60 



■ economizes space, saves one removal, and the fish do bet- 

 ter after a month or two in the ponds than they would 

 in troughs or rearing boxes. It is better to remove the 

 gravel from the troughs as soon as the fish commence 

 feeding, because then the troughs can be kept clean more 

 easily, else particles of food will lodge in the gravel, 

 whence they cannot be removed. The water must be 

 raised by the cross-strip before mentioned as soon as the 

 eggs hatch out. It would be well to fix a small screen 

 in each alternate cross-strip, which can be done by cut- 

 ting out a space of eight inches by two, and nailing a 

 fine screen over the opening. This will prevent the Trout 

 from running up and down in the troughs, and incon- 

 veniently crowding together. 



The fry are removed from the troughs into the pond 

 by the use of a small net, such as described among the 

 implements of the fish raiser. Take them upon this, a 

 few at a time, and put them in a pan of water ; they will 

 swim off the net and you may draw it from under them. 

 In the pan they may be cairried, a thousand at a time, to 

 the pond in which you wish to place them. Put them 

 into still water ; they will settle down on the bottom and 

 remain there for some hours, then they will begin to 

 explore their new quarters, and in a few days will 

 become thoroughly habituated to the place. 



Boards are sometimes placed over the outer edges of 

 the preserves to give the fish a hiding place and shelter 

 trom the sun when they wish it, and more important 

 than all, to act as a trap lor minks in case there is danger 

 of these destructive creatures getting into the ponds ; as 

 the boards project nine or ten inches from the sides, if a 

 mink gets in he cannot make his way out. 



Where a large number of Iry are hatched they have 

 to be left in the troughs until they can be distributed, 



