SALMON AND TROUT CULTURE. 459 
expensive and unsatisfactory plan compared to the natural food 
system, and the time comes when the fish must be removed to 
more roomy quarters. Some pisciculturists, however, prefer to 
keep the young fish for a few weeks in the hatching or rearing 
boxes, believing that it gives them a better start in life. I do 
not agree with them, as I maintain that the small loss which 
may occur by turning the fish out in the open at once is more 
than compensated by the quicker growth they make on more 
natural and nourishing food. 
Young fish will not, as a rule, take artificial (ie. dead or 
manufactured) food after it has fallen to the bottom of the boxes: 
and there is soon an accumulation of decomposing matter, 
which is very injurious, and troublesome to remove without 
damaging the fry. Again, the water which is suitable for hatching 
purposes, on account of its purity and low temperature, is not 
suitable for rearing. It lacks the very qualities so essential to 
the future development of the fish. The hatching water isexactly 
that which is wanted to bring the fry up to feeding point; but from 
this time there is nothing in its composition to nourish young 
feeding fish, being altogether too darren so soon after coming 
from the springs and almost wholly excluded from light. 
But it is not in every locality that the natural food can be 
found in sufficient quantities to ‘ keep the fish alive and growing,’ 
and to bring them on to maturity ; therefore artificial feeding 
is in some casescompulsory. If the fry can be carried through 
the first three months, many of the dangers to which they are 
subject cease. They can take larger food, and a greater 
variety ; but the difficulty is to provide suitable food and 
lodging to rear them even to this age. 
My plan is first to select water whzch possesses the requisite 
properties for breeding the natural food, and on it to construct 
nursery ponds of a convenient size: ‘The great thing to 
encourage in your fishery is food which is reproductive.’ This 
remark applies to trout water, and has special reference to the 
food in streams ; but the fact of making a small stream into 
ponds does not alter the character of the water (except in most 
