REARING 199 



little prospect as ever of becoming a branch of medical 

 science. Fungus (Saprolegnia) has, indeed, proved 

 amenable to medical treatment. The patient was 

 immersed in salt water- until it turned on its back, 

 this briny bath being repeated at intervals 'as before,' 

 until the invalid was convalescent. The aid of 

 surgery, too, is said to have been invoked with 

 success when the life of an alevin, suffering from Seth 

 Green's dropsy, was saved by a surgical operation 

 which involved ' tapping the sac and letting out the 

 dropsical matter.' But it is a general rule that, when 

 once a young trout has shown signs of being attacked 

 by disease of any kind, the fate of that trout is sealed. 



The encouraging fact, however, about these 

 maladies is that the most serious of them are capable 

 of being absolutely prevented ; but you must not 

 expect to enjoy this complete immunity unless you 

 have a suitable water supply, and modern apparatus, 

 and unless the eggs and fish receive, in every stage, 

 the constant care and attention which is due to 

 them. 



At the end of eight weeks from beginning to 

 feed, the fry should have made considerable growth, 

 and should be sufficiently strong to shift for them 

 selves in protected water. 



They can now be turned out for slocking lakes, 



