STOCKING. 141 



fervoid growth, or fungus, or the smallest 

 degree of overcrowding, will prove fatal to 

 them at this stage, or at least only leave 

 stunted, deformed, or diseased fry, which are 

 worse than useless. Even under the most 

 favourable conditions, stocking with eyed ova 

 cannot produce sizeable trout in less than four 

 years. 



Stocking by turning fry direct into a river stocking with 

 should never be attempted. If there are no fish ry ' 

 — a very unlikely contingency in a stream fit 

 for trout — eyed ova are preferable as being rate- 

 ably less costly. If there are trout or pike 

 they are sure to attack the fry when first 

 cast adrift, and, having once tasted blood, are 

 not likely to leave them as long as there are 

 any alive. Then, again, the natural mortality 

 among fry during the first few months of their 

 lives is quite appalling. Even in the piscicul- 

 turists' ponds, where every hatch is doubly 

 guarded by zinc fences with the smallest per- 

 foration's procurable, where experienced men are 

 daily employed in keeping these fences clear of 

 confervoid or other vegetable growth likely to 

 choke them up, where the smallest appearance 

 of a blow is remedied at once, the number that 

 escape is incredible. These are only recovered 

 by an elaborate series of hatches and fences 

 between the outlets of the ponds and the limits 



