These are doing well, only four having died 

 during the year. 



At the close of the year the stock on hand was as follows : 



Species. 



Black bass . 

 Rock bass . 



Crappie 



Mud shad.. 



Calendar year in which hatched. 



,000 

 '*52' 



1896. 1894. 



67 

 200 

 100 

 200 



1893. 



99 



'ioo 



Leadville Station, Colorado (E. A. Tulian, Superintendent). 



The usual arrangements were made with the owners of Wellington, 

 Decker, Oneva, and Musgrove lakes, and Gale, Smith, and Bidgway 

 ponds for collecting brook-trout eggs, the owners to receive half of 

 those obtained. Early in October the first eggs were secured from the 

 stock-fish at the station, and from that time to the close of the season, 

 or until work was stopped by ice, operations were actively pushed at 

 all the points mentioned. 



