Trout Breeding. 23 



tif West Bloomfield, N. Y., bred trout successfully in a 

 stream which in a dry time was hardly larger than a lead 

 pencil, but his pond was beneath his hatchery and was 

 completely shaded. Naturally he bred but few trout, 

 but he demonstrated what could be done. Then Green, 

 Stone, myself and others started at the work. 



WATER SUPPLY. 



Upon the volume and temperature of the water de- 

 pends the success of the venture in trout breeding. That 

 taken from near the foimtain-head is best for hatching 

 purposes if it be well aerated by falling a short distance 

 through the air, or spread out into a thin sheet as it en- 

 ters the trough. By taking it from a pool, or reservoir, 

 near the springs, we get less sediment and more even- 

 temperatures and are not disturbed by rains or thaws ; 

 and by taking from' a reservoir it has a chance to get 

 colder in winter and so retard the hatching, an ad- 

 vantage which we will consider under the head of hatch- 

 ing. A certain amount of fall to the water into the 

 hatching house is a necessity, and it should be at least 

 ten inches ; while a foot is needed between ponds, if they 

 are small and in a series. Select your water supply in 

 the driest time of the year and note its temperature at 

 2 p. M. on the warmest day. See that no freshet can 

 sweep down a ravine to clog your screens and carry off 

 the results of your labor. A sudden thaw with rain on 

 a frozen ground may destroy the work of years. 



Above all do not dam a ravine and make your ponds 

 in the bottom of it. This is the first plan which sug- 

 gests itself to the man who has given no thought to the 

 subject. There is always some fall in a ravine, and if 



