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odical freshening of the water and the throwing into the 



• i • • 



pond of any live food caught in the sluice passage during 



this operation. The disadvantage of this system is that 

 control over the species admitted and reared is far from 

 complete. It is a matter of the greatest difficulty to 

 keep different species separate — indeed under Arcachon 

 and Comacchio methods all comers are welcome and all 

 are herded together indiscriminately. As a consequence 

 the hardy and voracious eel flourishes at the expense of 

 the other fish, the mullet coming next. Now in India 

 there is at present no demand for the eel. Except if 

 prepared for export this fish would not pay to be grown ; 

 indeed unless the fishes more valued locally can be 

 reared separately, the presence of large numbers of eels 

 in culture ponds would prove detrimental and might 

 easily prove fatal to the commercial success of the 

 operations. Intensive culture of fishes which command 

 a high price in local markets is more likely to pay better 

 than natural culture provided such fish can be put upon 

 the market in prime condition. If it be found possible 

 to rear pomfret and polynemids in ponds without exces- 

 sive trouble or expense, the esteem in which these fish 

 are universally held will determine these species as the 

 most profitable for intensive culture. Separate ponds 

 would probably be required for these two fishes, mullet 

 being added to the pomfret pond. But we must first 

 find whether the last named fish is susceptible of culture 

 in confined areas. In true intensive culture, arrange- 

 ments would be necessary to supplement the natural 

 food supply of the ponds by means of artificial food made 

 from slaughter-house refuse, fish waste and fish meal 

 obtained by grinding up excess catches of sardines and 

 catfish which otherwise would be utilised for no other 

 purpose except manure. To ascertain how far the 

 comparatively low rates obtainable for fish in this country 

 will permit of this phase of intensive culture is one of 

 the primary tasks to be undertaken in any practical 

 experiments in marine fish-farming. 



TUTICORIN, 



2jth November 1910. JAMES HORNELL. 



