On Stocking. 45 



or, a gallon of Ova may be expected to produce 

 from 4,700 to 6,700 yearlings at a cost of 28, 

 5s. Id., or from 4, 5s. lO^d. to 6, 2s. 8^d. per 

 thousand. The latter price is nearer their average 

 of good work than the former, as 200,000 year- 

 lings could not be reared, in the ponds estimated 

 on, without loss of average size ; and, in any case, 

 there is always at least 10 per cent, of small 

 yearlings which are unsaleable. 



Writing from a District Fishery Board point 

 of view, it would be fair to say that allowing 

 no sum for management, risk, or profit, and 

 working on this large scale, yearling trout may 

 reasonably be expected to be produced at 6 per 

 thousand, counting all fish whether sizeable or 

 not. From a fish-culturist point of view, office 

 expenses, risks, netting, preparation, despatch 

 and cartage to station, and wear and tear of 

 travelling tanks no small item in itself must be 

 added, and the difference between that and the 

 price is the profit on each gallon of Ova in- 

 cubated and reared to yearlings. In practice, 

 these items bring up the average cost to a little 

 over 9 per thousand, free on rail. The cost ot 

 preparation alone at Howietoun, that is, 4 per cent, 

 interest on the cost of the two substantial despatch- 

 ing houses, and the renewals of the wooden tanks 

 and machines employed to save handling the fish, 

 amounts to 13s. 4d. per thousand yearlings, and 



