﻿MANUAL 
  OF 
  FISH-CULTUEE. 
  75 
  

  

  a 
  poud 
  several 
  modifying 
  conditions 
  must 
  be 
  considered, 
  such 
  as 
  tlie 
  

   size 
  of 
  the 
  fish, 
  water 
  supply, 
  temperature, 
  and 
  shade. 
  In 
  stocking 
  the 
  

   spawning-pond 
  a 
  good 
  proportion 
  is 
  two 
  females 
  to 
  one 
  male. 
  The 
  

   breeding 
  stock 
  is 
  selected 
  carefully 
  every 
  year; 
  only 
  sound 
  and 
  perfect 
  

   fish 
  are 
  retained 
  for 
  the 
  next 
  season, 
  and 
  the 
  blind 
  and 
  emaciated 
  

   fish 
  of 
  both 
  sexes 
  are 
  destroyed. 
  

  

  TAKING 
  THE 
  SPAWN. 
  

  

  The 
  spawning 
  season 
  varies 
  with 
  the 
  locality 
  and 
  the 
  temperature 
  of 
  

   the 
  water. 
  It 
  is 
  usually 
  two 
  to 
  four 
  weeks 
  later 
  in 
  the 
  streams 
  than 
  

   where 
  the 
  fish 
  are 
  kept 
  confined 
  in 
  spring 
  water. 
  In 
  the 
  ponds 
  at 
  

   Wytheville 
  tlie 
  spawning 
  fish 
  may 
  be 
  found 
  any 
  time 
  after 
  the 
  1st 
  of 
  

   November; 
  the 
  season 
  is 
  well 
  started 
  by 
  ISTovember 
  15, 
  and 
  generally 
  

   closes 
  about 
  the 
  1st 
  of 
  March. 
  December 
  and 
  January 
  are 
  the 
  best 
  

   months. 
  In 
  California 
  the 
  season 
  extends 
  from 
  the 
  1st 
  of 
  February 
  to 
  

   May, 
  and 
  in 
  Colorado 
  begins 
  early 
  in 
  May 
  and 
  continues 
  until 
  July. 
  

  

  The 
  natural 
  nests 
  of 
  these 
  fish 
  are 
  made 
  on 
  gravelly 
  bottoms, 
  and 
  

   are 
  round 
  or 
  elongated 
  depressions 
  about 
  the 
  size 
  of 
  a 
  dinner 
  plate. 
  

   After 
  the 
  eggs 
  have 
  been 
  deposited 
  and 
  fertilized 
  they 
  drop 
  between 
  

   the 
  pebbles 
  of 
  the 
  nest, 
  where 
  they 
  lie 
  protected 
  until 
  hatched. 
  

  

  Where 
  spawning-ponds 
  are 
  provided 
  with 
  suitable 
  raceways 
  the 
  fish 
  

   will 
  ascend 
  from 
  the 
  ponds 
  into 
  them, 
  seeking 
  a 
  place 
  to 
  make 
  their 
  

   nests, 
  and 
  may 
  then 
  be 
  taken 
  out 
  and 
  stripped 
  of 
  their 
  spawn. 
  To 
  take 
  

   the 
  fish 
  from 
  the 
  raceway, 
  a 
  square 
  net 
  (I, 
  plate 
  22) 
  is 
  dropped 
  m 
  on 
  

   the 
  cleats 
  nailed 
  against 
  the 
  side 
  walls 
  in 
  the 
  approach, 
  shown 
  at 
  J, 
  the 
  

   dam 
  in 
  the 
  mouth 
  of 
  the 
  raceway 
  is 
  raised, 
  and 
  the 
  fish 
  driven 
  back 
  

   into 
  the 
  net. 
  The 
  net 
  is 
  then 
  lifted 
  out 
  of 
  the 
  water, 
  and 
  if 
  it 
  contains 
  

   too 
  many 
  fish 
  to 
  handle 
  conveniently 
  a 
  landing-net 
  is 
  used 
  to 
  take 
  out 
  

   part 
  of 
  them 
  before 
  the 
  square 
  net 
  is 
  moved. 
  The 
  ripe 
  fish 
  are 
  then 
  

   placed 
  in 
  tubs 
  or 
  other 
  vessels 
  provided 
  for 
  the 
  purpose. 
  If 
  too 
  many 
  

   fish 
  are 
  put 
  in 
  the 
  tub 
  at 
  one 
  time 
  they 
  become 
  restless 
  and 
  sick 
  before 
  

   they 
  can 
  be 
  stripped 
  of 
  their 
  spawn. 
  

  

  There 
  are 
  two 
  methods 
  of 
  taking 
  and 
  impregnating 
  the 
  spawn 
  of 
  

   fishes, 
  the 
  "wet" 
  and 
  the 
  "dry" 
  methods. 
  By 
  the 
  "wet" 
  method 
  the 
  

   eggs 
  are 
  taken 
  in 
  a 
  pan 
  containing 
  sufiQcient 
  water 
  to 
  cover 
  them 
  and 
  

   allow 
  them 
  to 
  mix 
  freely 
  with 
  the 
  milt, 
  which 
  is 
  immediately 
  added. 
  

   After 
  the 
  contents 
  of 
  the 
  pan 
  have 
  been 
  stirred 
  for 
  a 
  few 
  seconds 
  with 
  

   a 
  feather, 
  the 
  eggs 
  are 
  set 
  aside 
  and 
  left 
  undisturbed 
  during 
  fertiliza- 
  

   tion. 
  The 
  "dry" 
  or 
  "Russian" 
  method 
  is 
  now 
  in 
  general 
  use; 
  the 
  eggs 
  

   and 
  milt 
  are 
  taken 
  in 
  a 
  moist 
  pan 
  and 
  it 
  makes 
  little 
  difference 
  which 
  

   is 
  taken 
  first, 
  but 
  one 
  should 
  immediately 
  follow 
  the 
  other, 
  and 
  the 
  

   contents 
  of 
  the 
  j^an 
  be 
  thoroughly 
  mixed. 
  

  

  After 
  the 
  eggs 
  and 
  milt 
  have 
  had 
  time 
  for 
  contact, 
  and 
  before 
  the 
  

   eggs 
  begin 
  to 
  adhere 
  to 
  the 
  bottom 
  of 
  the 
  pan, 
  water 
  is 
  added 
  to 
  

   the 
  depth 
  of 
  about 
  an 
  inch, 
  the 
  eggs 
  being 
  kept 
  in 
  gentle 
  motion, 
  by 
  

   turning 
  the 
  pan, 
  to 
  prevent 
  adhesion. 
  After 
  2 
  or 
  3 
  minutes 
  the 
  milt 
  

  

  