Fish Culture in Inland Waters 281 



Long before this a former State Fish Culturist of New York 

 wrote (Bean, 'i6j that as a rule the special care given by the 

 State Commission ceases when the cans of young fish are delivered 

 to applicants on the platforms of the railroad stations. " In many 

 cases," he said, " the lack of special knowledge and experience on 

 the part of those who transport the cans to the streams and do the 

 actual planting results in great loss. Thus certain waters that have 

 been stocked with thousands upon thousands of fry and fingerlings 

 during a long period of years still produce, for one reason or 

 another, very indifferent, if any fishing."' 



Failure for so many years cannot be attributed alone to those 

 who have received and planted the fish. The responsibility for this 

 to quite a degree rests upon a system which acts blindly, trusting 

 to chance in such matters. We have seen that these defects are 

 largely operative even today. 



The principal fault was lack of knowledge concerning the con- 

 ditions obtaining in the waters in which the fish were planted, 

 whether the waters were suitable for the fish, and other facts which 

 should have been taken into consideration. While many young fish 

 are lost through improper handling and planting the most potent 

 cause of unsuccessful stocking is the lack of favorable conditions 

 for the fish. Such conditions differ in relation to the size or the age 

 at which young fish are planted. 



Fry or Fingerlings. Opinions differ concerning the age at which 

 young fish should be planted. Some fish culturists advocate fry, 

 others, fingerlings. and still others, older fish. Each exponent sup- 

 ports his view with valid evidence. Bean ('16), in favor of fry 

 planting, said that all the different states and the United States 

 distribute fry, and their experience has demonstrated beyond ques- 

 tion that fry planting can be made effective; that prejudice against 

 fry can usually be traced to improper planting methods, or unsuit- 

 able streams, and that it should not be forgotten that nature 

 herself plants fry exclusively. Some . claim that more fish will 

 grow to maturity from several thousand fry than from a few 

 hundred fingerlings, as in hatchery produced fish the instinct 

 of self-preservation is developed better and sooner in fish planted 

 at the earlier age. Another argument advanced in favor of 

 fry planting is that of the attendant difficulties and expense of rais- 

 ing and handling older fish, and that fry can be transported and 

 distributed in a greater number than is possible with fingerlings or 

 older fish. However, in favor of older fish than fry, it is quite 

 generally admitted that the older a fish is the better able it is to take 

 care of itself. Concerning these points it should be borne in mind 

 that " circumstances alter cases." 



The report of the Conservation Commission of the State of New 

 York for 1919, concerning trout, says: "Although there is a great 

 difference of opinion as to whether the best results are obtained by 

 planting 5,000 sac absorbed fry or, for instance, 250 four-inch 

 fingerlings, experienced fish culturists are inclined to favor the 



