52 



My own experience has invariably been to confirm these principles. 

 I lost, in my apprenticeship days, as many young fry as any one else, 

 but with every death, say over five per cent, there appeared a distinct, 

 assignable cause, present or remote, which could be removed or 

 avoided, and the more I lost, the more I became satisfied that the 

 causes of death among the young fry could be discovered and 

 avoided. 



My later experience has added confirmation to this opinion and 

 now, since I have used charcoal troughs and tanks altogether, deaths 

 among the young trout have been, among some lots, rare occurrences, 

 and in general have been no more frequent, over the five per cent 

 weak ones, than among the yearling and breedei-s. 



In one charcoal trough in particular, containing over 5,000, there 

 was, in the season of 1870, less than one and a half per cent of deaths, 

 from all causes, in three months. It was the same in the year 1871. 

 In one box of a thousand, I did not take out ten dead ones in three 

 months. I attribute this, in a gi'eat measure, to the use of charcoal 

 in hatching, but it confirms the theory just advocated, that the causes 

 of death can be removed. I think, therefore, that we may lay aside 

 our anxiety about raising the young fish, and with it all anxiety we 

 may have, in any respect, for the ultimate triumph of the art of trout 

 culture. 



With a knowledge of how to rear the young fry, all the steps to suc- 

 cess in tlie art are complete. Since the introduction of the Russian 

 or dry method of impregnation, almost 100 per cent of the eggs can 

 be fertilized and hatched. By proper care and skill the young fry 

 can be brought throngh the first year. 



By using the requisite safeguards from poachers, and the natural 

 enemies of fish, tlie yearlings can be rapidly grown and fatted for 

 market, and the favorite position they occupy among sportsmen, and 

 the money returns which they at present command, are such as hold 

 out the promise of a long period of prosperity in the business of trout 

 growing before it sliall, if ever, sliow signs of decay. 



The Pecuniary Aspect of Trout Culture 

 One of the chief inquiries at the present time, with regard to trout 

 culture, is whether it can be made a profitable business. In reply to 

 this inquiry, I have no hesitation in saying that I think trout 

 raising can be made profitable anywliere in tlie settled portions of this 

 country where there is plenty of suitable water, but, to be very profi- 

 table, it must be on a large scale. It will not pay great profits to 



