CHAPTER I. 



FARMERS AND FISH CULTURE. 



No class of people should be more interested in 

 fish culture than the farmers. Their homes are 

 among the lakes and streams, and the lands which 

 they cultivate border on them, and they, above all 

 others, should be interested in keeping them stocked, 

 so that when they wish a change of food from the 

 regular farm diet, and think that change should be 

 fish, they can get them for the taking, fresh from the 

 waters in their immediate vicinity, without being 

 obliged to send to the markets for them, with a little 

 uncertainty (in such case) as to their being perfectly 

 fresh. I do not wish to be understood as saying that 

 fresh, wholesome fish cannot be obtained at our 

 city markets, for they can many times be had, but in 

 my opinion, the sooner fish are eaten after they are 

 caught, the better food they are, and if you catch 

 them yourself, there can be no doubt in your mind 

 as to how long they have been caught. 



I believe that fish should be eaten as often at least 

 as once every week, and oftener would be better ; 

 but perhaps I am a little enthusiastic on this point. 

 There is scarcely a farm in New York State, and in 

 many other sections of the United States and Can- 

 ada as well, which has not a stream, lake or pond 



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