Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1856-09-04
farmer's department
49,
SAS.zAHA
From the S. c. .Agriculturist.
FISH PONDS AND FISH CULTURE.

BY COL. W. S. LYLES.
Two years ago, the report on the success
full culture of fish by Mr.. Hill, near Au.
gusta, Georgia, called my attention to the
subject. Having near my house at suita-
bic location Ga hollow in the hills, with two
or three springs breaking forth), I laid off a
pond forty-6ve feet wide, and seventy feet
long. then proceeded, by digging the
earth from the upper side to a level with the
surface water of the springs to construct n
dam on the lower side, six feet high with a
seven feet base This enabled me to raise o
FIVE foot head of water, at which point a
small trunk of common plank was inserted as a
waste away. In this pond, I placed in the
month of April last, some six or seven hun
dred fish, such as perch, mawmouths, sill
vers and minnows. To these 1 have since
added few others, such as trout, flyers, &c.
The increase in size of these fish has been
very remarkable; while the increase in num-
Der has been enormous, indeed, [ believe ten
thousand, from the appearance in the pond,
would be moderate estimate. AS yet
have only used Il fewfor the table, preferring
to wait another year for their increase in size
and the thorough stocking of the pond. ]
have, however, been enabled to spare to sew
eral Of my neighbors, who have since crec-
ted ponds, sufficient number to start the
culture with.
The pond being too small for such vast
number of fish to produce subsistence in the
ordinary way, I have been compelled of
course to feed them. Almost anything an
swers for this purpose, such as shreds of
meat, crumbs of bread, homony, wheat bran,
entrails of fowls chopped fine, together with
the offal of all animals, &c, Occasionally,
| furnish them with treat in the way of
earth worms, grubS, caterpillars, &c. have
recently learned from gentleman connected
with the Japan expedition, that the Chinese,
who are perfectly az tat in fish culture,
feed and fatten their fish on fresh COW dung
and grass chopped fine, generally that very
common plant among us, known to farmers
as purslain Whether this will answer, I
am unable to say, but as I intend to make a
trial, trust shall be able to report at fu-
ture day.
The varieties offsh proper for such ponds
as mine or any still waters, | think are
Dream, the perch, the mawmouth, the red
bcllied perch, the trout &C. I would by all
means, avoid the pike, the jack, and that hor-
rid fish, known as the cat. The objections
to these are that they are extremely vora-
cious and prey not only upon the spawn, but
the small fry of all other fishes; besides this
the two former are very bony, while the lat
ter is scarcely fit er"0 far stev. The trout
too is voaracious fish, and the propriety of
breeding them with other fish is very doubt
full; but as I took care to stock my pond
we'll with minnows, before I procured the
trout, I hope to be able to succeed. This
fact, however, only can be settled by time.
The cost of my pond was only twenty-five
dollars, and is sufficiently large, I think, for
the purpose. The gentlemen referred to pre-
viously, informed me that almost every gar
den in China had its fish pond, many of
them not more than ten feet square. In
these, however, the fish were only .fattened,
while they were JrNd elsewhere. If this be
so, it follows that every man in the State can
have pond, who has a spring or running
brook on his place and at an expense so tri-
fling, in comparison to the advantage, that
its cost will be mere bagatelle.
In my neighborhood there are now, be-
sides my own, four fish ponds, and one near
Winnsboro, belonging to my relative, Capt.
T. w. Woodward, commenced at the same
time 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. If such
be the fact, and sincerely believe it, why
should not every man have his fish pond as
we'll as his poultry yard 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 determine
the question favorably.
In conclusion, will say that my exper-
ience is too limited as yet to determine what