172 FISH CULTUEE 



the aim of those who rear for commercial pur- 

 poses is to produce as rapid a growth as pos- 

 sible so that the fish will be marketable at an 

 early date. In those circumstances the fish 

 should be given daily, throughout the year, as 

 much as they can gorge. In commercial estab- 

 lishments feeding occurs rarely less than three 

 times a day, and in some of them as many as 

 five times daily. 



It is said that ordinarily a trout will eat 

 daily, if given the opportunity, about one- 

 twentieth its own weight. In one establish- 

 ment, where fish are raised for the market, food 

 to about one fourth the estimated total weight 

 of fish is given regularly and there is much dis- 

 ease among the fish. In another, the average 

 amount of food is about one fifth the estimated 

 weight of fish in the ponds. In this instance 

 there is no disease and very little fouling of 

 ponds is perceptible. The ponds are very 

 large, covering about half an acre each with 

 a depth of from eight to fifteen feet in the 

 kettle, and supplied by a large volume of creek 

 water, consequently it cannot be laid down as 

 a hard and fast rule that over feeding is sure 



