264 AGRICULTURAL REPORT. 



SO far as I cau see, reliable. The yoiiug fish, wheu ready to feed, ^Yere 

 tried upou various diet. Liver alouo was used, liver aud cream mixed 

 together, beef, beef-heart, curd, &c. Auy one of these was taken 

 voraciously. In fact, not the slightest trouble was exiierienced in get- 

 ting tbe fish to eat. The only trouble was to feed them enough. They 

 seem to grow while young faster than the salmon or brook trout, and 

 of course feed in proportion. It is known that adult fish, or those 

 nearly grown, may be kept for a long time at very nearly the same 

 weight by feeding them but little food. This is not the case with young 

 fish, as a certain rate of growth must be kept uj) or they will die. For 

 instance, if at any one time one pound of liver per day gives food 

 enough to a certain number of young salmon-trout, in two weeks' time, 

 if fed on the same weight of food, they would not continue of the same 

 size, but would nearly all die. The food must be continually increased 

 in quantity. -» 



The experiments were made in the press of other work, and therefore 

 were not perfect. But even with some inevitable neglect, at one year 

 of age the trout averaged six inches long, and if they had been fed as 

 much as possible would have been two or three inches longer. In two 

 years the fish had doubled in size, and were all handsome, bright, and 

 healthy fish. They are an easy fish to raise, and those who wish to go 

 into the business of raising brook-trout are recommended to commence 

 with the salmon-trout, as the methods of hatching and growing are 

 similar. A beginner will be far more likely to succeed with the salmon- 

 trout, aud thus gain the necessary experience for raising brook-trout. 



Only a small appropriation has been made yearly by New York State, 

 and it has been impossible to do much. Some of the larger inland 

 lakes have been partially stocked. 'No very great results can be ex- 

 pected from this small scale of operations. Still the experience and 

 training which it has afforded makes us ready to enter successfully into 

 larger labors. Besides this, public opinion has been educated and 

 directed until we believe that now but few voices would be lifted against 

 the attempt to thoroughly restock every lake in the State ; and without 

 the public sentiment in our favor we could do nothing. It has been 

 only three years since the first salmon-trout eggs were brought to the 

 New Yorlii State hatching-house ; about two years aud a half since the 

 first partial distribution of fish, and from many points where a few 

 thousand had been put into some lake, the report has come back that 

 young fish had been seen there in unusual quantities. This result is as 

 satisiactory as, under the circumstances, could be hoped for, and gives 

 the assurance that auy attempt, with full means at command, will be 

 surely successful. 



SHAD. 



As an edible fish the shad stands very high in the estimation of our 

 people. Much attention has been i^aid to it during the last four or five 

 years. In fact more general interest has been attached to the culture 

 of shad than to the culture of auy other fish, not even excepting 

 the salmon family. The causes of this interest are various. The 

 need of some method of hatching shad-eggs had long been felt 

 and very many experim.ents had been made with a view to its 

 discovery. The means of hatching the eggs of many other varie- 

 ties were known, and it seemed to be not a hard task to find a way to 

 hatch shad-eggs successfully. But notwithstanding the apparent ease 

 of the task, the way was not found for a long time. Public interest 



