20 FISH CULTURE. 



immense. An application has been made to the 

 Government, to prohibit this destructive and noxious 

 trade, by the Fisheries' Preservation Association, and 

 it is hoped that the Government will eventually do so. 

 When the kelt is in this state, it becomes necessary for 

 the fish to seek the salt water, partly to rid himself of 

 the parasites which are devouring him, and partly for 

 the plentiful food which he finds there. Accordingly 

 with the first fresh of water the kelt drops down from 

 pool to pool, until he reaches the sea. There, by 

 change of water and abundant food, he soon recovers 

 his strength ; and, in from three to four months' time, 

 he returns once more to the river, to procreate his 

 race, a splendid salmon, with flesh firm and red, and 

 increased in weight to an extent which bears no pro- 

 portion to the growth of anything else in nature. A 

 kelt which will go down to the sea weighing 41bs. 

 or 51bs., will come back to the river weighing from 

 lOlbs. to 161bs. — from 21bs. to 31bs. a month being 

 a common rate of increase. 



It has been asserted that the salmon can remain in 

 fresh water without ever going to the sea ; but I do 

 not know of a case where any material success has 

 satisfactorily attended on this theory. I believe 

 M. Coste, the great French pisciculturist, did try the 

 experiment, and that it proved a failure ; and I 



