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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

BUREAU OF FISHERIES
HUGH M. SMITH, Commissioner

FISH PONDS ON FARMS

\

By RoseERt S. Jounson and M. F. STAPLETON

APPENDIX II TO THE REPORT OF THE U. S. COMMISSIONER
OF FISHERIES FOR 1915

Bureau of Fisheries Document No. 826
Revised edition, 1917

2.

PRICE 5 CENTS

Sold only by the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office
Washington, D.C.

WASHINGTON
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
1917

CONTENTS.

Utilization of wastedands.% 23/52. Ses eeS aay 8 ee I ee
Water supply—volume, quality, and temperature: ...................---..-
Sources of water supply for ponds. /. Seceseee ose woe eee eee
Desirable sites for the location of ponds. se). 22-420. -4-- eee eee eee eee
Pond ‘construction’... .0:32. s/t... eek See ee Oe
Aquatic plants and their value in pond-fish culture.........-..-..----------
Species of fishes suitable for pond culture:
Smallmouth black bass... 22. 5.20.2 cb 22 eo eee ee eee :
Largemouth: black bass: . << << 250). dc)soteees oe tee see ee
Crappie ince Sica talents See oral oe) ee ae a eR aa
Valico bassoi.csss¢ived. . eee te oe
Rock bassio2 32.25.52 oe ee ee

Stocking ponds with brood fish. . 32.5: joes oer eee eee eee
Spawnillie season. .-% ... casos Saw 5 Noten oe eee eee ht al ee
Spawning habits... s..scchacc ad os <2 -te Stee eens eae ore ets ee
Characteristics of the young fish—their food and growth...........-.-...----
Capacity of a pond for the production of fish 2s. 2224254022 ee ee nee
{ks} ee. er meme te SO ae me lS ae ee oe Lo
Methods employed by the Bureau of Fisheries in the distribution of fish... ..
Remoyine fish arom ponds... case asec ae ete ces oecceat omar = = cee sae

)

FISH PONDS ON FARMS.

By Rozert 8S. JOHNSON and M. F. STAPLETON,

INTRODUCTION.

The propagation of fish on farms in artificially constructed ponds
or in natural ponds of limited area is perfectly feasible; and with
proper management such ponds will afford a convenient and economi-
cal food supply that will justify the expense of their construction or
preparation and maintenance.

It is the purpose of this report to point out briefly the essential
features to be considered in the location of a site, the construction of
the pond and its operation, and the care of the fish contained therein.

This information has reference exclusively to the rearing of the
spiny-rayed or warm-water fishes, which are especially adapted to
culture in ponds, and which can only be propagated through natural
reproduction.

Data regarding the trouts and other species of the Salmonide
which can be propagated artifically are contained in another publica-
tion of the Bureau of Fisheries, which will be furnished on request.*

Federal and State Government have in the past decade done much
to improve the conditions of rural life by the development of public
resources, the-advancement of social intercourse, the dissemination of
agricultural knowledge, and demonstrations of a better domestic
practice. Up to the present time, however, but little attention has
been given to fish culture as an adjunct to farming.

VALUE OF FISH AS FOOD.

Mental and physical efficiency, in the last analysis, are dependent
upon the character of the food supply, and fish may well constitute
a needed ingredient which is usually missing from the farm dietary.

The requirement of variety in food is unquestioned, if indeter-
minate, and the palatability of fish to the average person, in con-
junction with its value in protein content, makes it a pleasing and
beneficial addition to the daily regimen.

2 Artificial Propagation of the Atlantic Salmon, Rainbow Trout, and Brook Trout.
Bureau of Fisheries, Document No. 346.

»)

o

4 FISH PONDS ON FARMS.

The chemically complex substance known as protein is an essen-
tial constituent of food, the most important tissues of the body, other
than the skeleton, being principally composed of it. Most human
beings derive their needed protein from the flesh of animals, and in
practically all civilized communities the greater part of it is supplied
by meat and poultry. In the United States the main dependence in
the past has been on meat—beef, mutton, and pork—which, owing to
the large areas available for grazing and the low price of corn, could
be raised in quantities great in proportion to the population.

These conditions no longer prevail, and shortage of the meat
supply, with resulting high prices, is now a general condition. As
a substitute for meat fish offer many advantages. Pound for pound
it contains as much protein as meat, and in some cases more. It there-
fore affords the same class and grade of food material as beef, mut-
ton, and pork.

Unfortunately, those actively engaged in farm work rarely have
the opportunity to fish in neighboring lakes and streams, and more
distant excursions, involving several ae absence from home, are
usually beyond consideration. The need is apparent, therefore, for a
readily accessible supply of fresh fish that may be drawn upon when
desired—a source as dependable as the smokehouse or the poultry
yard.

UTILIZATION OF WASTE LANDS.

The Bureau aims especially to influence the utilization of the
natural and favorable water areas existing on countless farms which
at the present time are being put to no use, many of them consti-
tuting unsightly waste spaces that detract from the value of the
land. The presence of springs, lakes, flowing wells, or adjacent
streams are all leading incentives to a fishery project, and suitable
sites for the construction of ponds, especially if at present unre-
munerative, should make their use to such a purpose desirable to the
thrifty husbandman after a full comprehension of their possibilities
in a fish-cultural way.

Ponds intended primarily for the cultivation of fish may be con-
veniently located for the watering of stock, or the overflow there-
from may be utilized for the irrigation of land. In many sections
of the United States artificial ponds on farms are an absolute neces-
sity to serve one or both these latter purposes, and by a merely
nominal expenditure such water areas may be advantageously utilized
for the growing of fish without interfering in any way with the
original uses for which they were intended.

At the outset the main object of the amateur farmer fish-culturist
should be the production of a food supply for home consumption.

FISH PONDS ON FARMS. 5

There are no authentic published records as to the financial returns
that may be expected from the pursuit of pond fish culture on a
commercial basis. Many theories have been advanced on this point,
but, as in other undertakings of importance, the efficiency necessary
in order to profitably conduct such a business can only be gained by
repeated efforts and actual experience. Furthermore, in order to
arrive at an estimate of any value one would have to take into con-
sideration such important factors as the topographical features of
the site, the character and quantity of the water supply available, the
extent of the enterprise, and the location of the plant with reference
to market and transportation facilities.

Taking all these facts into consideration, one can readily see the
futility of attempting to forecast in a general treatise the financial
returns that may be expected from any given pond area devoted to
commercial fish culture.

All this, however, detracts in no way from the argument favoring
the construction of ponds with the view to providing a food supply
for private use. The feasibility of pond fish culture on this basis
has been fully demonstrated, and ample quantities of fish for home
use are to-day being propagated in established ponds on farms,
proving the value of such an undertaking for that purpose alone.

After gaining the required experience and knowledge of the sub-
ject as a result of conducting work for several years on a limited
scale, the farmer will be well qualified to judge as to the practicabil-
ity of extending his operations, and can then, if he so chooses, in-
crease his facilities with the view of raising fish for the market.

Frequent inquiries are received by the Bureau of Fisheries re-
garding the use of natural ponds, lakes, and streams, for the raising
of fish. With respect to such water areas it may be stated that if
drainage is provided for, the pond bed cleared of débris, the site
protected against the inflow of surface water—if, in short, complete
control is effected, natural water areas will possess many advan-
tages over artificial constructions. There is objection, however, to
any body of water not under complete control.

WATER SUPPLY—VOLUME, QUALITY, AND TEMPERATURE.

