es on fish culture by Mr. Charles Walker. He is perfectly
right in all he says with reference to the useful and preventive results
of the use of "common garden" earth, or vegetable mould in checking any
fungoid development, _Saprolegnia_ or other. It must, however, be
admitted that the said addition is not an element of beauty in a box;
therefore it should be avoided, or only used when necessity dictates.
However, the fry, when thoroughly restored to health, may be transferred
by muslin net to another box free from earth should it be necessary to
count out certain numbers for the satisfaction of customers' orders.
Again, the earth employed may, and in some waters does, give rise to
other ill effects on the health of the "fry" or young fishes. Affection
of the eye is not unheard of as the result of over-use of earth. Perhaps
the best way to obviate any trouble of this nature would be to pound and
dry the earth, and keep it in a canister or other closed vessel till
required for use. Spores of fungi are nearly, if not quite, omnipresent;
and their effects are so insidious that too many precautions cannot
well be taken to avert the introduction of "trouble" in the hatchery.
Indeed, were it not for the risks arising from attacks of fungi,
pisciculture, as now understood and carried on, would be an unalloyed
pleasure and unbounded success. We can practically hatch 995 out of
1,000 eggs, or thereabouts. It is the risks of rearing that stand in our
road, and these, as time goes on, and experience increases, must
diminish. There would appear, then, to be a good time coming for fish
culture, and those who earnestly follow it.

Practice is the only safe guide, as circumstances, geological, physical,
and meteorological so vary the conditions of works that no definite rule
of procedure will avail. Earnest work and close observation, combined
with ready resource, are the only safe guides to success. Troubles of
some sort are sure to supervene; the man who succeeds is he who can
anticipate, and so remedy them. To be always on the watch and notice the
first indication is a very safe maxim, more easy to inculcate than to
put in practice.

There can be no question but that the practical removal of difficulties
in the path of fish culture is work of the highest value, well worthy
the attention and acknowledgment of those in authority at Whitehall and
elsewhere at home, as has been the case abroad.

C. C. C.

SIR,--Your correspondent