15 
Trout culture in Illinois should be made incidental to the work 
of breeding the more obvious Illinois fish, because there is very little 
brook or rainbow trout water in the State. At Spring Grove the 
work of hatching trout can be done very economically in connection 
with the pike perch and bass work. The water used in our trout 
ponds flows into our bass ponds, and is also used at the hatchery. 
The hatching of trout is done in the late fall and winter when the 
men at the hatchery are not particularly busy. The same hatchery 
and water reservoir that is used for the hatching of pike perch may 
be used for the trout work. So that, as a matter of fact, there is 
much overhead expense that may be well used in the trout work. Or, 
in other words, we will be able to hatch at Spring Grove all the trout 
the State will need, at a very small cost. 
Among the things contemplated in next year’s work, is another 
series of four trout ponds, to take care of the increase to be expected 
within the next two years. These ponds may be built across the west 
end of the pike perch pond at a very small expense. ._We already have 
two springs emptying into this end of the pond. These springs will 
flow about 120 gallons a minute. This will take good care of four 
ponds of good size, and from the trout ponds, flow into the pike perch 
pond. The lower pond may be used as a reservoir for the pike perch 
hatchery. With two series of trout ponds, one may be used for 
brook trout, the other for rainbow trout. 
Arrangements have been made to build a pond about two acres 
in area on the north side of the pike perch pond, to be used as a 
rearing pond for black bass. This pond can be built cheaply as the 
north dike of the pike perch pond will serve as a dike for the south 
side of the rearing pond. On the west is high ground, which with 
a very little work may be made into a dike for that end. As this will 
be a shallow pond, the cost of excavation and dike building will be 
small. 
The ground selected for this rearing pond is peculiarly suited to 
the purpose as a large part of the pond may be kept shallow, and 
will grow such aquatic plants as are needed to furnish food for young 
bass. When this pond is completed a suitable number of fry may be 
taken from the breeding pond, for stocking. The following spring 
these may be distributed as yearlings. Moreover, with a stock of 
fingerlings and yearlings on hand, distributions may be made at sea- 
sons when there is no fry to distribute. Besides, fingerlings and 
yearlings are better able to take care of themselves when planted, 
than fry. | 
There is such a growing demand for young fish, particularly black 
bass, that additional ponds will be needed if we are to meet this 
demand. The Spring. Grove bass ponds, and pike perch hatchery 
will take good care of the waters north of Chicago. But for the 
middle and southern section of the State a new hatching plant is 
needed. 
Something should be done to make of Lake Michigan a produc- 
tive body of fish water. Lake trout and white perch thrive in this 
water. With a suitable hatchery to supply fry of these varieties, the 
output would have an important commercial value. At such a hatch- 
