82 Flow to obtain tt. 
‘“‘Wigan, 14th October, 1886. 
“J. J. Armistead, Esq.—Dear Sir,—I enclose you a copy ofa letter 
which I have written about the trout I have bought from you, cut from 
the Wigan paper, which I think will be interesting to you. What 
strikes me as strange is the extraordinary rate at which the trout 
appear to have grown. And, from what I have been told, one has been 
taken out during the last few days weighing four pounds. Do you 
think it is possible such a large fish can have grown in the time from 
the fish which you supplied ? 
“T have exceedingly streng evidence that the pond contained no 
fish whatever before I stocked it, and yet it seems almost incredible 
that the fish now being caught can be part of those which I bought 
from you. I shall be much obliged if you will tell me whether, in your 
experience, such a rapid growth has occurred.—Yours faithfully, 
‘“‘CHARLES APPLETON. 
“*P.S.—There are millions of the shell fish mentioned in my letter 
in the pond, and all the trout seem to be gorged with them and nothing 
else. C. A.” 
This case does not by any means stand alone, although 
the growth is somewhat exceptional. It was equalled if not 
exceeded in the Dalbeattie reservoir at Buittle, in the county of 
Kirkcudbright. Trout fry introduced into this water in May 
were taken 1#]b. in weight a year the following September, 
that is in sixteen months, and later on 2lb. The reservoir 
is small, and had the fish had more range they would probably 
have outweighed the Whitley fish in the same time. It had been 
newly made, and had, after filling, remained unstocked with fish 
for some time. On examination I found it to be full of fresh- 
water shrimps (Gammarus pulex), on which the fish had been 
feeding. Had these reservoirs been properly stocked by means 
of- eyed ova I believe the above weights would have been 
exceeded. 
It is not at all difficult to obtain such results, and it can 
be done by so cultivating the water as to bring it into that 
peculiarly favourable condition for receiving the fish that mostly 
occurs where the surface of the ground has been left in its 
original state. 
This highly encouraging condition of things will not last 
however, unless due care be taken to cultivate those aquatic 
plants which are necessary to take the place of the submerged 
