CHAPTER XIII. 

 FIRST CARE OF THE YOUNG. 



About the second or third day after the young have left the 

 eggs, they become strong enough to swim freely about in the water, 

 and can then be transferred to the nursery, temporarily established 

 in some part of the storage pond, which is generally not in use at 

 this season. Here they are carefully guarded until they become 

 about half an inch in length. For this purpose the storage pond is 

 filled with water to a height of six inches at the deepest part; all 

 living creatures, especially insects and their larvae, are to be removed 

 with the aid of a fine dip-net. No plants should be placed in the nurs- 

 ery, as it is important that it always be under the control of the eye. 

 Each morning the young are carefully inspected, and any enemies 

 that may happen to have made their appearance must instantly be 

 removed and killed. During the remainder of the time, a cover is 

 kept over the frame in order to prevent the dragon-flies from deposit- 

 ing their eggs in the water, as these, when hatched, are very destruc- 

 tive to the young fish. 



As the different lots of eggs are hatched in the jars, and the 

 young become strong enough to swim about, they are placed in the 

 nursery until a division of four by four (4 by 4) feet contains from 

 four hundred (400) to five hundred. (500) fish. The next division 

 is then prepared and stocked in the manner described, and so on 

 until all the spawn has been so treated. 



60 



