104 NATURAL FOOD 



and the more nearly the conditions in which the fry, 

 the yearlings, and the two-year-old fish are reared, 

 approach those of nature, the better will the results be. 

 Mr. Stone, guided by his own experience and that 

 of every trout-breeding establishment with which he 

 had, either as manager or commissioner, been brought 

 into contact, is strongly opposed to risking breeding 

 ponds in the channel of any stream or river, and advises 

 the artificial construction of ponds, fed by artificial 

 races. These ponds, he thinks, should be small and 

 compact, lined with wood, and freed from any danger 

 of floods, etc. ; and he recommends the use of water 

 plants as affording shelter and food for the trout. 



These ideas, sound as they undoubtedly are when the 

 dangers above enumerated are considered, have been 

 followed more or less by English pisciculturists, and 

 the logical consequence of these artificial surroundings 

 has been a loss of the many natural advantages of the 

 other method that is, of having trout pounds situated 

 in the channel of recognized trout streams. 



The want of the natural food carried by a good 

 trout stream, and of the plentiful supply of fresh 

 running river water, the reliance on artificial food, 

 the vicinity of the keepers, the feeble current, etc., 

 all tell against the trout reared under such conditions. 

 For one thing, I am confident that trout reared under 

 these conditions and accustomed to be hand fed, do 

 not, when they are taken to stock other waters, rise to 

 the fly as freely as they would had they been accustomed 

 to depend more on natural food during their early life. 



