944 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 



Early in the spring of 1901 an epidemic broke out among these fish. We 

 could pick up from 40 to 50 dead fish early in the morning, and by evening 

 there would be just as many more. Most of them showed no marks of any 

 kind; a few were fungused. The ponds were thoroughly cleaned and the fish 

 shifted, but there was no abatement of the disease. 



About the middle of June the fish were netted and given their liberty in 

 the reservoir and the mortality ceased at once, only seven fish being lost. Here 

 there was plenty of natural food and the fish were not supplied with artificial 

 food. In the early fall they were netted and trapped for breeding purposes 

 and placed in a clean pond, but they commenced to die in large numbers before 

 they had ripened their spawn. It was apparent that they had the boil or ulcer 

 disease, as they were covered with purplish blotches and boils. 



The hatch of 1 900-1 901 proved almost a total loss, caused by water pollu- 

 tions. Early in 1902 I started to build a new system of ponds down the valley. 

 All the brook trout on hand were disposed of. Two hundred and fifty thousand 

 eggs were purchased from eastern sources that season, a number of flowing 

 wells were installed, and it looked as if the troubles were over. But the sequel 

 proved there were worse. Heretofore the fish had not been attacked by 

 disease until 18 to 24 months old, but now the trouble commenced in the 

 fall following their hatching and continued all winter, culminating in the 

 spring with losses of from 90 to 95 per cent. None of these young fish showed 

 any symptoms of boil disease, but most of them had fungus on the gills and 

 head. Not knowing exactly what the trouble was, I continued to hatch fry 

 from eggs taken from wild fish, but the result always proved the same. 



I became thoroughly convinced early in 1904 that brook trout could not 

 be reared on an intensive scale under existing conditions, and so reported to 

 persons interested with mc, but after these continual losses they were discouraged 

 and would not take any steps to better conditions. 



In 1903, 1904, 1905, and 1906 I lost on an average 50,000 to 75,000 yearlings 

 each season, and as no changes were made in methods matters went from bad 

 to worse. In the spring of 1906 there were left only some 40,000 brook trout 

 fry, and as I was unable through severe illness to give the work personal super- 

 vision these shrank by September i to 10,000. I then determined not to waste 

 any more time and labor on brook trout until the existing conditions could 

 be altered. 



I neglected to state that I had taken on rainbow trout in 1898, and had 

 become by 1906 very successful with these fish. 



The reservoir built in 1 899 had become more or less filled with liquid muck 

 and decaying vegetation. Tons of algae were taken off each year in the early 

 spring and the water could be seen to work and boil. This would continue 



