80 FISH FARMING I 



planting in a fishery is to bring a.bout a plentiful supply cf 

 natural food, without which it is quite impossible to breed and 

 rear trout. Some waters are, naturally, stocked with plenty 

 of aquatic plants; others, especially newly-formed ponds and 

 lakes, require to be planted ; and I would again emphasise the 

 importance of doing this, in the first place, before the ponds 

 are filled with water. It may happen does happen fre- 

 quently that a newly formed pond provides an enormous 

 store of food for the first year or two, without the introduction 

 of aquatic plants at all. But this is merely a temporary source 

 of food, Which is, comparatively speaking, soon exhausted. 

 But while it is being exhausted is the very time that the 

 aquatic plants should be establishing 1 themselves; they will 

 never have such another chance of doing so. Therefore, plant 

 early and plant thoroughly. Be sure that every plant is well 

 " set." One plant properly put into the soil is worth a score 

 put in anyhow. 



The importance of arriving at and maintaining a correct 

 balance of animal and vegetable life in your ponds, streams, or 

 rivers cannot be over estimated. There is no royal road to 

 this, but the rich reward amply repays for all time and trouble 

 taken, and in many cases it depends as much upon the absence 

 of certain plants as it does upon the presence of others. There- 

 fore, do not introduce plants other than those I have recom- 

 mended, unless you are an authority yourself or have con- 

 sulted an authority on the subject. 



Always thoroughly overhaul the stock of plant life and 

 animal life existing in a water into which you propose to intro- 

 duce trout ; and let this be done before they are introduced. 

 This often becomes necessary even in the case of ponds that 

 have been specially made. And in this connection arises an- 

 other great usefulness of having your ponds quite under con- 

 trol, as I have instructed all the way through. The water in 

 them may be lowered, or they may be run dry, as the neces- 

 sity of the case compels. But do not make the mistake of run- 

 ning your ponds dry, or for that matter materially reducing 

 the depth of water in them, at any time unless it is absolutely 



