Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1937-05-16


judgment that is exercised In stock
raising. the size Of fish may be con-
siderably increased and much better
results obtained" James points out.
"A given area of ground will furnish
forage for just so many cattle, and
when more are added it means less
food per capita. The same rule
applies to hsh. and no more should
be placed In body of water than the
natural food will maintain Young
bass. crappie and sunfish require
natural food, and it is for this reason
that any surplus fish should be re-
moved to other waters in which a
supply of suitable food Is available"
The Bureau of Fisheries receives
approximately $4,000 applications for
fish annually, about 10 per cent OF
which are for the so-called warm
water" species, such as bass, crappie
and bluegils. the remaining 80 per
cent being for various species Of trout.
There Is not much difficulty meeting
the requests for trout. James informs
us, for this species can be incubated
in troughs of running water and fed
on artificial food until large enough
to be distributed. But it is much
more difficult to AL the requests for
the large and small mouth bass. the
black bass, the crappie and the blue.
gill. as these fish are nest breeders
and must be raised under more or
less natural conditions.
Sudden changes in temperature
during the breeding season and other
factors that the hatchery cannot con-
troll make the output Of any station
uncertain. Also. the spiny-rayed
fishes. especially the BASES, are predA-
tory in their habits. When confined
in small water areas they will devour
their own young.
IN SPITE Of these handioaps, how.
ever, the bureau produces 100000
or more advanced fry, or 10000 three
and four inch lingering bass to the
acre Of water when proper facilities
are available. The total area the
bureau has available for breeding
purposes is 600 acres, and from the
output of this restricted area there
are hundreds of thousands OF acres to
be stocked annually, obviously an i'm.
possibility. Wherefore, the bureau Is
hopeful Of securing more breeding
acreage to supply the increasing de-
mand for this particular species Of
game fish.
The bureau distributes the fry In
four especially equipped railroad cars
from its hatcheries in various States
to the public waters OF virtually every
State in the Union. These cars travel
annually about $4,000 miles. They
ape equipped with both steam and
electric air compressors for forcing
air into the fish containers to renew
the oxygen supply. The fish are car
ried In insulated compartments and
each car is equipped to carry from
$50 to 325 regulation pals Of fish.
Most Of the bureaus hatcheries now
use automobile trucks to make de-
hveries Of fish, but while State de.
liveries can make use of trucks, most
Of the bureaus distribution schedules
call for such long hauls that trucks
would be impracticable.
In the applications filed with the
bureau, which contain formal re-
quests for fish for stocking purposes.
a complete description Of the waters
to be stocked is asked for and the
bureau specialists determine from
this suitable species and the num-
Der suitable to the area. Instructions
for caring for the young fish and for
planting them are sent with each
delivery.
While streams in this area are
stocked with trout in March, in the
Rocky Mountain regions trout are
distributed from May to October.
Black bass and other spiny fish are
distributed from May to November.
While the bureau hopes some day to
be able to distribute its game fish at
the legal catchable size, as Is done in
q number Of States, this objective has
not yet been realized, as 1t requires
from three to five pounds OF flsh food.
plus constant and assiduou care for
. year or more, to produce one pound
Of trout.
However, there are plenty Of the
right size waiting for you In streams
In and near Washington this season.
And, II you catch "the trout that got
away" in the Chesapeake last year.
somewhere down around Mount YER
non, you can blame it on the hoodl