SALMON AND TROUT CULTURE. 451 



expensive and unsatisfactory plan compared to the natural food 

 system, and the time conies when the fish must be removed to 

 more roomy quarters. Some pisciculturists, however, prefer to 

 keep the young fish for a few weeks in the hatching or rearing 

 boxes, believing that it gives them a better start in life. I do 

 not agree with them, as I maintain that the small loss which 

 may occur by turning the fish out in the open at once is more 

 than compensated by the quicker growth they make on more 

 natural and nourishing food. 



Young fish will not, as a rule, take artificial (i.e. dead or 

 manufactured) food after it has fallen to the bottom of the boxes: 

 and there is soon an accumulation of decomposing matter, 

 which is very injurious, and troublesome to remove without 

 damaging the fry. Again, the water which is suitable for hatching 

 purposes, on account of its purity and low temperature, is not 

 suitable for rearing. It lacks the very qualities so essential to 

 the future development of the fish. The hatching water isexactly 

 that which is wanted to bring the fry up to feeding point; but from 

 this time there is nothing in its composition to nourish young 

 feeding fish, being altogether too barren so soon after coming 

 from the springs and almost wholly excluded from light. 



But it is not in every locality that the natural food can be 

 found in sufficient quantities to ' keep the fish alive and growing,' 

 and to bring them on to maturity ; therefore artificial feeding 

 is in some cases compulsory. If the fry can be carried through 

 the first three months, many of the dangers to which they are 

 subject cease. They can take larger food, and a greater 

 variety ; but the difficulty is to provide suitable food and 

 lodging to rear them even to this age. 



My plan is first to select water which possesses the requisite 

 properties for breeding the natural food, and on it to construct 

 nursery ponds of a convenient size : ' The great thing to 

 encourage in your fishery is food which is reproductive.' This 

 remark applies to trout water, and has special reference to the 

 food in streams ; but the fact of making a small stream into 

 ponds does not alter the character of the water (except in most 



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