Raising Trout at Birmingham

Feilding Star, Volume XV, Issue 36, 11 August 1893, Page 2

Raising Trout at Birmingham

We are glad to learn that Mr Fergusson, of Birmingham, has been very successful in his venture of trout raisingTwo years ago he obtained a supply of fry from the Masterton Hatchery and placed them in a pond on the farm. As the water contained a large supply of tnosquitos and other animalcule, he tried the experiment of leaving them without artificial food, and found that they seemed quite at home, and daily increased in size and vigour. During the evenings of last summer they could be seen leaping out of the water by the dozen, when the supply of ammalcula is exhausted they feed on tbo small red worms which they obtain by burrowing in the mud. Last Sunday evening Mr Fergusson had hisjfirst and well deserved dish of trout. They (4 in number) measured 9} inches, just about the size of herrings. They are the kind known as fontinalis, or American brook trout. One of those killed contained about 220 ripe ova, although the fish had evidently laid its spawn. We congratulate Mr Fergusson on his success which has attended his efforts in establishing so important an industry, and trust other settlers in distant parts of the district will follow his laudable exauiDle.