In a brood pond, a constant water level should be maintained at
all times, especially during the breeding season. The required flow,
which will vary with the character of the soil, must be sufficient to
replace loss by evaporation and seepage. An amount just short of
overflowing the pond is the ideal to be attained, as it is desirable to
avoid a current. A surplus of water is preferable to a shortage, as
any excess may be easily diverted through waste channels or held ag
an emergency reserve.

6 _ FISH PONDS ON FARMS.

For a 1-acre pond, where the sides and bottom are of clay or rich
loam, a flow of from 30 to 50 gallons per minute should be sufficient
to maintain a proper water level at all times, while sandy or gravel
soil untreated may require double that amount. A practical method
of measuring the flow of water from any source is as follows:

Select a stretch on the stream or ditch affording as straight and
uniform a course as possible. If the water at any point is carried
in a flume, it will be better to measure at that point. Lay off a dis-
tance of, say from 10 to 50 feet; measure the width of flowing water
at about six different places in this distance, and obtain its average
width. Likewise at these same points measure the depth of water at
three or four places across the stream and obtain its average depth.
Then drop a float in the water and note the number of seconds it
takes to traverse the given distance. The product obtained by multi-
plying the average width in feet by the average depth in feet by the
velocity (expressed in number of feet per second) will give the flow
of the stream in cubic feet per second. From the figures so obtained
it is advisable to deduct about 20 per cent, as the surface velocity of
water is in excess of the actual average velocity.

High temperatures in season are necessary in brood and rearing
ponds. If the water is cold at the source, the fault must be corrected
by reducing the inflow to the lowest quantity that will maintain a
uniform level, thus allowing the maximum absorption of warmth
from the sun and air. Water that does not fall below 60° F. in the
brood pond during the spawning season is desirable.

SOURCES OF WATER SUPPLY FOR PONDS.

Springs are the most dependable of all the sources of water sup-
ply, requiring the minimum expenditure in preparation and being
the least subject. to outside influence. The presence of injurious min-
eral substances can usually be detected without expert analysis, but
the amateur fish-culturist may be surprised to learn that so-called
pure water often carries abnormal proportions of oxygen or nitro-
gen gases in quantities inimical to fish life. This may be due either
to subaeration or superaeration, and the results following the use of
such water will be as disastrous in the one case as in the other.

This contingency and the requisite of high temperature make pre-
carious the embodiment of springs and wells within the pond bed.
In the absence of thoroughly demonstrated fitness, the more prudent
course will be to provide an independent water supply reservoir, ap-
portioning its area to the volume of the spring. While being held
in this reservoir the gaseous contents of the water will be corrected
and its temperature seasonably modified.

The flow from many springs is so obstructed through the trampling
of stock or from other causes that they emit only a small portion of
the water available near the surface. In such cases the supply may

FISH PONDS ON FARMS. é
usually be materially increased by sinking 2-foot lengths of terra-
cotta pipe over the bubble and removing the incased earth. Several
such pipes in a promising area will often result in an astonishing in-
crease in flow. Where the cost is not prohibitive, however, the better
course will be to excavate the site and wall it in with rock and
concrete.

In prefusely watered sections—notably, in the States bordering the
Great Lakes—there are many tracts of marshy characteristics, some
of them hundreds of acres in extent, promiscuously interlaced with
tiny rivulets which combine to form streams of considerable size.
Seemingly inexhaustible quantities of water lie close to the surface in
many such places, and by driving pipes only a few feet into the
ground flowing wells are obtained.

Where the volume of water is a matter of concern the overflow
level of spring reservoirs, sunken tiling or driven pipes should be
kept as low as possible, consistent with the object in view, as the flow
will naturally decrease with the elevation of the head against which
it works.

A brood pond contiguous to a spring reservoir may be fed through
a spillway directly into the stock pond. Where a reservoir is im-
practicable, at least partial correction of any abnormal condition of
the water may be brought about by conducting it to the pond through
open ditches or raceways of wood or concrete, the choice of material
being determined by adaptability of the soil and the comparative
expenditure involved.

The chief objection to creek or river water as a supply for fish
ponds is the great quantity of mud and débris carried during fresh-
ets, and the excessive cost of effective measures to prevent its intro-
duction into the ponds. Streams subject to extremely high-water
periods are totally impracticable as a source of supply, while those of
lesser floods can be utilized only after a considerable initial expendi-
ture, and much vigilance will be entailed in their use, as large and
continuous deposits of mud in breeding ponds will ruin any eggs
present, and invariably kill recently hatched fry. Furthermore, pro-
tracted roily water will retard and sometimes prevent growth of
the aquatic vegetation so essential to pond fish-cultural operations.
Tt is also imperative that undesirable and predaceous fishes be rigor-
ously excluded from the ponds, and it will be impossible to accom-
plish this if the water supply is beyond control during certain
periods.

From the foregoing it can readily be seen that if a stream is sub-
ject to appreciable changes, as a result of storms or drainage from
local watersheds, it will be unwise to establish a pond therein by the
construction of dams, as is often contemplated. It will be entirely
feasible, however, to conduct water from such a stream to ponds ad-

8 FISH PONDS ON FARMS.

jacently located, provided the intake is adequately screened, the
supply arranged so that it can be cut off during times of excessive
turbidity, and measures are taken to prevent the inundation of the
pond site in high-water periods.

It may be necessary to erect a dam in the channel of the stream, to
provide the required head of water for a gravity. flow to the pond, in
which case it may be of a simple type, designed merely to accomplish
the end in view. The intake from the stream should be wide and
deep, thus presenting a large screen surface to obviate the complete
stoppage of the water supply in the absence of the caretaker. It
should be covered by a series of screens graduated in size, the first
to consist of coarse hog wire, or wooden racks with like openings, to
catch the largest objects. The intermediate screen (of 2-inch mesh)
will intercept vegetation, while the inner one must be fine enough to
exclude smaller débris and the fry of undesirable fishes. Immedi-
ately below the screens, gates should be provided so that the water
may be shut off at will and diverted into a storm channel when it
becomes too roily for use.

Where the source of supply is a lake the difficulties referred to
above are not encountered, lake water seldom being roily and de-
manding less attention to screens owing to absence of currents.

Uncontaminated open waters have many advantages. Their tem-
peratures are seasonal; usually there are no abnormal gaseous con-
stituents to be corrected; the plankton or pelagic animal and plant
life contained therein forms a valuable addition to the natural food
supply in the pond, and were it not for the difficulty of control and
occasional roilyness, such waters would be preferable to springs and
wells as a source of supply to fish ponds.

Wells, both flowing and power lifted, are successfully used in some
sections for the cultivation of fish. Before incurring the expense of
constructing ponds to be supplied from such a source, however, it
will be advisable to thoroughly test the water in order to demonstrate
its fitness for fish culture. This can best be done by fitting up a
running-water supply in a retaining reservoir, and holding therein,
for an extended period, a number of specimens of the species of fish
it is desired to propagate. If they thrive, it may be assumed that
the water is free from injurious gases or mineral substances and is
adapted to the work it is proposed to undertake.

RAIN WATER (SURFACE DRAINAGE).—Another class of ponds avail-
able for the propagation of fish, known as “sky ponds,” embraces
those wholly or partly dependent upon local precipitation for their
supply of water. Such ponds are invariably profuse in the produc-
tion of fish food, and for this reason would be ideal were there an
auxiliary water supply adequate to maintain constant surface levels
during the critical nesting season, and a fair depth throughout the

FISH PONDS ON FARMS.

