48 



NATURAL FOOD FOR TROUT FRY. 



BY FRED MATHER. 



Half a dozen years ago, more or less, a fish culturist 

 in Europe published an account of his experiments in 

 rearing trout fry on natural food, which he had learned 

 to produce in great quantities by a process which he 

 would not divulge. His system included a supply 

 pond, where the living food was bred, and a series of 

 small pools, which served as temporary pastures for the 

 fry until the food in one was exhausted, when they 

 were to be driven into another pond, as cattle are 

 changed from one pasture to another. This man's 

 article was translated into mau}^ languages and was 

 published either in the Annual Report of the U. S- 

 Fish Commission or in its Bulletin. At present, while 

 writing this article, my library is packed awa}^ and it 

 is not possible for me to quote the volume or to give 

 the name of the gentleman who originated the idea^ 

 but I have stated his main plan and remember that the 

 secret process of growing live food was offered for sale 

 to me, as no doubt it was to other fish culturists, but for 

 two reasons I paid no attention to the matter ; one was 

 that I never cared to buy any secret, and the other that 

 the plan seemed to be impracticable on any scale such as 

 we use in America. The plan of driving small trout 

 from a grassy or weedy pond condemned the whole 

 thing, because they do not drive well, and in such a 

 pond many woidd remain and keep down the expected 



