154 j Thirtieth Annual Meeting 



and in about ten days 2,000 more, this practice being continued 

 initil the pond is stocked with the desired number." From 

 another venerable authority on the same subject, we learn that: 

 "A certain fashionable woman owned a most wonderful lap dog^ 

 A most remarkable creature, possessed of every virtue of his kind 

 save, save one — i^las ! poor Fido had a long silky tail while 

 fashion decreed that only bob-tails should be worn. Necessity 

 was ever the mother of invention. Early one summer morning,. 

 Fido's neighbors were aroused from their slumber and startled 

 by the most heartrending yelps and nowls, then all was quiet. 

 Fido was not in evidence that day. The next morning the yelps 

 and howls were repeated, curiosity was aroused. Neither mistress 

 nor dog appeared. The strange noises were repeated daily for a 

 week or more. Then the mystery was solved. Fido had a hob 

 fail! In response to inquiries, his fond mistress tearfully said: 

 "It would hurt the poor little dear so to take it all off at once, so 

 1 just cut off a tiny little piece each morning." Summing up 

 the consensus of authority quoted, it would seem to be estab- 

 lished beyond question that had the whole ten thousand dogs 

 been placed in the pond at once, the fish's tail would have been 

 bobbed in infinitely less time and with less suffering on the part 

 of the fish culturist. Do you know, I firmly believe that our fish 

 cultural authorities are as much opposed to revision as an old 

 time blue Presbyterian. 



^y]lell trill the harvest be? Xo question is more frequently 

 asked than : "How many years does it require for these little 

 fellows to get big enough to catch ?" It is both a reasonable and 

 practical one, and yet it is one that is rather difficult to answer 

 definitely. It is one I ask of the members of this society. "How 

 long does it require to grow a fish of angling size from fry?" 

 Two years? Three years? In New Hampshire they will tell 

 you "One year." QualifA'ing it however by adding: "Under 

 favorable conditions." For two years past the sporting papers 

 as well as the local press of New England have been full of the 

 great loss of trout throughout that section caused by the unpre- 

 cedented droutlis of 1899 and 1900. Many stated that there 

 would be no brook fishing witliin three years, others took even a 

 more gloomy view claiming that it would require a greater 



