Domesticated trout

Front matter

Domesticated Trout.

How to Breed and Grow Them.

BY

Introduction

Page

Trout can be raised successfully. — Qualities required for the Best Success. — The Principle of Security, — emphasized because, i. It will insure Success ; 2. Losses occur on so large a Scale ; 3. Sources of Danger unseen. — Suitable Water, Importance of. Precautions : I. Beware of Insufficient Water ; 2. Of Freshets; 3. Of Water that heats in Summer ; 4. Of Water intrinsically Unfavorable to Trout. — Spring and Brook Water compared 3-17

Chapter II. Ponds

A Beginner's Inquiries. — Directions about the Construction of Ponds : i. Exercise Forethought in locating Ponds ; 2. Excavate the Ponds rather than dam up the Stream ; 3. Build compactly ; 4. Build small Ponds for Business ; 5. Have a Fall at the Head of each Pond ; 6. Do not build Ponds too near the Spring ; 7. Build Keeper's House very near the Ponds ; 8. Make Ponds

X CONTENTS.

very Secure ; 9. Shape of the Ponds ; 10. Be able to draw off the Water; ii. Beware of Hiding-Places ; 12. Number of Ponds; 13. Protections for Ponds; 14. Spawning Beds. — Ainsworth's Spawning Races.

— Collins's Roller Spawning Box; 15. Inlets and Outlets; 16 Screens 18-39

Chapter III. Buildings

Buildings required. — Meat Room. — Store-Room and Carpenter's Shop. — Office. — Ice-House. — Other Structures. — Hatching House. — Size of Hatching House ; Location ; Shape ; No Fire required ; Skylights ; Waterproof Partitions 40-46

Chapter IV. Hatching Apparatus

Enumeration of Hatching Apparatus : i. Supply Reservoir; 2. Hatching-Room Aqueduct, Effect of Air on Temperature of Water ; 3. Filtering Arrangements : Nature of Sediment, Filtering Tanks and Screens, Flannel for Filters, Cleaning the Filters ; 4. The Distributing Spout, Temporary Aqueduct, Gravel Filter ; 5. Hatching Compartments or Hatching Apparatus proper. Responsibility of — Materials. — Glass Grilles Z's. Charcoal Troughs. — Expense of Carbonized Wood compared with Glass Grilles. — Discovery of Carbonized Wood for Hatching. — Wood lined with Glass inadequate. — Placing the Hatching Troughs ; Dimensions ; Compartments ; Elevation ; Inclination. — Screens. — Trap-Box. — Laying the Gravel ; Size of Gravel ; Preparation of; Depth. — The Covers. — Most Embryos develop in the Dark. — Covers a Protection from Enemies. — Glass Grilles. — Wire-Netting Hatching Trays.

— Various Methods of using Trays : i. The One-Tier Method; 2. The Double-Tier System; 3. Williamson's

CONTEXTS. xi

Method ; 4. Clark's Method ; 5. Holton's Method ;

6. The Use of deep Trays with the Williamson Hatching Troughs 47-79

Chapter V. The Nursery

Introduction. — The Water. — Methods of Rearing. — Ponds vs. Rearing-Boxes. — Rearing-Boxes ; Essential Points of: i. A Fall of Water ; 2. A Current; 3. Protection against Suction; 4. Securit}- from Overflow; 5. Absence of fixed Hiding-Places ; 6. Compactness;

7. Protection against Outside Enemies ; 8. Perfectly Tight Joints ; 9. Protection against Fungus. — Maximum and Minimum Supply of Water. — Arrangement

of Rearing-Boxes. — Directions for Ponds . . 80-90

Chapter I. Taking The Eggs

Introduction. — Preparations for the Spawning Season. — The Spawning Season. — Appearance of the Two Sexes. — The First Fish up. — Method of Capturing. — Holding the Fish. — The Writer's Method. — Directions about Handling. — Impregnating the Eggs. — Russian Method. — Russian vs. American Theon,-. — How to tell Ripe Fish. — Further Directions for Impregnating the* Eggs: I. Use Eggs that flow easUy, and no others; 2. Use good Milt and plenty of it ; 3. Make Quick Work in Impregnating the Eggs ; 4. Allow the Eggs Ample Time to separate ; 5. Rinse thoroughly ; 6. Practise to acquire Dexterity. — Closing Xotes. — Time of Spawning. — Age. — Number of Eggs. — Efi"ect of the Weather.

XU CONTENTS.

— Best Days for Spawning. — Spawning in the Pond.

— The Spawning Pans. — Placing the Spawn . 93-123

Chapter II. Hatching The Eggs

Kind of Labor required. — Dangers: i. Fungus; 2. Sediment; 3. Living Enemies; 4. Byssus. — Examination of the Eggs, — Instruments for Picking out Eggs. — How to tell Dead Eggs. — Method of Procedure. — Estimating Percentage of Impregnation. — Time required for Hatching. — Progress of the Eggs. — How to tell Eggs that will produce Good Fish. — Transportation.