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FISH PONDS ON FARMS, 11

remainder of the year. In the absence of this reserve many such
ponds become practically dry during periods of drought or freeze to
the bottom in the winter months. Where ponds are subjected to
such conditions fish cultural operations are impracticable.

Ponds dependent entirely upon precipitation and surface drainage
for their water supply must necessarily be located at a low elevation,
in order that the surface drainage from surrounding lands may be
taken advantage of. Land depressions, ravines protected from
floods, or swamp lands, are desirable sites for such ponds.

Catfishes only can be recommended for the best of “sky ponds,”
strictly speaking, and the results even with them will be very
uncertain.

DESIRABLE SITES FOR THE LOCATION OF PONDS.

If a gravity flow of water is contemplated, the fish pond must, of
course, be located below the level of the source of supply. Porous
soils are to be avoided, if possible, not only because of the large
volume of water required to replace loss from seepage but because
they are usually sterile. Swamp lands, old water courses, and
catch basins of years’ standing are the best and most productive soils,
as they possess the required fertility and contain seeds and spores
for the early development of profuse vegetation and animalcula.
Ponds located in such soil will maintain their water levels with a
minimum inflow.

Satisfaction may be had from ponds less favorably located, how-
ever, if good sense is employed in their preparation and maintenance.
Aside from the ideal lands of alluvial deposits, clay loams are a first
choice, being most nearly impervious to water and quickly responsive
to efforts made to establish their fertility. Sandy loam, being the
most prevalent, is probably the most general soil in use for pond
construction. While some difficulty may at first be experienced in
making it retain water, this is overcome in time by the accumulation
of decayed vegetation. Its fertility is good and, in general, it pro-
duces a sufficient supply of natural food. Even clear sand and gravel
mixtures may be made to hold water and brought to fair productivity
by increased expenditures in construction, and by the application of
fertilizers in a manner to be explained later.

It is very desirable, and also essential for a marked degree of suc-
cess, that ponds be so located and constructed that they may be en--
tirely emptied of water at certain seasons. To this end there should
be accessible a natural dry run or water course lower than the bottom
of the proposed pond, to which drain pipes may be conducted.

Ponds are drained for the purpose of assorting fish, removing ob-
jectionable species, reducing the stock, killing out excessive vegeta-
tion, etc. Complete drainage can not be effected, of course, unless

12 FISH PONDS ON FARMS.

there are adjacent waters to which the fish can be removed during
this process. A number of small auxiliary ponds will always be
found advantageous in fish-cultural work.

Where the primary purpose is other than fish culture the selection
of the site must depend upon the more important object in view.
Fish culture will yield very satisfactory returns as a secondary en-
terprise, but the site selected for the work should by all means be
the best available consistent with the general scheme of farming
operations.

POND CONSTRUCTION.

The exact mode of construction must depend largely upon local
conditions, such as the presence or absence of favorable land contour,
the nature of the soil, proximity to storm channels, and the area of
the ground to be worked. Even with these features specified lesser
local characteristics and the exigencies of individual circumstances
will vary the application of any approved general method. Where
practicable ponds should be not less than 1 acre in surface area.
Those of smaller extent will produce fish and add an interesting
feature to farm life, but they will not yield adult food fishes of the
larger species in quantities sufficient for me requirement of the aver-
age farmer’s table.

Natural draws or ravines involve the least expenditure in their
adaptation to fish ponds, as two and frequently three sides are
already formed, so that an earthen embankment connecting them
will complete the inclosure. Such locations must be surrounded by
ditches to divert surface water where that is likely to roil the pond,
and effective waste channels should be provided if the site covers
the natural course of flood waters.

If flat land of 2n elevation only slightly lower than that of the
source of water supply is selected, it will be necessary to excavate
the ponds in whole or in part to the required depth to insure a water
level lower than the supply. Thus the excavations will form solid
banks which, if impervious to water and properly sloped, will require
no further attention except to bring them to uniform widths and
elevation, which can be done with the material excavated in forming
the pond proper. The bottom of the pond should be shaped to drain
to a central point.

On swamp lands and depressions which are susceptible to drain-
age and are at the same time low enough to insure a gravity flow of
water from the source of supply, one or more fish ponds can be con-
structed by the erection of longitudinal and cross-section dikes high
enough to provide the required depth of water. The construction of

such ponds involves only sufficient excavating to give the bottom the _

proper slope. In other words, the pond should be built up rather than

FISH PONDS ON FARMS.

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14 FISH PONDS ON FARMS.

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FISH PONDS ON FARMS, 15

excavated, and the water level therein will be higher than the sur-
rounding land.

The method of constructing pond embankments is governed by
the topography of the land, the character of the soil, and the volume
and pressure of the water to be confined. All made embankments
should be at least 6 feet wide at the top, and the sides sloped not less
than 2 feet to each foot in height. For instance, a 6-foot fill should
be 30 feet wide at the base and 6 feet at the top.

Prepare the foundation by plowing the site of the embankment,
after first removing all trees, underbrush, rock and sod, and, as an
extra precaution against seepage, dig a trench 12 inches deep along
the median line. This will form a break, or set-off, between the
original ground and the made construction, which is a point of natu-
ral weakness. The filling should progress by layers over the full
width and length of the levee as a continuous operation rather than
by sections; otherwise the completed work will later develop checks
by reason of variations in material and compactness. Rocks are of
use as a protecting riprap on the slopes after completion.

In case the water supply to a pond is taken from a creek, the latter
must be dammed and an intake built above the construction provided
with screen and dam boards, from which a water conduit must be laid
to the pond. The dam should be provided with an ample spillway,
which may best be constructed of concrete.

The shape or outline of the pond is immaterial. Currents of
water are undesirable in the propagation of the spiny-rayed fishes.
In fact, the best brood and rearing ponds are those which are sup-
plied by backwater from other bodies, and if there is reasonable
depth and a fair growth of vegetation no stagnation will result.

Success in pond fish culture is being attained with widely varying
forms of construction. To a considerable extent fish will adapt
themselves to existing physical conditions. In nature they seek
comparatively shoal waters in which to spawn, by reason of the
prevailing higher temperatures, and during certain stages of their
growth the young choose similar depths, where food is plentiful and
beyond the bounds of the customary range of large fish. Relatively
deep waters must be accessible to the stock fish during winter months,
and what this depth shall be will depend largely upon the latitude
of the location; cold climates where great thickness of ice forms re-
quire the deepest pools.

Experience teaches that breeding ponds should be excavated to
hold not less than 12 inches of water at or near the margins; that
one-fourth of the pond area should range from 12 to 30 inches in
depth; and that one-half its total area should be not over 3 feet
deep, the bottom of the remainder to slope from this depth to 6 feet
or more at the outlet. Avoid abrupt slopes. Provide complete drain-

16 FISH PONDS ON FARMS.

age to the deepest point, where a waste pipe controlled by gates or
slash boards should lead to outside natural channels.

It will be found a great convenience when draining ponds to
have shallow channels 6 inches deep and 15 inches wide, at the head
of the drainpipe, radiating to all parts of the pond bottom from a
kettle or pit, which may be of wood or concrete. A large percentage
of the fish will follow such channels as the water recedes, and may
be removed from the kettle with less danger of injury than if picked
up promiscuously about the pond.

Remove all projections from the pond bottom which might inter-
fere with the operations of seines, plow the entire bed and level it
with harrows before turning in the water or treating further for
water-tightness.

