220 SEASON 1876-77. 



round the ponds from time to time as the works advanced, and J 

 have found it answer well. 



No pains should be spared to keep uninvited guests out of 

 piscicultural establishments. Nothing resents intrusion more than 

 fish. Trout soon get to know those that feed them, and the hours 

 at which they are to be fed ; but once let strangers about them, 

 and one or two evils must be faced : either the fish will get 

 frightened, and soon become wild, and scatter all over the pond, 

 and refuse to collect for feeding, which entails great waste of food, 

 and the certainty of the uneaten food fouling the water ; or the 

 fish must be fed whenever strangers are present ; and if trout are 

 fed irregularly, disease is sure to set in amongst them. The col- 

 lection of fish at regular hours for feeding is a most important 

 factor in success in fish-breeding. 



The next work was to provide a small larder to keep the meat, 

 and to chop it up in. I laid two beech sleepers across the stream, 

 and on them built a small wooden hut, with a convenient shelf in 

 the window for an American chopping-machine. The one I used 

 was the same recommended by Stone (Domesticated Trout, p. 215). 

 I sent to New York for it ; but Starret's American chopping- 

 machine can now be obtained from any large ironmonger in Scot- 

 land. I cut a hole in the floor, so that meat might be kept cool 

 in the stream below, and drawn up when wanted for cutting up. 

 Meat keeps well in water, if the water is cold enough, i.e. under 

 50 F. In those days a horse lasted as long as it kept fresh. 

 Trout are very particular, and their food should be absolutely un- 

 tainted. Now-a-days four, and sometimes five, horses are killed, 

 and eaten by the fish at Howietoun in a single week. No diffi- 

 culty arises about keeping the flesh fresh ; then it was otherwise. 

 Everything was tried. At the very first an arrangement was made 

 with the head keeper to let the fish have part of a horse when he 

 killed for the kennels ; but this was found to work with too much 

 friction, and the fish had to have a horse killed specially for them. 

 The hut was also used as a store for the grilles when not in use, 

 its position over the stream allowing a thorough current of air 

 under the floor, rendering it dry at all seasons. 



