236 PROPAGATION OF FISH. 



bugs and the minnows who will make up the loss out of 

 those which are left. These embodiments of evil must 

 be fed and grow more diligent in the search for food, the 

 scarcer it becomes ; still man keeps on with net, and spear, 

 and hook, making yearly larger drafts as the human race 

 increases and extending his machinery as the prey dimin- 

 ishes ; so the whole system of nature is disarranged. The 

 edible fishes at first diminish, then, as the process goes on 

 in geometrical ratio they decrease more rapidly, and the 

 operation becomes accelerated at every step, till the stream 

 or lake which once abounded with excellent fish is utterly 

 and absolutely denuded and left sterile, bare and un- 

 productive. The insects have devoured the last edible 

 fish which man's greediness has failed to reach. This 

 has happened with so many of the ponds and water cour- 

 ses of our country that it is safe to say, fully one-half of 

 the lakes, rivers and streams throughout the older States, 

 at least, yield nothing of food for man. 



Such a result is no trivial injury to the community. 

 The vast extent of these stretches of water are but little 

 understood by the people at large. There are in the 

 State of New York alone six hundred and forty-seven 

 lakes, with an area of four hundred and sixty-six thou- 

 sand four hundred and fifty-seven acres, besides countless 

 smaller ponds, and miles of river and stream. Fully a 

 quarter of a million of acres of the public patrimony are 

 thus allowed to go to ruin and decay for the want of 

 proper knowledge and a little care. It would have been 

 easy to have protected them; it is a far more serious 

 matter to restore their ancient productiveness. 



Trout are found in all rivers in which salmon can hatch 

 their young, but as they are not necessarily migratory, 