As stated above, ponds located on swamp bottoms or in clay soils
are practically impervious to seepage, and there should be no diffi-
culty in maintaining their surface levels. Sandy loams are more
uncertain; they require time to become thoroughly saturated, but
will improve in this respect from year to year, through the accumu-
lating deposits of decaying vegetation. It is an excellent practice
when first filling newly-constructed ponds with water, whatever the
nature of the soil, to follow the advancing water line with a drag or
harrow, driving the team knee-deep into the water. The constant
roiling and puddling of the ground in this manner is very effective
in cementing open cracks and crevices. Very porous soils may require
the addition of a layer of clay before they will hold water. From 2 to
6 inches of stiff brick clay over the entire bottom and up the sides,
well above the water line, the bottom harrowed down as explained
above, will hold water over the most open ground likely to be used.
The only objection to the presence of clay is its general sterility, but
this may be corrected by another layer of rich loam, after the clay
has been worked down and proved efficacious. Where this process is
to be employed, allowance must be made at the time of excavation
for the refill of 12 or more inches. Coarse stable manure, and even
clean straw, well trampled into the pond bottom, has been reported
as a successful remedy for seepage.

A good set of native sod or sedge grass around the entire pond at
the water line is the best preventive of wave washing and éncroach-
ments upon new fills. If the location is such that strong currents or
eddies are present, piling, rock riprap, or other reinforcement, will
be necessary at the points of greatest exposure.

Landowners desiring to undertake fish propagation may feel that
the expenditure necessary to secure completed ponds, as described
above, is prohibitive; or they may have waters available for fish
culture which it would not be expedient to remodel along the lines
indicated. The plans outlined are in accordance with the present-

FISH PONDS ON FARMS. V7

Fic. 1.—Spiked water milfoil (Myriophyllum
spicatum). Found in deep water. New-
foundland to Manitoba and the Northwest
Territory, south to Florida, Iowa, Utah,
and California. Commonly known as fox-
tail. Suited to southern ponds of high
temperature, and unlike most species will
thrive in comparatively soft waters.
‘ Parrot-feather,” and introduced species
of Myriophyllum will make better growth in
sterile ground than the foxtail; otherwise
the two have similar characteristics.

Fic. 2.—Hornwort (Ceratophyllum demersum).
Found in ponds and slow streams through-
out North America, except extreme north.
This plant is shallow-rooted, deriving most
of its sustenance from the water. Will
thrive in cold spring water.

Fie. 3.— Fanwort (Cabomba_ caroliniana).
Found in ponds and slow streams, southern
Illinois to North Carolina, south to Florida
and Texas, Characteristics similar to Cera-
tophyllum,

Fie. 4.—Chara fragillis. A common form of
chara. There are many varieties of this
species and all are classed very high as
food producers and oxygenators. Grows
profusely in all limestone waters through-
out the United States,

18 FISH PONDS ON FARMS.

day standards. Fish may and are being successfully propagated in
far less ideal environments, but more native ingenuity in such cases
is required. This, however, is a common attribute of the American
farmer, and any one who can mix balanced feeds, practice scientific
grain breeding, or master the intricacies of modern farm machinery,
need not hesitate for fear of failure to add fish culture to his daily
routine.

Summarizing the construction, these features should be provided
for:

1. Water-tightness, so that a small inflow will be sufficient. This
will result in high temperatures during the summer months.

2. A shallow area, from 18 to 30 inches deep, where the fish may
nest.

3. A deeper area, of 6 feet or more, for winter quarters. This
will also be occupied by the adults in the summer, after nesting is
completed.

4. A fertile bottom for the growth of aquatic plants, upon which
fish food depends.

If these requisites, together with a suitable water supply, are pro-
vided the fish will thrive.

The accompanying drawings explain the types of intake and drain-
age devices which have proved effective. These may be varied to
meet the conditions encountered, and be constructed of either wood or
concrete. The latter material is shown in the illustrations, and is the
most durable, but wood will be equally as satisfactory while it lasts.

AQUATIC PLANTS AND THEIR VALUE IN POND-FISH CULTURE.

Frequent reference has been made to the necessity of vegetation in
fish ponds. Its advantages are many. It serves as food and a harbor
for the lowest forms of minute animal life. Each advance in the
scale of life constitutes a food for higher forms, and in the guise of
fish the fertility of the ground contributes to the food of the human
race.

Plants play an important part in the purification of water, taking
up the carbonic acid gas berated by decomposition and exhaling the
oxygen essential to living creatures. They thus prevent the asphyxia-
tion of fish life, and act as a corrective of many abnormal character-
istics of individual waters.

Losses of fish through the depredations of enemies will be greatly
lessened where there is an abundant aquatic growth in which they
may hide. It furnishes a grateful shade on bright warm days, and
the interlacing roots so bind the bottom soil as to prevent turbidity
from casual disturbances.

The aquatic flora of a locality varies greatly with its latitude
and is also governed by the chemical ingredients of specific waters.
The most desirable species usually thrive best in waters of limestone

FISH PONDS ON FARMS. 19

origin. Plants of filamentous character are preferable to the large
regular-leaved kinds, as they present greater surface expanse for
the exchange of gases, and, on account of their shallow rootage, are
more readily controlled by the fish-culturist. Pond lilies, cat’s-tail,
and coarse water grasses or weeds in moderation are beneficial, as
they afford shade and shelter. However, they are lower forms of
oxygenators than the plants of finer growth, and they make seining
operations more difficult; and it is practically impossible to eradicate
them after they have obtained a foothold.

All species herein described which are indigenous to the waters
of the locality in question may be advantageously utilized in pond-
fish culture. Undoubtedly one or two of the introduced species will
eventually drive out the others, but those remaining will be the ones
best adapted to the environment. All of these will grow from cut-
tings, making it unnecessary to transplant the roota. The plants
may simply be raked or pulled out of the open waters and pressed
by handfuls into the soft earth in the shallow sections of the new
pond, in spaces about 5 feet apart. The bottom must be covered with
6 to 12 inches of water during the operation, otherwise the sun and
air will soon ruin the sets. In deep water the plants may be started
by attaching a weight and sinking them to the bottom of the pond.

Much time and trouble are often required to bring about a profuse
growth of aquatic vegetation,? but after a pond is thoroughly stocked
even more labor is required to keep it within bounds. Ponds may
become literally choked with water mosses, resulting in inconvenience
to the owner and a detriment to the fish. They will roll the seines,
snag the lines, and smother the fish when an attempt is made to
draw down the water. It will usually be necessary to thin the moss
out once or twice in the course of a summer, and all growth should be
removed when draining the pond. An efficient method of removal
is by raking, the worker standing on the embankment and throwing
the moss out on land, or wading into the shallow water of the pond
drawing it from a circle about him and building cocks of it. The
deeper waters will have to be worked from a boat or raft.

SPECIES OF FISHES SUITABLE FOR POND CULTURE.

SMALLMOUTH BLACK BAss (Micropterus dolomieu).—Indigenous to
lakes, rivers, and smaller streams from Lake Champlain to Mani-
toba and south to North Carolina and Arkansas. It seeks by prefer-
ence the clear cool waters of its range, and in the Southern States is
confined to the more rapid streams. The maximum weight is about
5 pounds, and the average weight from 1 to 2 pounds. This species
should be selected for cultivation only in ponds of 2 or more acres

«All but one of the cuts published herewith are copied from Britton & Brown's
“Tllustrated Flora of North America.’’ The figure of Chara is taken from the “ Text
Book of Botany,” by Strasburger, Noll, Schenk, and Schimper.

