Proceedings of the Farmers' Club. 485 



unanimously tendered to General Yan Allen for his interesting and 

 valuable paper. 



Chairman Ely stated that the gentleman who had thus given us his 

 observations was one of nature's noblemen and a gentleman of great 

 ability, as well as devoted to the farming interests of the country. 



Fish Farming. 

 Mr. A. J. Hinds, Patchogue, L. I. — Thirty years ago, when a boy, 

 I was engaged most of my time in "Washington county, N. Y., in 

 taking brook trout from the mountain streams for parties living at 

 Saratoga Springs, who came after them once in three weeks, paying 

 thirty dollars per 1,000, or twenty-five cents each for large ones. I 

 find at this time several of my neighbors similarly employed, selling 

 trout in this season for one dollar per pound, while young fry bring 

 fifty dollars per 1,000. In all mountainous and hilly countries there is 

 more or less danger from freshets. As our land is nearly level and 

 quite sandy, there is no danger from this source. Our streams are all 

 made from springs, and quite short, so there is no failure of water in 

 dry seasons. But the great advantages over all large fish farms, to be 

 established in the interior, is cheap food. I have been visited by some 

 of the most noted pisciculturists during the past season, who were 

 looking for a location for future operations in case the time should 

 come when close competition should render such a change necessary. 

 They all admit that we have all the advantage in food. "While they 

 pay from five to ten cents per pound for plucks, etc., we get fish min- 

 nows, etc., for less than half a cent per pound. But they say, with 

 present prices, they make it pay well. Several of my neighbors do 

 not pretend to hatch any young trout, but depend entirely on catch- 

 ing them from the streams, all of which have more or less trout in 

 them, but are growing less every year. These men sell from 1,000 to 

 2,000 a year. I know of a lady who has about 500 in a pond only 

 about twenty feet square. She paid twenty-five dollars for them a 

 year ago last August. They will be two years old next Spring. The 

 amount fed the first six months was about one-fourth pound of liver 

 per day, and since that time not over one quart of minnows every two 

 days. The whole cost of food has not been ten dollars. Many of 

 them will weigh over one pound each ; they will average one-half 

 pound apiece, and are now well worth $250, while they have furnished 

 a large amount of pleasure in watching them jump and play. I speak 

 of this case in particular to show the Club that this is good business 

 for women, invalids or cripples — in fact, any one with a little capital 



