252 PROPAGATION OF FISH. 



five hundred, into each square or nest of the hatching 

 trough. The square is then large enough with the water 

 raised to keep the trout well for a month or two after 

 they commence feeding, when they may be transferred 

 into the first or upper pond. 



The fry are removed from the troughs into the pond 

 by the use of a small-net. Take them upon this, a few 

 at a time, and put them into a pan of water ; they will 

 swim off the net and you may draw it from under them. 

 In the pan they may be carried, a thousand at a time, to 

 the pond in which you wish to place them. Put them 

 into still water ; they will settle down on the bottom and 

 remain there for some hours, then they will begin to ex- 

 plore their new quarters, and in a few days will become 

 thoroughly habituated to the place. 



The best food for trout fry is raw liver, chopped as 

 fine as possible, and then rubbed through a screen or 

 sieve with a flat stick. It must be reduced to the consis- 

 tency of pulp, and contain no strings or gristle. A chop- 

 ping machine is made for chopping hash or sausage, and 

 either that, or a couple of sharp knives are used to chop 

 the liver. What is used is mixed with water so as to re- 

 duce it to about the thickness of cream. A teacupful 

 of this mixture will feed a hundred thousand fish when 

 they first begin to feed. The best way to feed them is to 

 take a case-knife, dip it in the food and " slirt" off what 

 adheres into the troughs ; a very simple way, but one ans- 

 wering all practical purposes. Care should be taken not 

 to feed too much, else the surplus food will remain on the 

 bottom, and decaying there foul the trough. The reason 

 of the difficulty in raising young fish appears to be that 

 they are literally starved to death. The food which we 



