254 AGRICULTURAL REPORT. 



most profitable and least laborious part of the work, although requiring 

 the most skill, all new establishments strive to make it a specialty. 



There has been no diminution of the demand hitherto, and during the 

 last ten years every year but one has shown a marked increase in the 

 business. There are also good reasons why the business should continue 

 to increase. Densely-settled countries have a tendency to economize 

 food-production. When our country was sparsely settled, fish were in 

 such abundance that they had very little or no market value. As the 

 population increases, the supply of food, not increasing in the ratio of 

 the population, rises in value, and must do so as long as the population 

 increases. Our country has very many barren trout-streams which are 

 to be stocked ; and, to do this effectively, will require many more in the 

 business than those now engaged in it. Then, again, these streams must 

 not only be stocked, but must be kept stocked. If a large number are 

 taken out every year for market, their place must be supplied by young, 

 or the supply will inevitably fail. Of course, the extent of the business 

 in the future must be a matter of conjecture. But it seems now to be 

 established on as firm a basis and to have as good prospects of increas- 

 ing demand as any other. 



It is an encouraging fact that there is now a greater diffusion of trout- 

 knowledge among the community at large. Ten years ago people had 

 a mere general idea of how the thing was done, and the knowledge was 

 not easily to be obtained. Now, however, books giving all known de- 

 tails can be readily found. 



As we have very many inquiries as to books on the subject, it will be 

 of service to give the names of prominent works : Domesticated Trout, 

 by Livingston Stone, published by J. R. Osgood & Co., Boston, Massa- 

 chusetts; Practical Trout-Culture, by Dr. J. H. Slack, published by 

 Orange Judd & Co., New York ; American Fish-Culture, by Thaddeus 

 Norris, published by Porter &Coates, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Trout- 

 Culture, by Seth Green, published by Seth Green & A. S. Collins, Cale- 

 donia, New York. Most prominent pisciculturists keep these books for 

 sale. Valuable articles on fish-culture may also be found in the various 

 sporting-books of Hon. Robert B. Roosevelt, published by Harpers and 

 Carleton, of New York, and in the book on Fishing in American Waters, 

 by Genio C. Scott, also published by the Harpers. The works of Gar- 

 lick and Fry, although the oldest, and valuable as contributions to the 

 history of fish-cultiu-e, are not now of practical value. ^ 



Beside the issue of numerous works another help has been the eager- 

 ness with which newspapers have published articles relating to fish-cul- 

 ture. It is true that some very absurd statements have found place in 

 their columns, and that stories about . fish-ponds have not grown any 

 less by being repeated. But, on the whole, much valuable information 

 has been diffused, and public attention aroused and excited. Then, 

 too, people now engage in it who mean to make it a business. At first 

 those who raised fish did it from curiosity, or as a pastime, or for the 

 purpose of scientific investigation. But now they go into it to make 

 money, and doing this are willing to learn before commencing. The 

 conviction has gradually been forced upon all, that fish-culture required 

 at least as much knowledge and experience as farming or any of the 

 mechanic arts. A man's knowledge of fish-raising must be paid for in 

 some way. He must either get it from some competent person, and pay 

 him for imparting the knowledge, or he will jjay for it in the losses caused 

 by his inexperience. Even when all theoretical knowledge is obtained, 

 experience is still required to make things work easily ; and it is an 

 encouraging sign that people are ready to acknowledge this and willing 



