Fish Culture in Inland Waters 335 



(Cf. Forbes, '10, '11, 'iia, '13; Forbes and Richardson, '13 and 

 '19; and Richardson, '21.) 



However, under present conditions it is not practicable for any 

 states, or any institutions, to make an intensive biological and physio- 

 graphical survey of every body of water, large or small, within a 

 state, or in an extensive territory, within a limited time, or even in 

 a long time, as it would require a larger force of specialists than is 

 available, even if the necessary funds were available. 



Outside of the United States Bureau of Fisheries, and to a con- 

 siderable extent within it, scientists connected with institutions of 

 learning have been practically the main dependence of the states for 

 investigations of waters and fisheries. The scientific personnel of 

 the United States Bureau of Fisheries has been and still is too 

 limited in number, and the calls upon it too many, to permit of 

 their general availability for investigations of sufficient duration to 

 positively solve comprehensive problems. 



College professors have rendered excellent service during sum- 

 mer vacations in collecting facts pertaining to lake and stream con- 

 ditions. In fact the bulk of such knowledge, in recent years, has 

 been obtained by them, and often without pecuniary compensation. 

 The summer months, however, do not afford all the facts neces- 

 sary for securing positive results upon which to base recommenda- 

 tions concerning fish and fisheries policies and procedures. Besides, 

 their time for adequately analyzing the facts in hand is limited 

 because of their college duties. It is such considerations which 

 led Baker to suggest ('16, p. 316) permanent biological investi- 

 gations on Oneida Lake. So perhaps in some cases in order to 

 satisfy the demands for results by those who do not understand 

 that a brief investigation cannot fill the requirements, the investi- 

 gators may make hasty recommendations, if they venture to make 

 any at all. Too often such recommendations, although based upon 

 admittedly incomplete studies, are often accepted as final by officials 

 and the public, when they are only preliminary and provisional. 

 To repeat, partial investigations are made here and there every 

 year; sometimes of one species, one problem, or one environment 

 at a time, but they are incomplete and are never completed. Possibly 

 no one makes further study of the subjects, either singly or in 

 combination, for many years. It is well to emphasize here that 

 there always will be problems, and investigations should never cease, 

 because new situations and conditions are constantly arising. The 

 investigations must be as continuous as the fishing. 



Yet it is true, that every investigation, however incomplete it may 

 be, adds to the stock of accumulated facts, inferences and principles ; 

 but if recommendations are based upon conjectures, the tendency is 

 for subsequent fish cultural procedure to be as uncertain as before. 



In the case of the streams of Oneida County, of which it is stated 

 there are approximately 2,000 miles, all were investigated during 

 the one season. Such hurried and partial examinations are mani- 

 festly inadequate, but the value of the work is considerable, if it 

 does not stop there. Usually it does stop with the preliminary 



