47 



became very light, and, save from carelessness, or rather 

 from oversight in placing our plant in proi)er position, 

 not to be affected by the draining of the large stone dam 

 below us, we suffered comparatively little loss. So at six 

 months old we found about 20,000 stock on hand measuring 

 4 to 5 inches; at eight months, 6 to 7; ten months, 8^ 

 to 10 inches ; twelve months, 10| to 12 ; fourteen months, 

 12i to 13^ inches. At twelve months we found them full 

 of spawn, and now at fourteen months they are very heavy 

 with spawn. We frequently iind from 1,000 to 15,000 eggs 

 in them, with strong indications of their depositing the 

 spawn during the next three months — a phenomenon we 

 would look upon probably unfortunate for us. As October 

 would be soon as we should feel perfectly safe in working 

 out their spawn ; yet it may bo that the first being accli- 

 mated, and our spring ranging even through the summer 

 at 60 to 70 degrees, and they being in all other respects 

 precocious and extremely far advanced and developed for 

 their age, will possibly be a success in early spawning. 

 The question will occur at once, How do you account for 

 this remarkable rapid development ? etc. Well, Mammoth 

 Spring is 70 feet deep, 190 feet in diameter, and discharges 

 a volume of water 60 to 62 degrees temperature, equal to a 

 capacity of 40,000 cubic feet per minute. Some 600 yards 

 below the spring is a masonry dam 14 feet high ; hence 

 the volume of water covers some 16 acres. This 16 acres 

 abounds in almost innumerable varieties of aquatic weeds 

 and mosses, and upon one of these plants there is bred 

 millions of periwinkles (snails) — an inexhaustible supjDly. 

 Now, these plants and their periwinkles afford the fish a 

 superabundance of animal life which, together with the 

 beef -liver we feed them, causes a marvellous growth, and a 

 healthy growth too. Again, there is a sufficient quantity of 

 iron in the water to ward off disease, and a scientist will at 

 once detect the presence of iron in the beautiful tinge the 



