18 



stock a stream; wlien we meet to consider applications we 

 give that man Avhat we think is snfRcient to stock his 

 stream. If it were Ivnown that we were goino- to distribute 

 yearlino's the Commission would be overwhelmed with ap- 

 plications, and all sorts of influence would be brought to 

 bear upon us for an allotment of yearling tish, for appli- 

 cants in two years could reap the results of such planting." 



Mr. Seal said: "I believe it is possible to rear trout 

 wholly on natural food, but to produce the tish in enormous 

 numbers immense quantities of the food would be neces- 

 sary. This is the piinciple that has been adopted in cer- 

 tain parts of Europe, in France and Spain, where they enter 

 largely into the production of fresh-water shrimp and other 

 crustaceans for that purpose. I believe that the time will 

 come when the area used in producing the food will be 

 much greater than that in which the trout are raised. I 

 know that the crustaceans can be raised in enormous num- 

 bers." 



The Chair said: " The question of tish food brings up a 

 matter that many of you, doubtless, have noticed in the 

 newspapers. It was from a report by one of our consuls 

 in France or Spain, communicating to the Government 

 here the results of his visit to a trout-breeding establish- 

 lishment, which had a method of producing lisli food in a 

 small box, at a slight outlay ; the amount of food pro- 

 duced, and the cost, as shown in the report, was simply 

 wonderful. It was as though the man had solved the 

 question of perpetual motion. I bring this to your notice 

 for the purpose of ascertaining whether any of the gentle- 

 men connected with the United States Fish Commission 

 have any knowledge as to the subject." 



Mr. Seal said: "You will find that paper in the Fish 

 Commission I^>ulletin for 1887. From my experience, I 

 have not the slightest doubt that those crustaceans can be 

 produced in prodigious numbers ; I have never had any 

 difficulty in p>ropagating gold-hsh and rearing thecrusta- 



