PONDS FOR TROUT. 19 



is perfect in her plans, and disaffects the one power pre- 

 vious to the next coming forward, by which those anoma- 

 lies in nature called hybrids are avoided in fresh water ; 

 and this fact will serve to show how easy a task it is to 

 restore and regenerate fresh-water rivers and streams, to 

 the advantage of the community at large. 



Where a pond has the advantage of plentiful springs, so 

 as to have an overflow, or has a small brook-stream passing 

 through it, it has then everything needful for the assem- 

 bling of trout, pike, perch, carp, tench, and other fish, in 

 the same water, and all would thrive well together. I know 

 of an instance of the kind near Guildford, in the county of 

 Surrey, where the trout reached a large size, and all the 

 other descriptions of fish were of fine quality. In fact, if 

 a proper system were generally adopted by landed propri- 

 etors, an enormous amount of food might be supplied, 

 which is now wanting, and a large revenue come into the 

 pockets of the producers, which they now lose and neglect 

 altogether ; and all this might be done at very little cost. 

 Remember for a moment that trout after their fourth year 

 reach the weight of between three and four pounds ; pike, 

 perch, carp and tench rather heavier ; and what may we 

 not promise as the produce of water, when it forms part of 

 the agrarian labours of a landed proprietor ? 



One great advantage in artificial spawning will be, that 

 poaching will not be felt so severely as it is now : for the 



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