The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1886-08-06
Seth Green Tells Farmers How to
Raise Their Own Trout.


Raise Their Own Trout.
There are many farmers who own
trout streams and would like to have
them restocked, and some others
very feebly attempt to do it by put
ting in few thousand young fish.
This would restock small stream if
it were done every year for some
years. But it is folly to suppose
that large stream. which has been
fished for years, and thousands TAX
en- from it every year, can be restock.
ell quickly by putting in few humid
red, or even a few thousand young
fry. 1t is much easier to stock a
stream than TO raise fish in ponds, be-
cause the young fish will take care of
themselves much better than anyone
can take care Of them, and if they
are protected from danger until they
are about forty-five days old-which
is about the time fish culturist take
charge of them-until they are ready
to feed, they are then tolerably able
to look out for themselves. In stock
ing a stream with trout, the young
fish should be taken to its head-wat-
ers, or put into the springs and lit
tie rivulets which empty into it. AS
they grow larger, they gradually set
tie down stream, and run up again to
the head.waters in the fall and winter
to spawn.
When putting fish into stream, do
not put them suddenly into water much
warmer than that of the vessel III which
they have been transported. They will
not be so likely to b. injured by put
ting them In water few degrees cold
err; but try to avoid all sudden changes,
and gradually raise or lower the tenn
perture of the water in which you
bring them, until it is even with that
of the stream in which they are placed.
Perhaps. in no branch Of fish culture,
are the results moro immediate, or more
apparent, than in restocking streams
Very many inland streams that were
once Inhabited by trout, are now wholly
depleted, not only ofthat fish but of all
others. They are beautiful, sparkling
little streams, but so far as food produc-
ing element goes, they are valueless,
and in a large maj ority of cases, they
make wonderful return for restock.
ing.
In the year 1875, the State Of New
York directed its commissioners to pur-
chase a trout breeding establishment,
and to distribute brook trout. Since
then, from one to two millions have
been Matched and distributed each year,
and the results have been most crafty.
ing. Those that were taken first, after
the restocking, were small, of course;
those that were left, had the more food
and by the next year, yielded nearly as
much weight, although fewer would be
taken; and the following year the fish
were still larger furnishing splendid
return for restocking.
The addition to the yield of any
stream, is so apparent as to convince
the most skeptical. 1t is indisputable;
and those who have once visited trout
stream year after it has been restock-
ed, and have seen the young fish
then from three to five inches in length
darling out from under the weeds
and roots, will need no further proof as
t othe practicability of trout culture.
In such cases one may almost say that
the number taken from stream will
depend simply upon the number put in,
provided the stream is we'll stocked
with food for them, while the cost of
Matching and transporting is small, in
deed compared with the yield of pleas
ure.
No brook, that has once contained
trout, need be without them if the wat
ers remain pure and cold. believe
there are no waters more satisfactory |
to stock than brook trout streams, be-
cause they are always before you. In
stocking waters with shad or salmon,
they migrate to the ocean, and only re-
turn once year for the purpose of
spawning; with salmon-trout and white
fish, they stay most of the time in the
deep waters of our lakes; but brook |