On Stocking. 19 



eggs is more likely to be over Is. per thousand 

 than under. 



The second item is the cost of obtaining and 

 fertilising the Ova. I have had large experience 

 in obtaining salmon Ova, and in different districts 

 the cost varies. On the Forth there are many 

 blank days ; on the Tweed few ; and on the Tay 

 practically none. I think it is safe to assume 

 that the cost of collection of salmon ova may 

 average for the season anything between 3s. 

 and 10s. per thousand, while the 10s. figure 

 closely approximates the cost of collection of wild 

 trout Ova. Even at Loch Leven itself, in the 

 earlier days of my fishcultural work, the whole 

 Ova collected during the season, divided by the 

 whole cost of collection, more than once gave a 

 figure slightly exceeding the above estimate. Of 

 course, now, through long experience, Ova is 

 collected at the Loch at a much lower figure. An 

 accurate estimate of the cost, when the breeders 

 are confined, may be obtained by adding rent of 

 ponds, labour, food, and value of stock together, 

 and dividing by the number of eggs obtained. 



At Howietoun, four ponds are devoted to pedi- 

 gree S. Levenensis breeders, ponds Nos. 9, 10, 11, 

 12. No. 9 pond has 840 sq. yds. of surface. Each 

 of the ponds Nos. 10, 11, 12, have 1500 sq. yds., 

 making 5340 sq. yds., or 1 acre, roods, 16 rods, 

 and 16 square yards of water surface; and each 



