Fish Culture in Inland Waters 269 



previously indicated, ' all the interrelations of these different species 

 should be taken into consideration when regulations of the fisheries 

 are formulated. 



Successful stocking of waters with game fish depends largely 

 upon the kind of fish best suited to the waters, or rather to what 

 kinds of fish the waters are best suited. In other words it is 

 necessary to determine what kind or kinds of fish will likely pro- 

 duce the best results in quantity and quality as game fish. 



Individual anglers have their favorite or preferred game fishes ; 

 but it does not follow that the water which they or their associates of 

 kindred taste wish to stock will yield the desired results if the 

 particular favorite is planted. The desired results from planting 

 any kind of game fish are fish of satisfactory size, in sufficient 

 numbers to afford good fishing for all who fish that particular water. 



As stated elsewhere, all waters are limited in their capacity to 

 support fish.. Other things being equal, a large body of water will 

 support more fish than a small one. A large body of water, too, is 

 capable of supporting more kinds of game fish than a small body 

 of water, which fact is due to the usual diversity of conditions or 

 variety of habitats in a large body of. water. Any body of water 

 will support a number of kinds of fish in a quantity directly in 

 proportion to the capacity of the suitable conditions for each kind. 



In his address to the American Fisheries Society in 1893, 

 President Herschel Whitaker said : " Much has been done in the 

 past few years in attempts to successfully introduce into our waters 

 foreign species of fish, and while these efforts should not be too 

 hastily criticised, it may be said that outside of one or two varieties 

 thus introduced, this work has not been successful. The experi- 

 ments have been of but little practical value When we count results. 

 It must appeal to the average judgment, after all, it would seem, 

 that if an equal amount of effort, time and means had been devoted 

 to the increase of the native fish which we have that are deserving 

 of care and attention and multiplication, the money, time and effort 

 would have been more practically spent. These indigenous fish are 

 natural to our waters, are of excellent character; it is no experiment 

 to determine whether they will live and thrive. They do not require 

 to be adapted to strange conditions and new surroundings. Is it 

 not better practical fish culture to increase the good varieties that 

 we have than to go far into the field of experimentation ? It would 

 seem that the office and function of a fish commission is best ful- 

 filled when it gives attention to the increase of those fish natural 

 to our waters, rather than attempt to solve unsolvable or difficult 

 questions which have but little practical value." 



The principle conveyed by the foregoing quotation is good. It 

 is the one which should have been followed from the beginning, 

 but which has not been strictly followed even since the address was 

 delivered. The consequence has been that in many instances both 

 the native and introduced fish have failed to afford the desired 

 results. This has been discussed in the foregoing pages. There are 

 also instances where introduced fish have supplanted the original 



