FipM Meetings. 153 



Saturday, 5th of August. 



SoLWAY Fishery and Newabbey. 



The party drove by way of Kirkconnell and along the Kinharvie 

 road to the now famous fish hatchery belonging to Mr J. J. 

 Armistead. The hatchery is situated in a picturesque and 

 sheltered spot on the Kinharvie estate surrounded on all sides by 

 pine trees, and with a north-easterly aspect on to a stretch of 

 undulating moorland. On arriving at the hatcheries, whither 

 they had been kindly invited, they were met by Mr Armistead, 

 whose warm-heai'ted genial manner at once produced a feeling of 

 confidence among the party that their visit was acceptable. Mr 

 Armistead took them to the hatching shed, where the rows of 

 tanks in which the ova will be planted on glass grills in October 

 and the ensuing months wei'e in course of being overhauled prior 

 to the busy season which then begins. The tanks were being re- 

 varnished with paraffin varnish, which is a much better 

 preservative than ordinary paint, and the water is allowed to 

 run through the tanks for at least a month before the spawn 

 is placed in the boxes. Mr Armistead explained to the visitors 

 the process of fish hatching, and described the different kinds of 

 fish which he cultivates, including the diffei'ent varieties of trout^ 

 char, grayling, salmon, and others. The enterprise is one that 

 necessitates for successful issues much delicate skill and scientific 

 knowledge. When fairly stocked he calculates he has accommoda- 

 tion with his present appliances and tanks for two million fish, 

 and it must be apparent even to the uninitiated that the feeding 

 and attention of such a large family requires a great expenditure 

 of time and trouble and expense. Even in what is termed the 

 slack season, whicli lasts till about October, six men are daily 

 engaged in carrying food and tending the fishes. At the 

 present time, when the uiarketable stock does not exceed fifty 

 thousand, about two hundredweight of prepared food is distributed 

 among the inhabitants of the tanks daily. The suialler fry are 

 fed four times daily, and the larger stock fish about twice. The 

 food consists of beef and mussels, and other shell fish and 

 crustaceans. One of the assistants showed the visitors the 

 interesting sight of the trout feeding. So soon as a handful of 

 the food was thrown on to the surface of what was a moment 

 before a placid, sluggish looking moss hole, it instantly became a 



20 



