PEEFACE. 



TlBIS work has been prepared at the suggestion of a num- 

 ber of my scientific friends. Such a treatise is needed, 

 as various agricultural societies* of the Union, and 



* Aetificial Fish. — ^It ia not often that the proceedings of the Far- 

 mers' Club, at the American Institute, supply a theme worthy of 

 much consideration. A practical farmer occasionally gets among 

 the judges, doctors, professors, <feo., and relieves their forlorn inco- 

 herences with a few sensible suggestions and useful information ; 

 otherwise the discussions of the fancy city-agriculturists who as- 

 semble in the Institute rooms are very incongruous affairs — grate- 

 ful, no doubti to the obfuscated Vanity of a few bewildered fogies, 

 who can there make speeches on subjects of which they know noth- 

 ing, or read dull translations from the French or Dutch, on other 

 subjects, respecting which nobody cares anything. But some new 

 blood has evidently been infused into the Club, and its proceedings 

 are becoming worth the space allotted to them by the newspaper 

 reporters. At a recent meeting, the subject of the artificial propa- 

 gation of fish was introduced — and a more important one could 

 scarcely engage their attention. 



The disciples of Isaak Walton have long deplored the gradual 

 extinction of trout in almost every stream in which they formerly 

 abounded, within a day or two's ride of the city. The rapacity 

 with which they are pursued and oaughtj when too small for any 



