to express a positive opinion, or to accept a hasty judg- 

 ment than the authors of this work, as they can show by 

 all their wri tings, acts and utterances, but they feel at 

 last that they and the public can give perfect credence to 

 the claims of fish culture, provided it be conducted as 

 intelligently and wisely as other departments of modern 

 human labor. 



It must not, however, be forgotten that this new art is 

 as exact and exacting, as any other, nor that it has its 

 limits and must be managed with care and not slurred 

 over or slighted. To the ignorant and indifferent it will 

 yield no more than the cultivation of the land and possi- 

 bly not so much, and precisely what those limits are of 

 which we speak and what are the requisites of circum- 

 stance and manipulation, this work is intended to show. 

 This is meant for a practical book on a practical subject, in 

 which nothing shall be stated on conjecture; no mere 

 fancy picture however alluring shall be presented to the 

 public, and the bare facts with plain directions shall be 

 given that all who wish may read and understand, and all 

 who have the opportunity may practice what is herein set 

 forth. With that view no attempt will be made at grace of 

 diction, and scientific names, formulas and information 

 will be omitted as far as is thoroughly consonant with 

 the purpose to be attained, and no farther. Many mis- 

 apprehensions exist in the public mind in relation to a 

 matter which has dawned upon the world so lately and 

 so suddenly, expectations as extravagant in some direc- 

 tions as they are depressed in others, and while one man 

 will try to raise the best of fish from the worst of waters, 

 another doubts if anything can be achieved from the 

 most favorable opportunities. It is the function of 

 this book to correct these mistakes and prevent these 

 blunders. 



