The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1856-09-18
From the S. G. Ayricultmrist
REPORT ON FISH PONDS AND FISH CULTURE
READ BEFORE THE NEWBERRY AGRICUL-
TURAL SOCIETY,
By COL. w. s. LYLES, CHAIRMAN,

| BY COL. w. s. LYLES, CHAIRMAN
Two years ago, the report on the SUCCESS
iul culture of fish by Mr.. Hill, near Au-
gusta' Georgia, called my attention to the
subject. Having near my house a suit
able location, Ga hollow in the hills, with
two or three bold springs breaking forth,)
laid off pond forty-fve feet wide, and
seventy feet long. 1 then proceeded, by
digging the earth from the upper side to a
level with the surface water of the springs,
| 70 construct dam on tho lower side. six
teet high with seven feet base. This en-
ablcd me to raise five foot head of water.
at which point small trunk of common
plank was inserted as waste away. In
this pond, placed, in the month of April
last some six or seven hundred fish, such
as perch, mawmouths, silvers and minnows.
Io these l have since added a few others
such as trout, flyers, &c.
The increase in sizo of these fish has been
very remarkable; while the increase in
number has been enormous, indeed, I bo-
lievo ten thousand, from the appearance in
the pond, would be Il moderate estimate.
-ls yet have only used few for the table.
preicrr'ng to wait another year for their
increase in size and the thorough stocking
OF thepond. Ihavc, however, been enabled
to spare to several of my neighbors, who
have since erected ponds, sufficient num-
Der to start the culture with.
The pond being too small for such a vast
number of fish to procure subsistence in
the ordinary way, have been compelled,
OF course, to feed them. Almost anything
answers for this purpose, such as shrcds of
meat, crumbs of bread, hominy, wheat
bran, entrai' CT fowls chopped fine, togeth
eT with the otial Of all animals, &c. Occa-
sionally, furnish them with treat in the
way OF earth WORMS, grubs caterpilars,
&c. have recently learned from gentle
man connected with the Japan expedition,
that the Chinese, who are perfectly au fait
in fish culture. feed and fatten their fish on
fresh COW dung and grass chopped fine.
generally that among us, known to farmers
rs purslam. Whether this will answer, I
am unable to say, but as I intend to make
trial, | trust shall be able to report at
future day.
The varieties of fish proper for such
ponds as minc or any still waters, think,
are Dream, the perch, the mawmouth, the
rcd,bellied perch, the trout, &c. would
by all meaus avoid the pike, the jack, and
that horrid fish, known as the cat. The
objections to these arc that they arc ex.
tremely voracious, and prey not only upon
tho spawn, but the small fry of all other
fishes !; besides this the two former are very
bony, while the latter is scarcely fit eyeu
for stcw The trout too is voracious
fish, and the propricty of breeding them
with other fish is very doubtful but as
took care to stock my pond well with min
nows, before I procured tho trout, 1 hope
to be able to succeed. This fact, however,
only can be settled by time.
The cost Of my pond was only twenty
tive dollars, and is sufficiently large, think,
for the purpose. The gentleman referred
to previously, informed me that almost
every garden in China had its fish pond.
many of them not more than ten feet
square. In these, however, the fish were
only tatte'cd, while they wero bred else.
where. If this be so, it follows that every
man in the State can have pond, who has
spring or runDing brook on his place and
at an expense so triling, in comparison to
the advantage, that its cost will be mere
bagatelle.
In my neighborhood there arc now, be-
sides my own. four fish ponds, and one near
Winnsboro, belonging to my relative, Capt.
I. W. Woodward, commenced at the same
timo or before my own. His experience
has so far been perfectly satisfactory, and
he concurs with me, that fish can be as
easily propagated and raised as poultry.
II such bo the fact, and I sincerely believe
it, why should not every man have his fish
pond as well as his poultry yard9 To say
nothing about the pleasure Of angling, the
fact that fish can be obtained at all seasons
when poultry is scarce, &C., ought to deter.
mine the question favorably.
In conclusion, will say that my expert
ence is too limited as yet TO determine what
varieties of fish arc best for particular To-
calties, DC.
Ho~ to get Rid Of Flies.-A French
paper, the Courier du Havre, in alludinp