1896.] on Fish Culture. 61 



The pond lias to bo cultivated. The water is cultivated not only 

 as regards the fish, but as regards the vegetation which is in it. A 

 large number of plants are introduced both into the pond itself, and 

 also into accessory ponds ; and this is one of the most important 

 branches, perhaps, of modern fish culture — the growing of the food 

 upon which the fish live. Into the accessory ponds we can introduce 

 creatures which multiply enormously under favourable circumstances ; 

 and we find that these creatures can be let off in large numbers by 

 simply drawing the sluices and allowing a quantity of water to pass 

 into the fish pond, and that the fish then take them. A sufficient 

 quantity are left behind to keep up the supply, and the pond is re- 

 filled with water ; and so, by having a few of these ponds constructed 

 we can keep up a very fair supply of food for the fish. Where fish 

 culture is carried on on a very extensive scale, it is necessary to 

 supplement this supply, and in some cases to supplement it largely, 

 by artificial food ; but, as applicable to our rivers, it would not be 

 necessary to do this ; and I believe that on any river if the matter 

 were taken up in earnest it would be possible to do it by impounding 

 water so as to counteract the effects of drought in the summer, 

 and also to partially counteract the effects of floods by impounding 

 the water instead of letting it come pell-mell down the stream. By 

 growing food to supply the fish, we can get a very much finer and 

 better race of fish than we can if the matter be left entirely to nature. 

 We find that there are certain streams which produce very much 

 better fish than others. In these streams the fish are fed upon certain 

 creatures, and by taking care of those creatures and multiplying 

 them, we can produce a large amount of valuable fish food — a thing 

 which was never thought of years ago, but which now is coming to 

 the front, and probably before long the plan will be largely adopted. 



This represents such an accessory pond as I have described. 

 You see a number of water plants growing in the water. Here are 

 the floating leaves in various directions, and there are others throwing 

 up their stems and leaves with a mass of vegetation all round. This 

 pond j)roduces an enormous quantity of Limnea peregra and other 

 creatures upon which the trout are fed. All these, it has been proved, 

 are easily applicable to trout and to trout waters. The plan is also 

 apj)licable on a very large scale to salmon rivers ; and how much 

 more important are salmon rivers than trout streams. How much 

 more important are the salmon as articles of food for human con- 

 sumption than the trout. And yet the salmon are being neglected, 

 and the trout are being cared for. We want, not exactly the reverse, 

 but we want to have the salmon cared for too ; and that is one of the 

 things that I have been trying to bring before the people of this 

 country for years, and I think that I may say that already my efforts 

 are being crowned with some kind of success. 



We find that the practice of hill draining on the rivers produces a 

 great effect ; and what has been partly, I think, overlooked — for I have 

 never heard it alluded to — is that the hill drainage, by lessening the 



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