CONCLUDING CHAPTER. 247 



Cost of buildings and fixtures . . . . . $ 6,000 



5,000 parents for spawn, at 50 cents .... 2,500 



Three men's labor for four years, at $300 per year 3,600 



Cost of food for 1,000,000 trout for 4 years . . 20,000 



" " " " 3 years . . 10,000 



" " " " 2 years . . 4,000 



" " " i year . . 1,000 



Total 147,100 



Now for their value. The million of four-year-olds will aver- 

 age a pound each, and are worth at least twenty-five cents per 

 pound in the pond, which makes the 



1,000,000 4-year-olds worth .... $250,000 

 " 3-year-olds, | pound each . . 175,000 



" 2-year-olds, pound each . . . 87,000 

 " i -year-olds, 7 oz. each . . . 30,000 



The worth of all trouble at the end of four years $ 542,000 

 Deduct the price of growing .... 47,000 



Profit $ 495-000 



As these figures stand, they cannot serve as a guide 

 to fish-breeders at present, for no one begins to carry 

 on the business on this immense scale. But suppose 

 we divide the figures by 50, which brings the scale 

 within reach, we then have a profit of $ 10,000 on an 

 establishment turning out 20,000 four-year-old trout 

 annually. This, I believe, would be not far from the 

 truth but for one item, which Mr. Ainsworth did not 

 take in, but which closely follows every business like 

 an evil genius, namely, risk. What this fluctuating 

 item ought to be in the above calculation, I will not 

 attempt to say, but I am afraid that at the time the 

 estimate was made it was more than enough to swal- 

 low up the profits. It has been growing less and less 



