When the writer of the following pages asked Seth Green, in 1866, "how many of those who engaged in trout breeding would succeed," he answered, with his well-known quickness of manner, "One in a million." There was so much wanting, at *How fully the word "domesticated" will finally apply to trout that are bred and grown artificially, time alone can decide. It is still a very doubtful question whether they will ever become so accustomed and attached to the habitations of man that they will prefer to remain around his homes and under his protection, like dogs and fowls, and so become in the strictest sense domestic creatures. Still, this result is not impossible, perhaps not improbable. Cattle and horses become as wild as buffaloes and deer when left to run wild long enough. Artificial influences have given these creatures their domestic habits. Why may not a sufficiently long course of similar influences create a similar change in the habits of trout? Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.