20 FISH PONDS ON FARMS.

in area, where the temperatures and other physical characteristics
conform to those of its natural habitat. Rock bass and sunfish will
live congenially with the smallmouth black bass, and can be success-
fully propagated in the same ponds with them.

LARGEMOUTH BLACK BAss (Micropterus salmoides).—Known lo-
cally as straw bass, green bass, bayou bass, Oswego bass, trout, and
chub. Its range is from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico and from the
Atlantic coast to the Rocky Mountains. The species is prolific in
congenial waters, but reaches its greatest size in the warmer lakes
and more sluggish streams of the South. Its maximum weight is
authentically stated to be from 20 to 25 pounds, though in most lo-
calities it does not exceed a weight of 6 pounds, and the average is
probably less than 3 pounds.

Because of their size and cannibalistic tendencies the two species
of black bass should be selected only for ponds not less than 2 acres
in area. The largemouth species is equally well adapted to cultiva-
tion in northern or southern climates, but its cultivation in the former
should be restricted to waters attaining maximum temperatures.
Crappie, sunfish, and warmouth bass are suitable species to introduce
in waters with the largemouth bass.

The two black basses are frequently confounded, but they have con-
trasting marks of distinction, which vary somewhat with their en-
vironment. They may be reliably classified by the number of rows of
scales on the check, the largemouth possessing 10 and the small-
mouth 17 rows. The mouth of the former species extends back of the
eye, and that of the smallmouth even with the anterior margin of
the eye.

Crarrre (Pomowis annularis).—Commonly called bachelor, camp-
bellite, new light, sac-a-lait, tinmouth, crapet, and chinquapin. Its
range is from New York and Vermont westward through the Great
Lakes region and the Mississippi Valley to the Dakotas, and south
to Texas. It inhabits sluggish muddy water and reaches a length of
1 foot in its most southerly range. The crappie is an excellent pan
fish and should be generally cultivated where conditions are favor-
able. It is an extremely delicate fish to handle, its protruding eyes
being easily injured and frequently blinded when constantly exposed
to direct sunlight in clear water. In ponds devoted primarily to the
propagation of crappie many fish-culturists introduce carp, suckers,
or other bottom feeders, as the resulting turbid water seems to be a
favorable condition for them. The natural habitat of the crappie
suggests its suitability for ponds containing largemouth black bass
or catfish, where the water supply is drawn from turbid streams or
furnished by surface drainage.

Catico Bass (Pomowxis sparoides).—Al|so known as strawberry bass,
grass bass, and barfish. Is abundant in the Great Lakes region and

FISH PONDS ON FARMS. Fk

the upper Mississippi Valley, with extreme range east to New Jersey
and south to Texas. It very much resembles the crappie, but is
hardier in every respect and better adapted to pond culture. It may
be distinguished from the crappie by the presence of 7 or 8 spines in
the dorsal fin, where the crappie has but 5 or 6. It will thrive in com-
pany with any of the pond species that are suited to relatively high
temperatures.

Rock Bass (Ambloplites rupestris).—Colloquially termed red-eye
and goggle-eye. This species is found in lakes and streams from
New England to Manitoba and south to Louisiana and Texas, being
particularly abundant in the cooler lakes and streams of the upper
Mississippi Valley. It inhabits by choice only clear, cool waters, and
is therefore less thrifty in its southern range. The rock bass has
been known to attain a weight of 14 pounds and a length of 12 inches,
but the average specimen probably does not exceed a weight of one-
half pound or a length of 7 inches. Fish of this species are well
suited for introduction into spring-fed ponds with the smallmouth
black bass.

Warmovutu sass (Chenobryttus gulosus).—Is often confused with
the rock bass. It has very much the same range and similar general
characteristics, but is better adapted to waters of a high temperature,
and is therefore most abundant in the South. The two species may
be distinguished by the three oblique dark stripes radiating backward
from the eye in the warmouth bass and by the rather indistinct ver-
tical stripes on the body of the rock bass. The warmouth bass may
be propagated in conjunction with the largemouth black bass or in
small ponds with the crappie and sunfish.

Sunriso (Lepomis incisor).—Locally termed bluegill, blue sun-
fish, copper-nosed bream, dollardee, and blue bream. Of the many
species of sunfishes distributed throughout the United States east of
the Rocky Mountains, this is the only one that can be recommended
by the Bureau of Fisheries as worthy of artificial propagation, and
it is believed to be the finest pond fish available for private culture.
It is adapted to practically all conditions, is prolific, and of unsur-
passed table qualitizs. The largest specimens will measure from 12
to 14 inches in length and attain a weight of nearly a pound. The
bluegill may be propagated in connection with any of the other
species listed above.

CatrisH (Ameiurus nebulosus).—Locally known as _ bullhead,
horned pout, Schuylkill cat, small yellow cat, and the sub-
species Ameturus nebulosus marmoratus, known in the South
as marble cat. This is the only member of the catfish family
that has so far been propagated in ponds. It is distinct from
the genus Jctalurus, which embraces the larger catfishes—blue cat,
channel cat, forked-tail cat, and spotted cat. Many attempts have

ws

22 FISH PONDS ON FARMS,

been made to propagate these latter species, but without success.
They seem to require some element not found in still waters. The
bullhead is abundant in all ponds, lakes, and sluggish streams of the
eastern United States and the Mississippi Valley region. It adapts
itself to widely varying conditions and demands less expensive prep-
aration for its cultivation than any of the other fishes considered.
The bullhead is the most easily domesticated: of any of the pond
fishes. Its appearance is formidable and repugnant to some, but
when propagated in comparatively pure water it is very palatable.
Tt may be cultivated in connection with any of the warm-water spe-
cies referred to, and is particularly suited to the changing conditions
of drainage-fed ponds.

NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FISH FOODS.

As with all forms of live stock, it is essential that brood fish be
kept in a thrifty condition. Good food, proper shelter, ventilation,
and exercise—familiar requirements to the farmer—have their equiv-
alents in the food, physical characteristics of the pond, composition
and aeration of the water, and the amount of space allotted to a
given number of fish. Common sense, based upon observation of
natural laws, will carry the fish-culturist a long way toward success.

All the fishes recommended for pond culture are naturally car-
nivorous, choosing live food through preference. ‘Their predatory
instinct in this respect can not be catered to exclusively where
their culture is undertaken on an extensive scale, but the closer
it is adhered to the better will be the results. It would be detri-
mental to the ultimate object in view to feed them live predaceous
species of minnows, for those that were not devoured would prey
upon the young of the species being propagated, and eventually, the
minnow offspring would monopolize the vital resources of the water.
The smaller minnows, with sucker-like mouths, may be advan-
tageously liberated in the pond as food; fcr this purpose many fish-
culturists utilize goldfish, which are herbivorous feeders and scaven-
gers, and which, in limited numbers, do not materially lessen the
supply of natural food available for the game fishes. Large num-
bers of goldfish would work injury through the destruction of
aquatic plants, but if held in subjection the young goldfish con-
stitute a superior food, and any that escape this destiny have a com-
mercial value in their ornamental colorings.

