﻿MANUAL 
  OF 
  FISH-CULTURE. 
  83 
  

  

  learn 
  to 
  take 
  their 
  food 
  from 
  the 
  bottom 
  of 
  the 
  trough 
  it 
  is 
  necessary 
  

   to 
  feed 
  them 
  only 
  three 
  times 
  daily, 
  but 
  more 
  food 
  must 
  be 
  given 
  at 
  

   each 
  meal. 
  

  

  FOOD 
  OF 
  ADULT 
  FISH 
  AND 
  YEARLINGS. 
  

  

  In 
  domestication 
  the 
  rainbow 
  trout 
  is 
  preferably 
  fed 
  upon 
  a 
  meat 
  

   diet 
  altogether, 
  if 
  it 
  can 
  be 
  had 
  plentifully 
  and 
  sufficiently 
  cheap; 
  

   otherwise 
  a 
  mixture 
  of 
  liver 
  and 
  mush 
  may 
  be 
  used 
  advantageously. 
  

   The 
  mush 
  is 
  made 
  by 
  stirring 
  wheat 
  shorts 
  or 
  middlings 
  in 
  boiling 
  

   water 
  until 
  the 
  mixture 
  becomes 
  thick; 
  it 
  will 
  keep 
  for 
  several 
  days, 
  

   even 
  in 
  warm 
  weather, 
  if 
  put 
  in 
  a 
  cool 
  place. 
  The 
  liver 
  is 
  ground 
  

   or 
  chopped 
  fine 
  and 
  mixed 
  thoroughly 
  with 
  the 
  mush 
  in 
  any 
  desired 
  

   proportion 
  up 
  to 
  four 
  fifths 
  of 
  the 
  whole, 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  better 
  to 
  mix 
  

   only 
  as 
  needed. 
  This 
  mixture 
  has 
  been 
  used 
  satisfactorily 
  for 
  many 
  

   years. 
  

  

  A 
  meat-chopper 
  may 
  be 
  obtained 
  for 
  grinding 
  liver 
  which 
  will 
  do 
  the 
  

   work 
  in 
  an 
  excellent 
  manner, 
  leaving 
  no 
  strings 
  or 
  gristly 
  chunks 
  to 
  

   choke 
  the 
  fish. 
  There 
  are 
  several 
  sizes 
  of 
  the 
  machine 
  made, 
  with 
  extra 
  

   perforated 
  plates 
  having 
  different- 
  sized 
  holes, 
  from 
  one-twelfth 
  to 
  one- 
  

   fourth 
  of 
  an 
  inch 
  in 
  diameter, 
  so 
  that 
  the 
  meat 
  may 
  be 
  prepared 
  coarse 
  

   or 
  fine, 
  to 
  suit 
  the 
  size 
  of 
  the 
  fish 
  to 
  be 
  fed. 
  For 
  small 
  fry 
  it 
  is 
  neces- 
  

   sary 
  to 
  use 
  the 
  plate 
  having 
  the 
  smallest 
  holes 
  and 
  to 
  grind 
  the 
  food 
  

   over 
  several 
  times 
  until 
  fine 
  enough 
  to 
  use. 
  

  

  The 
  practice 
  of 
  throwing 
  food 
  into 
  the 
  pond 
  in 
  haudfuls 
  causes 
  the 
  

   fish 
  to 
  come 
  together 
  in 
  great 
  numbers 
  and 
  in 
  a 
  violent 
  manner; 
  and 
  

   struggling 
  with 
  open 
  mouths 
  to 
  get 
  a 
  bite 
  of 
  the 
  food, 
  they 
  often 
  hurt 
  

   each 
  other, 
  injure 
  one 
  another's 
  eyes, 
  sometimes 
  even 
  plucking 
  them 
  

   from 
  the 
  sockets. 
  This 
  is 
  probably 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  main 
  causes 
  of 
  blindness 
  

   among 
  pond-fed 
  fish. 
  

  

  The 
  most 
  approved 
  method 
  of 
  feeding 
  is 
  to 
  walk 
  along 
  the 
  pond 
  its 
  

   entire 
  length 
  to 
  the 
  upper 
  end 
  (the 
  fish 
  will 
  soon 
  learn 
  to 
  follow 
  to 
  that 
  

   point), 
  then 
  scatter 
  a 
  handful 
  of 
  food 
  along 
  the 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  pond 
  so 
  

   that 
  it 
  will 
  fall 
  to 
  pieces. 
  The 
  fish 
  follow 
  and 
  take 
  up 
  what 
  has 
  been 
  

   thrown 
  out 
  and 
  then 
  return 
  to 
  watch 
  for 
  the 
  next 
  handful, 
  and 
  the 
  

   operation 
  is 
  repeated 
  until 
  sufficient 
  food 
  is 
  given. 
  This 
  manner 
  of 
  

   feeding 
  induces 
  all 
  the 
  fish 
  to 
  head 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  direction 
  while 
  eating, 
  

   thus 
  reducing 
  the 
  danger 
  of 
  injur}-. 
  

  

  The 
  amount 
  of 
  food 
  for 
  a 
  given 
  number 
  of 
  trout 
  depends 
  upon 
  the 
  

   size 
  of 
  the 
  fish 
  and 
  the 
  temperature 
  of 
  the 
  water, 
  as 
  fish 
  will 
  not 
  take 
  

   food 
  as 
  freely 
  in 
  a 
  low 
  temperature 
  as 
  they 
  will 
  in 
  warmer 
  water. 
  

   With 
  water 
  from 
  50° 
  to 
  GO^ 
  a 
  daily 
  ration 
  for 
  1,000 
  yearling 
  fish 
  ranging 
  

   from 
  3 
  to 
  5 
  inches 
  in 
  length 
  is 
  about 
  ^ 
  of 
  a 
  pound; 
  while 
  for 
  the 
  same 
  

   number, 
  8 
  to 
  12 
  inches 
  long, 
  about 
  12 
  pounds 
  per 
  day 
  are 
  required. 
  

  

  As 
  the 
  fish 
  increase 
  in 
  size 
  the 
  amount 
  of 
  food 
  should 
  be 
  increased 
  

   proportionately. 
  They 
  are 
  fed 
  twice 
  a 
  day 
  at 
  regular 
  hours, 
  morning 
  

   and 
  evening, 
  giving 
  half 
  of 
  the 
  daily 
  allowance 
  each 
  time. 
  This 
  keeps 
  

   them 
  in 
  a 
  thrifty 
  and 
  growing 
  condition. 
  

  

  