The Newtown bee., 1904-08-12

probably ranks among the half dozen authorities of the world on the sub ject.
 Through the enthusiasm and gener- Ority of an accomplished angler from New York, who visited New Preston several years ago in search of pleasant summer headquarters, MT Beeman was influenced to take up the matter of establishing hatchery for small proving the fishing in nearby waters. Although entirely unfamiliar with the work, he set himself to the task of studying local conditions. Though the black bass had been gradually dy- ing out of the ponds and lakes in the vicinity, these conditions seemed to be entirely favorable, so that MT Bee man by no means abandoned hope. Seymour Bower, of Michigan Fish Com mission, furnished much valuable in- formation in regard to the construc- tion of hatchertes, but he seemed to know little concerning the actually successful matching of black bass. AL most nothing could be found in print. MT Beeman could not spare time at the right season to visit the Michigan full black bass propagation was con- ducted.
 The Superintendent of the Mlchi- gan Black Bass Hatchery suggested the use of Spawning-bOxeS enclosed on three sides and fitted with a movable screen in the front. These MT Bee man made for his hatchery, and so constructed them that when placed in two feet of water the boxes would pro- ject a few inches above the surface. Screens six inches wide were provided near the surface, on the three enclosed sides, to secure good circulation. About six inches of clean gravel, rang. Ing in size from a pea to an egg, was | which were placed at intervals around the pond in water of depth of two feet. All work about the pond wal finished on May g. The day following the first pair of bass had taken one O the boxes and spawning had com menced.
 The temperature of the ponds a this time was GA deg. Fahr. DurinI the next three days eight boxes wer' spawned in. There nav began tn gathering of much interesting dat; concerning the spawning habits O black bass.
 As pr Henshall and others hay pointed out, the male bass alone select | duu QIOpdIc0 UIlC uCoU. LII VII state, gravel bottom is selected, i water of depth of eighteen inches t three feet. Sand and sediment , cleaned away over space about thre feet in extent, usually circular in form The nest is made cOncave, the ifs sweeping with it's tail all sand an |. small pieces of gravel to the oute
 edge, leaving the larger pieces in th
 center. The gravel is made clean an
 bright, and is then ready for the r . ception of the female, which has take
 no part in the neSt-buildfng. TT
 spawning-boxes above described al , designed to form acceptable nests f,
 the fish, and also to afford control {
 the fry when they are ready to rise.
 The boxes proved attractive fro
 the first, and at no time did the ba 's show any inclination to build nes = elsewhere, though good gravel botto
 existed in portions of the ponds. I'll
 general opinion among experts on u ! subject seems to be that, when u nest is completed, the male swims ( in search of a partner. MT Beeman } not at all sure that this opinion is cC
 rect. In several instances which
 observed, where the pair came | :. gether for the first time, the rever
 occurred.
 Soon after spawning the fema1
 leaves the nest, and takes no furth
 interest in it. In fact, if she does q