Frogs, worms, and flying insects all contribute to the food supply
of the brood fish, likewise the larger aquatic insects inhabiting the
water. If not overstocked, therefore, the average pond may be
managed so that it will furnish all the live food necessary for the
adult fish. Where this is insufficient to properly maintain the stock,

FISH PONDS ON FARMS, ao

however, it may be supplemented by meat or, preferably, coarse
fish, which should be cut in pieces small enough to be readily swal-
lowed. Wild stock will refuse to accept this food until near the
starvation point. Some will never do it, but the majority show such
greediness for the substitute food, after having once tasted it, that
they will follow the attendant about the pond whenever he appears.

Fresh livers and hearts are the materials most commonly used
where a meat diet is employed, being the cheapest good materials
obtainable; fresh fish is a more natural food, however. If the
farmer is located within a reasonable distance of a fish market, ar-
rangements can usually be made for regular deliveries of species
having little or no commercial value, such as are incidentally taken
by the fishermen in seining. If the magnitude of the operations will
warrant, it is advisable to devote one pond to the propagation of carp
for the sole purpose of producing food for the game fishes. Carp
feed on vegetation and large numbers of them may be reared on a
farm at little expense.

The amount of food required must be governed by the appetite
_ of the fish. They should be given all they show eagerness for once
a day. During the nesting season and the cold months practically
no food is required, but especial care should be taken to feed them
well both before and after the spawning period.

Crappie can rarely be taught to take artificial food, but fortu-
nately it is seldom necessary to feed them or the breeders of other
small species adapted to pond culture—the sunfishes and the rock
bass. Catfish quickly learn the lesson and will consume with avidity
raw or cooked meats, vegetables, and even hard grains.

DISEASES.

There are no diseases of pond fishes that can be successfully com-
bated by artificial means. A well-fed fish is usually a healthy fish,
whereas thin specimens are wanting in resistance to their habitual
parasites and can not readily recover from external injuries. If they
are fed well on as nearly appropriate foods as can be secured and
are carried in ponds of natural characteristics, sickness will be of
rare occurrence.

STOCKING PONDS WITH BROOD FISH.

The most successful and the speediest results in pond culture are
attainable by the use of adult fish for the original brood stock. These
can in most cases be secured from the public waters of the immediate
locality during the open season prescribed by the State laws.

Tt is such a common failing to want something new and strange
that many prospective fish-culturists endeavor to procure some species

24 FISH PONDS ON FARMS,

of fish that is foreign to their community with which to begin their
operations. To illustrate some of the impractical ideas entertained,
the Bureau of Fisheries is often asked to furnish the species of trout
indigenous to the Great Lakes for stocking southern waters, or the
flounder (a salt-water fish) for introduction into the ponds in the
interior.

In general it may be assumed that the species which is the most
prolific in the public waters of the region in question will be the
likeliest to produce material results, and by procuring adult fish
for breeders the pond in which they are placed should become
stocked to its maximum capacity within a year. On the other hand,
if State or Federal aid is relied upon only a limited number of
fingerling or, at best, yearling fish will be available for beginning
operations, and it will require from two to three years for them to
mature and stock the ponds through natural reproduction.

The wisest course, then, will be to choose some native species and
to make a persistent effort to secure adult specimens. This can best
be done in the fall months, when the fish will more quickly recover
from slight injuries which, during a period of high temperature,
might develop into ugly sores and possibly kill them.

Fish hooked only in the mouth are in no way harmed for breeders,
but the greatest precaution must be taken in holding them and in
transporting them to the pond. Loosening or rubbing off of scales
induces a fungus growth which will eventually spread over the body
and result fatally. As the fish are captured they may be placed in
buckets or tubs, which may be darkened by throwing an old blanket or
carpet over the top. In changing the water, which should be done as
often as the fish seem to require it, care should be taken not to excite
them. When the fish are to be held for several days before they can
be transferred to the pond, it is advisable to excavate a shallow
basin at the margin of the lake or river where the collection is
being made and arrange for a moderate flow of water from the main
body through its entire length. A pool of running water 6 feet
long, 8 feet wide, and from 12 to 18 inches deep will hold two or
three dozen large fish with safety. Live boxes should not be used,
as fish held in them will bruise themselves beyond recovery.

In conveying fish a considerable distance by rail or wagon, recep-
tacles of such diameter that each specimen may lie at full length on
the bottom should be provided. The depth of the water is a matter
of less importance, but it should be kept at the proper temperature
and well aerated. If necessary, ice may be used to maintain an even
temperature corresponding to that from which the fish were taken;
but if that be high and the distance to the pond great, it will be
found easier to reduce the temperature to 65°, and gradually raise it

FISH PONDS ON FARMS. 25

when nearing the destination to conform to that of the water in
which the fish are to be liberated. During conveyance the water in
the receptacles will be kept in motion and adequately aerated; but
when standing still it must be artificially aerated by dipping out
some water and pouring it back into the receptacle from a height.

The ordinary 10-gallon can is employed by the Bureau of Fisheries
for the transportation of small fish, but if the fish are too long for its
diameter nothing is better than wash boilers. Any clean receptacle
may be used, but those mentioned are the most convenient to handle.

If the use of artificial food is not contemplated, the number of
brood fish allotted to a pond must be apportioned to the natural food
available for both the adults and the expected fry and fingerlings.
Fifty of either species of black bass or 100 specimens of any of the
smaller species are maximum numbers for an acre of water, where the
offspring is to remain in the brood pond. These numbers should
produce a much larger number of fry than the waters can sustain
until mature, but allowance will have to be made for losses through
cannibalism and the ordinary vicissitudes of their environment.
Promiscuous colleetions of fish will invariably run about equally as
to sex, and the numbers recommended will therefore give 25 and 50
pairs, respectively.

There are no external markings by which the sex of pond fishes
can be positively determined, but the female black bass usually pre-
sents a more mottled appearance than the male and her colors are
brighter.

SPAWNING SEASON.

Black bass will nest in the spring when the water temperature
rises above 60° F. Ordinarily 63° F. will bring about deposits of
eggs, but if the season is a backward one, the fish may spawn at 58°
F. On the other hand, an unusually advanced season may not bring
results until the temperature exceeds 65° or 68° F.

Suitable temperatures for spawning prevail in the more southerly
States as early as February; in the latitude of Tennessee, in March;
in southern Illinois, during April; in Iowa, during May; and in
northern Minnesota, in June. The spawning season extends over
two or more weeks, and is usually marked by two periods of intense
activity, following a rise in temperature after several days of ab-
normally cool weather. In the Southern States the nesting season
is not so sharply defined, owing to the almost continuously favorable
temperatures throughout the year, which cause rapid development
of the ova. At the Texas station of the Bureau of Fisheries there
regularly occurs a hatching period in February, one in A.pril, and
scattering hatches throughout the summer. ‘The crappies, sunfishes,
rock bass, and catfishes will spawn from one to two months later than

26 FISH PONDS ON FARMS.

the black bass in the same waters, and the sunfishes and rock bass will
continue nesting to some extent until the approach of cool weather
in the fall.

SPAWNING HABITS.

Ordinarily ponds will require no special preparation for the
spawning season. Some of the species choose the roots of water
plants on which to spawn, while others seek out gravel spots and
find them, however much they may be hidden by deposits of mud.
Catfish burrow into embankments and under rocks and logs, and it
is well to provide substitutes for such shelters where this species is
being propagated, for which purpose heavy planks weighted to the
bottom of the pond will be suitable and will offer the least impedi-
ment to seining operations later on.

