﻿82 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  they 
  are 
  wild 
  and 
  run 
  away 
  from 
  the 
  food 
  given 
  them 
  ; 
  hence 
  the 
  neces- 
  

   sity 
  of 
  teaching 
  a 
  few 
  fish 
  to 
  eat 
  before 
  more 
  are 
  added. 
  The 
  number 
  

   of 
  fish 
  that 
  a 
  pond 
  of 
  a 
  given 
  size 
  can 
  support 
  depends 
  upon 
  the 
  amount 
  

   of 
  water 
  and 
  shade 
  and 
  the 
  temperature 
  of 
  the 
  former. 
  Ten 
  thousand 
  

   fish 
  are 
  ample 
  for 
  a 
  pond 
  10 
  by 
  50 
  feet, 
  with 
  water 
  deepening 
  from 
  3 
  

   inches 
  to 
  3 
  feet. 
  

  

  FOOD 
  FOR 
  FRY. 
  

  

  Beef 
  or 
  sheep 
  liver, 
  ground 
  or 
  chopped 
  to 
  a 
  pulp, 
  seems 
  to 
  be 
  the 
  

   most 
  satisfactory 
  artificial 
  food 
  for 
  young 
  trout. 
  Fresh, 
  hard-boiled 
  

   eggs, 
  grated 
  fine, 
  are 
  good, 
  but 
  expensive. 
  Efforts 
  have 
  been 
  made 
  to 
  

   produce 
  a 
  natural 
  or 
  living 
  food, 
  such 
  as 
  insect 
  larvse 
  and 
  small 
  crus- 
  

   taceans, 
  and 
  this 
  may 
  yet 
  be 
  accomplished 
  for 
  late 
  spring 
  and 
  summer 
  

   feeding, 
  but 
  for 
  feeding 
  the 
  fry 
  during 
  the 
  first 
  three 
  or 
  four 
  months 
  of 
  

   their 
  lives, 
  which 
  is 
  in 
  the 
  winter 
  season, 
  there 
  is 
  nothing 
  better 
  than 
  

   liver. 
  Shad 
  and 
  herring 
  roe, 
  put 
  ui) 
  in 
  sealed 
  tin 
  cans, 
  have 
  been 
  used 
  

   to 
  a 
  limited 
  extent 
  with 
  satisfactory 
  results, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  believed 
  that 
  they 
  

   will 
  furnish 
  a 
  wholesome 
  and 
  natural 
  diet. 
  

  

  The 
  manner 
  of 
  feeding 
  young 
  fry 
  is 
  very 
  important, 
  as 
  the 
  losses 
  from 
  

   improper 
  feeding 
  are 
  greater 
  than 
  from 
  all 
  other 
  causes 
  combined. 
  If 
  

   there 
  is 
  undue 
  haste 
  the 
  water 
  becomes 
  polluted, 
  or 
  the 
  food 
  is 
  so 
  

   distributed 
  that 
  some 
  fish 
  are 
  prevented 
  from 
  getting 
  their 
  proper 
  share. 
  

   Polluted 
  water 
  is 
  very 
  injurious 
  to 
  the 
  young 
  fish, 
  being 
  apt 
  to 
  produce 
  

   inflammation 
  of 
  the 
  gills 
  and 
  a 
  slimy, 
  itching 
  condition 
  of 
  the 
  skin, 
  

   which 
  often 
  causes 
  heavy 
  mortality. 
  

  

  The 
  fry 
  are 
  ready 
  to 
  take 
  food 
  as 
  soon 
  as 
  the 
  sac 
  is 
  absorbed, 
  the 
  

   time 
  required 
  for 
  this 
  depending 
  upon 
  the 
  growth 
  of 
  the 
  fish, 
  which 
  is 
  

   governed 
  by 
  the 
  temperature 
  of 
  the 
  water. 
  Where 
  the 
  temperature 
  is 
  

   regular 
  at 
  53° 
  they 
  will 
  take 
  food 
  in 
  about 
  30 
  days 
  after 
  hatching, 
  and 
  

   the 
  time 
  to 
  commence 
  feeding 
  may 
  be 
  closely 
  determined 
  by 
  watching 
  

   the 
  movements 
  of 
  the 
  fish. 
  Before 
  the 
  sac 
  is 
  entirely 
  absorbed 
  they 
  

   will 
  begin 
  to 
  break 
  up 
  the 
  school 
  on 
  the 
  bottom 
  of 
  the 
  trough 
  and 
  

   scatter 
  through 
  the 
  water, 
  rising 
  higher 
  and 
  higher 
  from 
  the 
  bottom 
  

   each 
  day, 
  until 
  they 
  can 
  balance 
  themselves 
  gracefully 
  in 
  a 
  horizontal 
  

   position, 
  all 
  heading 
  against 
  the 
  current 
  and 
  swimming 
  well 
  up 
  in 
  the 
  

   water. 
  By 
  dropping 
  some 
  small 
  bits 
  of 
  cork 
  or 
  the 
  nap 
  from 
  red 
  flannel 
  

   on 
  the 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  water 
  it 
  can 
  be 
  determined 
  if 
  they 
  are 
  ready 
  for 
  

   food; 
  if 
  they 
  strike 
  at 
  the 
  pieces 
  as 
  the 
  current 
  carries 
  them 
  down 
  it 
  

   is 
  evident 
  they 
  are 
  hungry. 
  

  

  The 
  liver 
  is 
  prepared 
  by 
  chopping 
  it 
  very 
  fine 
  and, 
  if 
  necessary, 
  

   mixing 
  it 
  with 
  water, 
  in 
  order 
  that 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  distributed 
  evenly. 
  It 
  

   should 
  be 
  given 
  to 
  the 
  fish 
  by 
  dipping 
  a 
  feather 
  into 
  the 
  liver 
  and 
  

   gently 
  skimming 
  it 
  over 
  the 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  water. 
  After 
  the 
  fish 
  grow 
  

   to 
  be 
  1^ 
  to 
  li 
  inches 
  long 
  they 
  begin 
  to 
  take 
  up 
  the 
  food 
  that 
  settles 
  

   on 
  the 
  bottom 
  of 
  the 
  trough; 
  it 
  is 
  then 
  not 
  necessary 
  to 
  mix 
  the 
  food 
  

   with 
  water, 
  and 
  it 
  can 
  be 
  given 
  by 
  hand. 
  The 
  young 
  fry 
  are 
  fed 
  five 
  

   or 
  six 
  times 
  a 
  day 
  and 
  the 
  food 
  given 
  slowly 
  and 
  sparingly. 
  After 
  they 
  

  

  