REPORT OF STATE FISH CULTURIST. 
To the Game and Fish Commission: 
The important activities of the State Fisheries Bureau are best 
reckoned by the season, which for the year, will close about April 1. 
During the period contemplated in a season’s work pike perch and 
trout spawn are taken and hatched, fry distributed from the hatchery, 
fry and fingerlings taken from the bass pond and distributed. As the 
fiscal year of the department is closed July 1, a satisfactory report of 
the current season’s work cannot be made at this time. The report 
will show the operations of the bureau during the fiscal year. But 
as this will not fairly present the progress made this season, it may 
be well to anticipate the results of the latter part of the season’s work 
in this report. 
Last year the annual report of the commission showed that a 
little more than ten acres of land had been purchased at Spring Grove,. 
in McHenry County, and that a spring-fed lake, and land surrounding 
the lake had been leased. This lake was stocked in the spring of 
1914 with black bass. From this.stock during last season, about 
300,000 fingerlings were taken from the lake and distributed. 
Last year the bass lake could not be put in proper shape to secure 
the best results, as it did not come into the possession of the depart- 
ment in time to-make such improvements as were necessary to make 
of it a successful artificial pond. When the season for taking out 
fry was at an end a suitable bulkhead was put in, and other improve- 
ments made, that would give complete control of the pond. Now it 
is possible to lower the pond readily without the risk of losing any 
fish. | 
During the spring of 1914, there were 500 black bass caught and 
put into the bass pond. In the fall an additional 300 black bass were 
put in the pond, thus giving for this season’s hatching 800 adult bass. 
These fish are large, averaging about 5 pounds each. 
From this parent stock 645,000 advanced fry were produced and 
distributed before July 1. During the month of July 110,000 addi- 
tional fry were taken from the pond and distributed. 
Up to July 1, there were taken from the pond and distributed 
6,500 yearlings. Later there were more than 10,000 yearlings dis- 
tributed. 
During the months of August and September the work of taking 
yearlings and fingerlings of this year’s hatch will be continued. How 
many young fish are still left in the pond it would be impossible to 
say. It is expected, however, that the season’s output from the Spring 
Grove bass ponds will approximate 1,000,000 fry, No. 1 and No. 2 
fingerlings and yearlings. This will in all probability be a record 