With the right material at hand the male will prepare the nest to
his precise taste and after its completion will seek a partner. ‘There
are many ups and downs in the domestic life of fishes, especially in
the case of such pugnacious species as the black basses. The battles
of the males for favorite females are liable to cause injuries result-
ing in death; or after being won, a consort may prove not sufliciently
advanced in maturity, in which case the fish separate and the male
continues his search for a more congenial mate.

Actual spawning will extend over several hours, the eggs being
emitted and fertilized at varying intervals.

All the eggs carried by a female may not be ripe at one time, and
the male will repeatedly seek new mates until the nest has been
stocked to his satisfaction, driving each companion away when she
ceases to perform the function for which she was obtained. The eggs
are adhesive, and attach themselves to gravel, roots, or other material
on the beds. The male remains on the nest during the entire period
of incubation, fanning the eggs clean of sediment with a gentle
motion of his fins and watchfully guarding against the encroach-
ment of other fishes on his domain. He is the personification of
valor at this time, and all other creatures in the pond apparently
have the greatest respect for him. Nothing but the loss or death
of the eggs from low temperatures, heavy deposits of sediment, or
other adverse conditions will cause him to abandon his nest. Not-
withstanding their ferocity, black bass will nest in close proximity
to one another and attend to their respective parental duties in entire
amity, whereas the approach of a strange fish will be resented.

Sunfish are decidedly gregarious during the spawning season and
will locate their nests very closely together. With them all is har-
mony, the sole thought of each appearing to be centered upon his
own particular business,

/

br
(

FISH PONDS ON FARMS. ,

bo

The ecrappies spawn in comparatively deep water on isolated nests.
Owing to their color, the depth of the water, and its usual turbidity,
but few observations have been made of their peculiar character-
istics at this period.

Rock bass and warmouth bass deposit their eggs on gravel beds of
greatly varying diameters, and their spawning instincts are some-
what similar to those of the black bass, though in a less marked
degree.

By reason of their intrepidity at the time, all of the species referred
to appear to be very tame while guarding their nests, but this instinct
should not be presumed upon by permitting unnecessary disturb-
ances about the beds.

The incubation period of eggs of the various pond fishes ranges
from a few days to two weeks or more, depending upon the mean
water temperature. A drop below 55° F. is invariably fatal, while
the percentage of hatch below 58° F. is greatly reduced.

Under uniformly favorable conditions healthy eggs will hatch
without any loss to speak of, but the average hatch of domesticated
stock is not over 50 per cent. This, however, is a sufficiently large
percentage to make pond-fish culture profitable.

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE YOUNG FISH—THEIR FOOD AND
GROWTH.

When first hatched the fry of most of these species are colorless,
and because of their tendency to collect among the roots and in the
crevices of the spawning beds are difficult to find. They become
darker in a few days, however, and are easily distinguished.* In a
short time they rise a few inches off the bed during the day and re-
turn to the bottom at night, increasing the distance each day until
they eventually reach the surface. During all this time the parent
fish has given them the same sedulous attention as when they were
in the egg stage. Gradually the school enlarges in circumference to
such an extent that he has difficulty in keeping his brood together.
He crowds them into shoal water—their natural feeding ground—and
patrols the shore in an effort to ward off enemies, but they finally
separate into small bands, escape the vigilance of their guardian, and
become free lances in the strife for survival.

The largemouth black bass and catfish fry school much longer
than the other species mentioned; in fact, catfish fry retain this
gregarious tendency throughout the first year, while young black
bass remain together until 2 inches or more in length.

Young sunfish and catfish are easily taught to take artificial food,
when the natural food of the pond is insufficient for their nourish-
ment. As with the adult fish, animal tissue is the most readily ac-

28 FISH PONDS ON FARMS,

cepted, and will produce the strongest growth, though cooked cereals
or vegetables will answer, and are even relished by young catfish
when given in the raw state.

The food should be scattered along the natural feeding grounds,
starting with a small amount and increasing the quantity to what the
fish will daily consume. Care should be taken to prevent the pollu-
tion of the pond through the decomposition of excess food.

The young basses and crappies can not be successfully fed, and
must depend entirely upon the insect life in the pond for their
sustenance. For this reason no more young fish of these species
should be carried in a pond than the natural food supply contained
therein will support. .

When such food is inadequate for the number of fish in a pond the
only alternative will be the provision of additional ponds, to which
a portion of the fry may be transferred for rearing. A public-
spirited course would be to plant the surplus stock in neighboring
public waters, taking care not to introduce them into streams and
lakes which should be reserved to trout or salmon, as their presence
would be detrimental to the latter species. Such a policy pursued
by several fish-culturists in a given vicinity would maintain good
public fishing, without diminishing to any appreciable extent the
quantity of edible fish in the waters under private control. Ordi-
narily well-constructed ponds are capable of producing from two to
ten times the number of fry that can be reared therein. The surplus
is of some value as food for the stronger specimens, but would be of
much greater value if liberated in adjacent lakes or streams.

’ CAPACITY OF A POND FOR THE PRODUCTION OF FISH.

It is difficult to estimate the capacity of ponds for the various
stages in the growth of fish. It depends for the most part upon the
amount of appropriate food available. A 2-acre pond producing
10,000 one-year-old black bass from 4 to 6 inches long would be a
remarkably successful enterprise, and 20,000 one and one-half to two
inch yearling crappie or sunfish to an acre of water would be like-
wise notable. These numbers have been realized and in some in-
stances exceeded, but the average results are doubtless much smaller.

The stock will be decreased through cannibalism at least 50 per
cent by the end of the second year, and the yearlings held over will
consume a large percentage of the fry hatched during the second
and succeeding years of operations. Enough should survive, how-
ever, to maintain the adult stock at the maximum number that the
pond will support.

In waters of high temperature those species adapted to culture in
ponds will attain maturity and reproduce at the age of 2 years. In

FISH PONDS ON FARMS. 29

cool waters reproduction may be delayed until the fourth year, or
in case the species is very poorly adapted to the temperature condi-
tions the fish may remain small, stunted specimens throughout life
and never reproduce.

ENEMIES.

There are many enemies of fish, especially of fry and fingerlings,
against which the fish culturist must wage continual warfare. The
heaviest losses will be from cannibalism, and these will be gauged
by the balance of the food and fish in the pond. Some species are
more predaceous than others. For this reason black basses, the scourge
of restricted waters, are recommended only for large areas of the
highest fertility. Such species as pike and pickerel should never be
selected for culture in ponds, as they are the most piratical and
devastating fishes inhabiting fresh waters.

It is necessary to guard closely against the inadvertent establish-
ment in a pond of any undesirable species of fish or animal. Turtles
and snakes will consume large numbers of fry and fingerlings in the
course of a season and should be barred from the waters as strictly
as possible. Kingfishers, herons, ducks, mudhens, fish hawks, etc.,
s0on locate a pond and prove most persistent poachers. Powder and
shot is their most effective deterrent. If inroads on the stock are
made by mink, they should be trapped in season—at a time when they
will, at least in part, make reimbursement for their board. Musk-
rats, while not fish destroyers, work havoc with pond embankments
and should be exterminated.

METHODS EMPLOYED BY THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES IN THE
DISTRIBUTION OF FISH.

The Bureau of Fisheries will undertake to furnish fish to indi-
viduals for stocking public and private waters. Blanks upon which
to submit formal application will be supplied on request. Assign-
ments of fish are made large enough to form the nucleus for a brood
stock for a given area of water, and are delivered at the applicant’s
railroad station free of charge. From the information given in these
applications the Bureau decides as to the suitability of the waters
for the fish asked for and reserves the right to substitute other species
if in its judgment the applicant’s selection is ill chosen or it is im-
possible, with its limited facilities, to supply the species specified
within a reasonable length of time.

