102 SALMON-CULTURE. [CHAP. in. 



artificially in our rivers as it is to raise silkworms on mul- 

 berry leaves, though the former were under water and the 

 latter in the open air ; " indeed it has become an established 

 fact," said Mr. Ashworth, " that salmon and other fish may be 

 propagated artificially in ponds in numbers amounting to 

 millions, at a small cost, and thus be protected from their 

 natural enemies for the first year or two of their existence, 

 after which they will be much more able, comparatively speak- 

 ing, to take care of themselves, than can be the case in the 

 earlier stages of their existence." Mr. Ashworth estimates the 

 expense of artificial propagation as about one pound for each 

 thousand fish, or one farthing per salmon. On the suggestion 

 of Mr. Ashworth, a practical pisciculturist was engaged to 

 inaugurate the breeding operations at Stormontfield, and to 

 teach a local fisherman the art of artificial spawning. The 

 operation of preparing the spawn for the boxes was commenced 

 on the 23d of November 1853, and in the course of a month 

 300,000 ova were deposited in the 300 boxes, which had been 

 carefully filled with prepared gravel, and made all ready for 

 tKeir reception. Mr. Eamsbottom, who conducted the mani- 

 pulation, says the river Tay is one of the finest breeding 

 streams in the world, and thinks that it would be presumptu- 

 ous to limit the numbers of salmon that might be bred in it 

 were the river cultivated to the full extent of its capabilities. 



The date when the first of the eggs deposited was observed 

 to be hatched was on the 31st of March, a period of more than 

 four months after the stocking of the boxes ; and during April 

 and May most of the eggs had started into life, and the fry 

 were observed waddling about the breeding-boxes, and were 

 in June promoted to a place in the reception-pond, being 

 then tiny fish a little more than an inch long. Sir William 

 Jardine, who has taken a warm interest in the Stormontfield 

 operations, thought that the first year's experiments were 

 remarkably successful in showing the practicability of hatch- 



