Salmon and Trout Breedinz 



75 



repeatedly the week we were there, and I did 

 not get a dozen altogether dead. We turned 

 a few thousand out into an artificial pond 

 we have made, and the remainder will be 

 moved this week. There were two boxes 

 without any gravel at all, nothing but the 

 plain wood; into these a quantity of ova 

 were placed, which it was thought was not 

 properly impregnated, but rather than throw 

 it away, it was put into these troughs, and, 

 singularly enough, it turned out better than 

 all the rest, more fish hatched out, and they 

 did better on the plain wood, or at least 

 quite as well as those on the gravel." I 

 have also received a letter from Lord Abin- 

 ger's keeper, in which he reports to his lord- 

 ship that the fish breed in slate troughs — not 

 out of doors — for the Spean are doing very 

 well. Mr J. Napier reports advance in the 

 operations carried out by the Forth Fishery 



Board at Loch Vennacher, so that we have 

 now three places at least in Scotland where 

 salmon breeding is going on. I hope in 

 time that every district board will have its 

 breeding establishment in England, Wales, 

 and Scotland, for reall}'' the slate trough 

 system is so inexpensive, and so easily man- 

 aged, that I have great hopes to see its 

 adoption much more universal than it is at 

 present. As regards breeding trout which 

 do not go to the sea, there can be no doubt but 

 that many hitherto barren lakes, streams, 

 reservoirs, &c., can be readily stocked. I 

 can't bear to see water without fish in it; 

 besides which, live and healthy fish mean 

 pure water, and pure water means improved 

 public health. I hear that a Mr Smitli, of 

 Groby, near Leicester, has had great success 

 this year with the fish he has bred for the 

 Earl of Stamford and Warrington. 



