AN EXAMINATION OF THE POLICY OF RE- 

 STOCKING THE INLAND WATERS WITH FISH 1 



PROFESSOR W. M. SMALLWOOD 

 Syracuse University 



The large sums of money annually expended by both 

 the National Government and the several states in fish 

 propagation fall into two general fields of activity, the 

 marine and the freshwater. The freshwater activity in 

 turn may for convenience be divided into the production 

 of food and game fish. 



It is always proper to examine the conditions which 

 influence restocking; and just at this time it is especially 

 fitting to enquire into the efficacy of the methods. The 

 technique involved in securing the eggs and their care 

 during hatching have been well worked out. It was a 

 marked step in advance when these modern methods were 

 first put into practice. The money used in carrying\>ut 

 modern methods in the many fish hatcheries is efficiently 

 expended so far as the writer has been able to determine. 

 The fundamental scientific problems involved have been 

 solved so that the regular fish foreman can successfully 

 direct and supervise all of the steps in the process. 



After the eggs have been hatched and the young fed for 

 a certain length of time, they are distributed to the ponds 

 and streams. The last act in the series is the one con- 

 cerning which we know the least. In order to gain an 

 insight into the actual conditions, a typical Adirondack 

 pond was selected for study. 



The whitefish is the only species that has become at all 

 abundant as a result of the policy of the state. The fault 

 does not seem to be connected with the number of ringer- 

 lings placed in this lake, for the state has, indeed, been 



i Contributions from the Zoological Laboratory, Liberal Art3 College, 

 Syracuse University, C. W. Hargitt, director. 



