Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1858-04-07
From the American Cotton Planter and S0"'
FISH PONDS.


From the American Cotton Planter and Soil
FISH PONDS.
The following excellent hints on the SUBJECT
of NFish Ponds" and their cheap and easy con-
struction, we clip from the Southern Planter
nubli he'd at Petersburg, Va. The Importance
of this subject, as matter OF domestic eeono'
nv. adapted to the wants, convenience ana Gu
pscity ii every planter and planters family IN
fbe,nlantinq States, applies with as much torce
here as it does in Virginia. ihere is scarcely
Ilonter in this whole country who may not, at a
very light outlay of labor supply his family eve.
ry day in tho year with good, home.ralsed fresn
fish. In the lime regions Of Alabama ana Nils
sissippi, where there are few springs, Artesian
wells supply the water for ;sh ponds just
where fancy and convenience could desire them.
What could add so much Of beauty and fresh
ness to genteman's home, the amusement
of his children, as one of those artificial lakes Of
~ Oure ql fresh wafer aud it stocked with an abun,
dant supply Of fine, fat, home-raised tame fish!
An the ptStry and romance of an Italian ~
Roman villa cloy on the imagination in thus
contemplating handsomely improved American
rural hoae. ED.
FspPoNDs.-We desire earnestly to call the
atentbn of our readers, one and all, to the SUP,
ct of fish ponds There is no srsisle Of tS tnoa
Imore aniyara-n5,>s~..'tIur ur moro "nolesolue tnan
fresh ssh. To enjoy it in all its excellence and
perfection, it is indispensable that it should be
Z cooked Immediately after it is taken out Of the
water. Persons living remote from ponds and
Nryers. cannot procure supplies as promptly as is
de;sable. They must therefore, 8 they wona,
to artss@ nnnss or %.,a streams ua Tbs ySd
difficult mseer on almost rraspzhtifully {,
country, TSeNe is no region nSwater than
supplied with s1}Apgs Of clear, & sufficiently S
ours. Whereyer here is a .; with very lit
bold to supply family with use, a pond may {
tie labor and no nen,,A piary them bountifully t
be constructed ~ ,bai ssh. We speak from f
with the picsst var:assI that small pond {
experience when e y the fourth of an acre
covering not roorfiiy a small family, if not '
well stocked. wHs,1 Of fish almost every day q
large one, Will It is now customary for S
throughout tje fner who properly appreciates q
almost eyerlH lu1uries of the table, to put up 1
the comfortye his annual supply of this article t
ice. To se-it that he should have good and t
it is impo6t pond for the purpose. Let him
a perma1 pond supplied with few of our d
have %rieties Of perch, and in couple of years q
fnesy begin to luxuriate in both of these luxu. I
leFto his hearts content. We would BY no r
Fans limit the size of fish pond to the fourth q
an acre. A half or even whole acre would y
16t be Objectionable as the supply of fish would
If course bear proportion to the area and depth
If the water. y
Our mode of constructinga pond is as follows: y
After selecting suitable location, taking care G
o avoid very sunny exposure, both on account
'f the ice and the fish, we cut ditch from three
0 four feet wide, according to the depth we need
60 to reach the clay, cutting out all the roots !.
arefully. When we have dug this ditch the full n
ength of the contemplated dam, we turn about I, I,
nd throw the earth back into the ditch, and u
'uild the dam Immediately over the ditch, with =
irt altogether, taking il from the upper side, u
which will give more depth of water and more II II
ecurity against leakeage and breakase. When q
re have raised the dam TO the requisite height ~ ~
re cut waste around each end, seven or eight " =.
eet wide, and of sufficient depth to make the !, -
am secure from overflow in time of heavy floods n
rain. If the source from whence we draw q
ur supply of water is Roar, We deem it best to a. ~
ut head ditch, carrying it both sides of the ~
ond and cmptying it some distance below the ~ ~
am. Care should be taken to keep far enough =
ON the pond to prevent this ditch from becom. T.
lg drain, in case it should wash deep, that
ould let the water pass off from the pond. The u
bject Of this ditch IS to carry off the muddy
ater and floods that might carry off many fish
nd endanger the dam. t
When the pond is completed, we have only to Pl
ct our angling implements, go to the next pond 10
rlver, with bucket on our ARMAND while oo!y
,Joying the sport Of fishing, i'll few hours pro- NJ
de stock to start with. Or we may take I"
ine and barrel, aud 60 to work in a more bu
ness like way.
In selecting fish for the pond, VIC prefer the clt
'rieties OF perch: the freckle, or silver perch i
e black perch, the vide mouth, or Joe Dcntons, ::
s they are called amongst u.s. and the yellow
rch. In fact all the varieties Of perch common
our waters are excellent for the table, afford
le sport to the angler, and may be caught at
most any season Of the year. The chub is not
tied to small ponds He is very voracisus,
on eats out the other sorts of fish, and then
eys upon his own progeny. We would recon.
end to those who would like to cultivate this
riety, to build second pond for them below
e first, so that they may prey upon the small
b that escape through the wastes. The com. ,
On round fish of our rivers will not breed cx
pit in running water but we like to throw
OF them In the pond to be taken out in win.
:: They grow quickly and do not prev upon
others. II our springis bold one, wecould
II the mountain or speckled trout, with entire
;cess, between it and the head of the pond. bv me-
KING boxes at intervals in the stream. of Two T
three feet depth, and six or eight feet lone, MA
putting Q few stout rocks at the bottom Z
e great difficulty, however, in regard to this F
!, Is the distance to which we must po Sr n
m: 1t is very much to be regretted that our m 2
althy gentlemen do not pay more attention ~, to
ring fish. In New England we are told so Soma 10 Il
our most distinguished men have regarded tho -
,ject as well worthy of their efforts X
n some parts of France artificial ponds ara =
stgpcted on q large scale and nd ,,a