38 
of catch and distribution of trout as food, they not form- 
ing commercial fisheries, there can be no collection of 
statistics bearing thereon; this is a favorite point of 
attack. 
Whatever differences of opinion may exist regarding 
the economy or efficiency of the opposing methods 
employed in trout culture, the question remains as to 
whether the best possible results have been attained and 
whether there is no stimulus to further investigation and 
experiment. 
The economic cultivation of trout is assuming such 
importance as to cause in the State of Massachusetts a 
lively agitation concerning the marketing of such as are 
reared by artificial means during the close season. One 
of the claims of the opponents of trout culture has been 
that it is impossible to cultivate trout for market econo- 
mically. The value of this fact, therefore, should be 
appreciated as a great triumph of fishculture and should 
receive all encouragement. To be universally popular, 
fishculture must be based on economic or food consider- 
ations, and not on those of sport. Therefore it is to the 
interest of anglers to make such concessions in matters 
of this kind as to convince the general public that they 
are actuated by motives not wholly selfish. It is only 
by fair and politic treatment of such questions that the 
sympathies of the people will be aroused in the general 
interests of fishcultivation and protection, and through 
which the interest of the angler will be most effectually 
advanced. The opposite course will only keep alive the 
doubts and objections which prevent their advancement. 
It is only necessary to note the meagre appropriations of 
the State of New Hampshire, the efficiency of whose 
work is attracting universal attention among fishcultur- 
ists, to show the lack of general appreciation. Neither 
fishculturists nor anglers can afford to take ground that 
will retard the business of rearing trout for market. And 
the people themselves will decide the question of quality. 
