Proceedings of the Farmers' Club. 487 



while all sediment would settle to the bottom. But to hatch a large 

 per centage of the eggs, flannel strainers, at intervals, would be neces- 

 sary. I believe that natural spawning races, constructed so that you 

 can shut the fish and everything out, and also keep the young fish in, 

 is all that is necessary for raising trout for market. I wish to say one 

 word about artificial spawning. Some think the fish have feeble con- 

 stitutions. This depends entirely whether you merely assist or force 

 nature. Eggs taken by a gentle pressure, when the pair are in the 

 very act of spawning, are ripe, and you cannot hold the trout careful 

 enough to prevent them emitting their eggs. Just so with the milt 

 of the male. But it has been proved that they will hatch, under cer- 

 tain conditions, when taken a week or so before they are ready td 

 spawn. In that case they are weak. It must not be inferred from 

 these remarks that it is necessary for one, to make a good business 

 and succeed in raising trout for market, that he should understand all 

 the minutiae of spawning and hatching trout, as in most cases it will 

 be found best to buy the young trout. Besides, hatching trout is a 

 trade that requires a good deal of experience in order to succeed. 



Adjourned. 



March 12, 1872. 



Nathan C. Ely, Esq., in the chair ; Mr. John W. Chambers, Secretary. 

 Knobs on Cheery and Plum Trees. 



Mr. II. W. Gifford, Lakeport, N. Y. — About six years ago, I cut 

 from my cherry and plum trees some knots and put them in a box in 

 the sun. They remained about two weeks and then hatched out a 

 small grub or worm about half an inch long, which showed to me 

 that this knot originated from being stung by some insect. 



Mr. A. S. Fuller — It will not do to jump at conclusions in matters 

 of this kind. If grubs are found in such positions, it must not be 

 taken as conclusive proof that the black knots on plum and cherry 

 trees are of insect origin. If these knots were true galls, we might 

 suppose that they were insects, but they are not; therefore, the 

 finding of the larvae of insects in them merely shows that they have 

 been used as the nidus for some female insect to deposit her eggs. 

 The female curculio will often deposit her eggs in these knots while 

 they are young and soft, provided there is no fruit upon the tree, 

 which of course would be preferable ; but she must lay her eggs 

 somewhere, and a knot will answer if no better place can be found. 



