Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1868-07-16
Trsvt.

ough 10 Try or bfoiit w "AtN
boil. It's meat ranges in color from that
81 the most pinky-mcated salmon to the
mallow-eolor; while its outside appear
anee is different according TO the waters
which il inhabits but il never loses those
earmine spots, surrounded by halo OF
azure. The fisherman holds the trout in
great admiration for his sagaeity and in
tellig,nee. The trout loves the sparkling
streams displays an ardent ambition 10
explore streams to their source y quick,
vigorous aud elegant in its movements.
No, long since, circumstances beyond
our control" compelled Us to remain some
four hours in Bellows Falls, and we i'm
proved the time by visiting the ish.breed'
ing ronds of J. C, Bridgman, Esq, situated
som. three-iourths Of mile north Of that
place.
Mr., Bridgman, in common with numer'
Gus other gentlemen of our State, has
turned his attention TO the propagation
OF front, and will shortly be able 10 fur.
nish them for the purpose Of stocking
pond, and small streams Of water
Mr. Bridgman's ponds are peculiarly
adapted to the purposes Of fish.brceding,
a, they are all-some eight or ten in mum.
brr--fcd from springs, the temperature of
the Mater being about Az. Spring water
from i0S 10 Az has thus far proved the
hes, Tor the bnsiness in this country. A
spring is preferable TO brook. since the
latter is liable to sudden rises, which
m si,t sweep away the ova, and has not
50 even temperature, All these ponds
are connected by smioes, covered with
screens, thus separating the different si~,s,
bat keeping AN even flow of water.
About fourteen months ago Mr. b. COM
menced with about one thousand spawn.
ing trout. At the time we were there
this number had increased 10 5000
These are his stock trout, from which he
derives, principally, his spawn, and is his
stock in trade so to speak. These
sleek trout inhabit pond some twenty
five feet in diameter. and vary in length
from eight TO fourteen inches. The next
i.aud of interest is filled with 1000 two
year oids-from six to eight inches long
and in the adjoining pond there is 1000
yearlings-from four TO six inches in
length. The remaining ponds are de-
voted to the small fry, 80, 000in ali some
four weeks old, and none of them over an
inch in length.
a short sketch of the means used in
,rout-raising may not be out Of place
The natural way Of spawning is as fol-
lows: The trout generally mates in July
or August, and with one chiefly of its
own size, and feed and remain together
until spawning time, which is October or
November for this latitude As the
spawning season approaches, the trout in
pairs run up the brooks to seek out the
most retired water flowing over gravcly
bottoms. In this gravel the females dig
trenches, and swimming rapidly round
and round, the male fish following her,
and, as she elects the oval into the trenches,
he discharges the milt which impregnates
the ova; after this process the female
covers up the trenches, and stands sentry
over them.
The following is the artificial way a.
adopted by Mr.. Bridgman He has con-
structed a raceway running into his pond
of stock trouts, which is partially filled
with gravel. When trout is ready to
spawn she glides swiftly up this raceway,
followed by her mate, seeking a place 10
deposit her eggs, As they enter this
raceway they are caught, and the ova of
the female Immediately discharged into a
suitable vessel by a gentle pressure of the
hands from the thorax downward. The
'milt of the male is discharged in the same
manner, and the contents of the vessel
gently stirred with the hand sufficiently
to thoroughly impregnate the ova with the
milt. The ovai is then taken to the Matching
house, laid in shallow pans, partly filed
with gravel, and set in the Matching
troughs. A gentle stream of water, which
comes filtered through flannel and gravel,
is kept constantly running over these
pans. All that now remains To be done is
to keep a strict watch, and pick out the
dead ova. In from 45 to 80 days, accord
ing to the temperature, these eggs hatch.
The young fish are not fed for the first 40
days after Matching, but after that are fed
regularly.
Last fall Mr.. B. laid down - 900 eggs
from which he realized the $4,000 Young
trout mentioned above. But he has made
an addition to his Matching house, and
this fall intends TO lay down some 500,-
600 eggs, and, with his increased ex.
perience, thinks he will be able to hatch
out from 80 to 81 per cent. of them.
Mr.. Bridgman has many applications
for spawn and young trout, but he desire.
to get his own ponds well stocked first
Next fall he will be able to furnish spawn,
trout, and Information to any one.
Near by these small ponds, there is 4
large one, covering an area of about five
acres which Mr.. B. intends to stock will
trout from his smaller ponds
We have endeavorcd to described in q
eursory manner Mr.. Hridgmans preserves
Any one desiring full and accurate nc.
count OF the aaosf,ts-opera"di, and at the
same time see the operation itself ought
to visit him. Mr.. B. spares no pains to
make visitors acquainted with the habits
and peculiarities of these his pets, and we
came away rejoicing that sometimes rail
roads make connections which are 20
n