FIRST YEAR. 113 



The future growth of the fish depends much 

 upon the supply of food given during the first 

 year. Should the supply for the ponds at any 

 time be scant, preference should be given to the 

 youngest fishes. One good meal per diem will be 

 all that is required, but should that be omitted, the 

 proprietor suffers. The trout will have food, and 

 if no other is afforded, it is obtained at the expense 

 of the life of some weaker brother, who thus suf- 

 fers for sins not his own. !N"o trout will starve 

 while others of one-third less dimensions are to be 

 found in the same pond. 



The heart or kidney used as food should for 

 some time still be sifted, though a sieve may be 

 used of larger mesh, and at the end of six months 

 entirely abandoned. If it is possible, however, it 

 may be replaced by roe of fishes, which is perhaps 

 at this stage better, though somewhat difficult to 

 obtain. When used it should be rubbed under 

 water between the hands, that the investing mem- 

 brane be broken up and the eggs thoroughly sep- 

 arated. 



As the weather becomes warmer, maggots should 

 be fed, these most disgusting, but to the fish cul- 

 turist most valuable, creatures being the nearest 

 approach to the natural food of the trout that can 

 be obtained. Several methods have been devised 

 for procuring them. In one, a box is constructed, 