None of the pond fishes recommended in the foregoing pages will
be furnished by the Bureau for stocking lakes or streams in Washing-
ton, Oregon, California, Idaho, Nevada, or the western portions of
Wyoming or Montana, as it is believed their introduction into such

30 FISH PONDS ON FARMS.

waters might prove detrimental to the important salmon and trout
fisheries of the Pacific coast.

Basses, crappie, and sunfishes are propagated at 13 of the Bureau’s
stations, ranging in location from Vermont to South Carolina and
from Texas to Iowa. However, the facilities at these stations are
entirely inadequate to fill the rapidly growing demands, and the
Bureau has for some years supplemented its supplies by collecting
young fish of the species named from the overflow waters of certain
rivers in the Mississippi Valley, where they are indigenous.

No source of supply can be relied upon. A sudden change in tem-
perature during the spawning season may cause a year’s failure at an
important pond-culture station, and, unfortunately, this critical
period occurs at a time when sudden climatic changes are natural.
The success attained in collecting young fish from overflow waters
depends upon favorable water stages, not only at spawning time but
throughout the collecting season; as widely varying water stages are
encountered from week to week and from year to year, the results
of a season’s work can not be foretold with any degree of certainty.

It is the policy of the Bureau to fill applications, so far as practi-
cable, in the order of their receipt, and the allotments are as liberal
as circumstances will permit. Aside from the uncertainty as to the
stock of fish available for distribution, there are other factors govern-
ing the size of allotments and the time of delivery that are not gen-
erally understood.

On account of the greater value of fingerlings than fry for stock-
ing purposes and the proportionate difficulty and expense of produc-
ing the larger fish, it is of course impossible to supply them except in
comparatively limited numbers. It has been estimated that 350 fish
1 inch long are of more value than 1,000 fry, and that 25 fish 6 inches
long are the equivalent of 100 only half as long. This is approxi-
mately the ratio of decrease experienced in rearing fingerling fish at
the Bureau’s stations, and allotments to applicants are governed
accordingly.

The distribution operations of the Bureau of Fisheries close with
the fiscal year ending June 30. At the opening of the new fiscal year
all applications on hand are listed and arrangements are made to
supply the fish assigned thereon before the following winter so far as
the stock available will permit. Applications received after the
opening of the fiscal year can not be filled in the same calendar year,
unless there happens to be a surplus stock after deliveries have been
made on all listed applications.

There are two distinct periods of distribution—one of fry in
the late spring months, the shipments being forwarded in charge of
messengers direct from the stations where the fish are propagated,
and the other by the Bureau’s cars, which extends from early in July

FISH PONDS ON FARMS. dl

until late in the fall. The later distribution is of fingerling fish,
their size increasing as the work progresses.

The distributions are arranged to cover the country by States or
croups of States, and individual trips are routed in such a way as to
most effectively and economically supply all applicants of a particu-
lar section of a State. The Bureau does not carry at all times a
supply of fish that can be delivered on demand. Fish reproduce
only once a year, and when the supply for any one year is exhausted
it is necessary to wait another year, or until the next breeding season,
before another supply can be obtained. Rarely is a second trip made
over a route in the course of a year, and if for any reason an appli-
cant fails to meet the Bureau’s messenger and receive his consign-
ment, the application is held for another attempt the following year.
Only in extraordinarily good seasons can the entire area of the
United States be covered. Lach section is supplied in turn, so far
as practicable, priority being given to the older applications on file.

Applicants are notified from 30 to 60 days in advance of the con-
templated shipments of their fish, and a second notice, specifying the
exact time of arrival, is sent by the messenger while en route. Every
precaution is taken by the Bureau to avoid misunderstandings, and
it is essential that applicants follow all the instructions they may
receive.

REMOVING FISH FROM PONDS.

In removing fish from a pond at any time the same care should be
exercised as in handling stock, due precaution being taken to reserve
the best specimens for breeders, and to retain a sufficient number for
future reproduction. Their number and size must be left to the
judgment of the proprietor of the pond, as it will vary greatly with
the character of the water, size of the pond, climatic conditions, and
geographical location.

In southern latitudes pond fishes commence nest building in March,
while farther north, in Iowa and Illinois, reproduction does not occur
until May or June. Young fish recently hatched are very tender and
should not be molested for at least 30 days.

Care should be taken in removing adult fish from a pond, espe-
cially during the spring and summer months. In making the selec-
tion the larger fish should be preferred to the medium-sized ones, as
the larger specimens are very destructive to the smaller fish. They
are not as prolific as those of average weight, and have usually at-
tained their size through cannibalism.

If a few fish for table use are desired, and one has the time, they
can probably best be taken with hook and line. A fyke net might
be used under certain conditions, or a few may be taken in a trap
constructed of light wooden framing, covered with netting or galvan-
ized wire cloth of about. 1-inch-square mesh. The trap should have
a cone-shaped entrance for the fish, and the interior should contain a
few minnows in a wire cage which are used as bait.

oD FISH PONDS ON FARMS.

Where many fish are to be removed from a pond a seine should be
employed. To use it to the greatest advantage about one-third of
the water should be drawn off; this will cause the adult fish to

congregate in the deeper waters, where they may be more readily [i

secured. The water should be drawn off slowly in order to give the
small fish a chance to follow it down.

Before drawing the pond the vegetation should be removed from i a
the lower portion of the pond where the seine is to be hauled. It #%

may either be cut or raked out with a long-handled garden rake from |

the bank. Wading in the pond is to be avoided, as it makes the i He |
water roily and leaves deep holes in the bottom, in which the young jiaagiii

fish are apt to be caught.

In lowering the water, vegetation of a rank and dense growth is q i a
very apt to settle down and smother the young fish. It should be jis

moved as soon as observed, but cat’s-tail and other plants having |

stems of sufficient strength to support them in an upright position j Hi
need not be removed, unless this is necessary in order to haul the jij

seine.
In many instances it might not be necessary to draw off the water |
if the vegetation were removed from a portion of the pond and the §

fish fed regularly in the cleared space, for, with care, a seine could jae

be passed around them and a large number secured.

Tt is inadvisable to draw a pond during the warm summer months
unless one has the supply of water available to refill it at once.
Better results are attained by drawing off the water in the cool fall
months, but even then one should be sure of being able to refill the j
pond before freezing weather. For this reason it is believed that }
seining with a large net in the clearing where the fish have been }
accustomed to feed would give the best results.

When the proper amount of water has been drawn off the seine jj
should be laid out from a boat and hauled toward the bank at the }
deeper end of the pond. In case the deepest place is near the middle |
of the pond, it will be necessary to work the seine around the fish |
and haul it toward the nearest bank.

Should more fish be removed from the pond than are desired for
immediate use, the surplus can be placed in a floating live box
anchored near the outlet or where the water is deep. This box may}
be made of wooden slats placed far enough apart to permit a free
circulation of water and yet retain the fish. The slats should be
nailed to a small frame of 2 by 2 inch material, forming a box 16
feet long, 4 feet wide, and 3 feet deep, and provided with a hinged
cover. |
If preferred, a small inclosure in the pond fenced with galvanized |
wire might be provided for holding surplus fish, removing them when
required with a large hand dip net or a small seine. The advantage
of the inclosure over the live box is that it will not crowd the fish,}
and they are thus held under more natural conditions.

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