— Packing. — Modus Operandi . . . .124-150

Chapter III. Care Of Alevins

Hatching of the First Trout. — Duration of Yolk-Sac Period ; Progress of. — Instinct to hide. — New Instinct.

— Indifference to Cold. — Alevins easily Transported.

— The Black Crook 151 -160

Chapter IV. Rearing The Young Fry

Section I. — Progress of Young Fry, and General Directions. — When to begin to feed. — Method of Feeding.

— Hammerle's Invention for feeding Trout. — Bright Prospects. — The Young Fry dying. — How to save them. — Further Progress . . . . . 161 -182

Sect-ion II. — What to do to make the Young Fry live : I. Have healthy, well-fed Breeders ; Large Eggs how produced ; 2. Develop strong and healthy Embryos in Egg ; 3. Provide Suitable Place for Young Fry. — Points to be secured: a. No Possibility of Water being cut off; b. New, unused Water essential ; c. Shade necessary ; d. Must not be crowded ; e. Take good Care of Fish. — Scepticism about raising Young Fry. — Discussion^, —

CONTENTS. XUl

Causes of Death external and removable. — Maxims.

— Good Care rewarded 182-193

Section III. — Diseases of Trout Fry. — Untrodden Field

— Diseases enumerated : i. Fungus on the Egg ; 2. Partial Suffocation of the Embryo; 3. Strangulation of the Embryo ; Seth Green's Dropsy, or Blue Swelling ; 5. Deformity at Birth ; 6. Fungus on the Surface of the Body ; 7. Constitutional Weakness ; 8. Emaciation ; 9. Starvation ; 10. Ulcers on the Head ; ii Animal Parasites ; 12. Fin Disease ; 13. Black Ophthalmia ; 14. Irritation of the Optic Nerve; 15. Inflammation of the Gills; 16. Fatty Degeneration of the Vitals ; 17. Spotted Rash; 18. Strangulation by Food; 19. Cannibalism, Nibbling; 20. Overheating; 21. Suffocation.— Cautions 193-209

Section IV. — Filling Orders for Young Fry. — Preparations. — Counting. — Precautions in Travelling . 209 - 2 14

CH APTER V.

GROWING THE LARGE TROUT.

Section I. — Trout in general. — Scientific Description of the Salmo Fontinalis (Storer). — Trout the favorite among Fishes. — Suited to Domestication. — Sight. — Hearing. — Smell. — Habitat. — Peculiarities. — Natural Food. — Age. — Weight 215-228

Section II. — Commissary Department. —The right Kind of Food. — Other Kinds of Food. — Care and Preparation of the Meat. — Feeding. — Daily Rations . 228-237

Section III. — How to secure the Large Trout against Loss. —Guard against : i. Freshets ; 2. Overstocking ;

3. Heated Water; 4. Careless Handling; 5. Cannibalism ; 6. Fouled Water ; 7. Natural Enemies ; 8. Poachers. — Safeguards at Cold Spring Trout Ponds. -Jack 237-253

Section IV. — How to grow Trout to a very Large Size and rapidly. — Directions : i. Give them Plenty of Water ; 2. Plenty of Food ; 3. Warm Water (relatively) ;

XIV CONTENTS.

Section V. — Daily Care of the Large Trout. — Little Labor required. — Mortality slight .... 255,256 Section VI. — Marketing the Trout . . . 257-259

Chapter VI. Concluding Chapter

Section I. — Work in general of a Trout-Breeding Establishment : In Summer; Fall; Winter; Spring. — The Pecuniary View of Trout-Growing — Current Expenses. — Large Margins of Profit. — Estimates. — Risk. — Sale of Spawn. — Young Stock. — Prices Current 260 - 270

Section II. — Recapitulation. — Summary of Directions and Precautions in Regard to Water, Ponds, Nursery, Eggs, Young Fry, and Large Trout . . . 270 - 273

Appendix

I. A New Discovery. — Cure for Fungus . . 277-281

II. Journeys of Live Fish and Eggs . . 282-286

III. Odds and Ends 287-305

IV. Patent Carbonized Hatching Troughs . 306-308 V. Brief Sketch of Operations at the Cold Spring

Trout Ponds 309-314

VI. Salmon-Breeding Establishment on the Mirimi-

VII. Experiments with Trout Eggs and Trout . 323-327 VIII. The Progress of Development of a Salmo Egg {Coregonus palcza). (Vogt.) Translated from the French by Frances W. Webber . . 328-335

*IX. Perch Hatching 336-338

X. Organization of the American Fish Culturists' Association 339-341

XL Specimens of Salmonidee for Professor Agassiz 342 - 344 XII. Marking Salmon (Buckland) . . . 345-347

XIII. Are the Fish in the Sea diminishing ? (Bertram.) 348-355

XIV. Books on Fish Culture 356-362

DOMESTICATED TROUT.

PART I.

TROUT-BREEDING WORKS-