678 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



economy with which Mr. Kuffer manages his establishment. Absolutely 

 nothing is lost. Dead fish and remains of fish which are refused by the 

 trout are given to the crawfish, which besides this receive a great deal 

 of vegetable food, especially corn soaked in water. 



Mr. Kuffer knows nearly every one of his fish, certainly all the larger 

 ones. Some especially large and beautiful specimens of Salmo hucho 

 and of trout have been in Mr. Kuffer's care for a number of years. Par- 

 ticular attention is of course paid to the female trout, the egg-producers, 

 as the sale of eggs in the various stages of development forms no in- 

 considerable source of income. It is interesting to see how carefully 

 Mr. Kuffer treats his fish. As soon as any one has the least sore place 

 or shows the slightest trace of byssus, as soon as a fish does not swim 

 about with its accustomed liveliness, it is taken out of the larger pond 

 or tank and placed in a special department. Here it is kept until it has 

 entirely recovered, or, as is mostly the case, it is as soon as possible util- 

 ized iu the most profitable manner. Epidemics which are so frequent 

 in other piscicultural establishments have never occurred in Mr. Kuf- 

 fer's establishment, probably because they are checked in the bud by 

 immediately removing diseased fish. 



The crawfish epidemic, which is constantly advancing further east, 

 has made some ravages in Mr. Kuffer's establishment. 



As regards the treatment of fully-matured trout, Mr. Kuffer stands 

 without a rival. 



Pisciculture proper,*, e., the raising of food-fish from impregnated eggs, 

 is not carried ou to any extent in Mr. Kuffer's establishment. There is 

 too little room and too little time for this. 



Regarding those establishments in which food-fish are raised from im- 

 pregnated eggs, I cannot report as favorably as on those establishments 

 where fish are merely fattened. 



The reasons why most of our piscicultural establishments proper do not 

 flourish are manifold. The chief cause, however, has been carelessness 

 in the selection of a location. And where the location and the condi- 

 tion of the water were favorable, it was often impossible to procure suit- 

 able food in sufficient quantities, at any rate at a reasonable price. 



A beginner in pisciculture is generally mistaken as regards the quan- 

 tity of food required, thinking that it is sufficient to let a proper quan- 

 tity of water flow through his ponds, but forgetting that fish live in 

 the water but not by the water. 



Principally owing to this question of feeding the fish, most attempts to 

 raise trout in small ponds have remained experiments. 



I also know establishments whose location enables them to procure at 

 all times a sufficient quantity of food, but whose supply of water is not 

 sufficient. 



The largest and most successful establishment for raising salmonoids 

 is undoubtedly the one belonging to the Klein Brothers, at Illbiiusern, 

 in Alsace. During a period of four years a quantity of trout had been 



