170 The Development of Modern Fish Culture. 



perch, and pike. The keeping of these fish was much less- 

 trouble than the maintenance of a stock of trout would have been, 

 because there was no need to have a supply of running water, and 

 besides their quality was not a matter of such vital importance as 

 in the case of trout. 



I examined a set of trout ponds which had been made by the 

 monks in a monastery in Herefordshire not long ago, and I was 

 struck by the resemblance to an up-to-date set of ponds at any 

 modern trout farm, and I could not help thinking as I examined 

 the remains of their work that they probably knew a great deal 

 more than we give them credit for. 



So far as I am aware, there are no records which tell of a 

 more complete knowledge than that required for the growing 

 and fattening of young trout procured from the streams, but in 

 the case of the ponds in Herefordshire there was enough evidence 

 to justify the belief that' they may have had a knowledge of 

 artificial propagation. Unfortunately, after the monasteries were 

 abandoned and the monks dispersed there was no one to take the 

 place of these managers of ecclesiastical trout farms, and so far 

 as we know, all attempts at fish culture in this country ceased, 

 with the exception of a few private fish stews belonging to manor 

 houses here and there. 



There was a long gap before the reintroduction of fish 

 culture took place in this country, but its development has been 

 steady, though the difficulties have been great, and to-day there 

 are thirty or more trout farms in this country all doing useful 

 work. There were several influences which led to the revival of 

 fish culture, but apart from the increasing value of trout as a food 

 the most inspiring fact undoubtedly was the prolific nature of Ine 

 fish and the enormous loss in the early stages of its development 

 which takes place in nature. A little investigation showed that 

 there were means of averting this loss and turning it to good 

 account, though I do not think the early investigators realised 

 what an enormous amount of difficulties would have to be over- 

 come before the work had attained the comparative perfection it 

 has to-day. 



The first step was the taking of eggs by hand and their 

 incubation under conditions which eliminated the disastrous 

 influences they had to contend with in a natural state. 



It was Frank Buckland who gave the impetus to fish culture 



