Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1867-11-15


fish for food, and they may be interested
in hearing of certain successful expert
ments for this purpose in this country,
which have lately come under the obser-
walton oi the writer.
In Pittsfield. Massachusetts, a committee
of some Of the FIRST citizens, appointed by
the town, have for a year or two been
stocking TIE beautiful ponds in that vicin-
iry with the best varieties of fish found in
northern waters. White fish, Mackinow
trout white and black bass, are among the
species already brought from distance
and no difficulty has been experienced in
their acelimation. The committee had an
interesting correspondence with Prof.
Agassiz, and other eminent naturalists,
and received hearty encouragement in
their work. The fact that the pickerel
was formerly brought to the Birkshire
ponds ard domesticated there, may have
suggested this enterprise to Pittsfeld.
Near the little village of Mumford, in
Monroe county, N. ", is private estab-
lishment for breeding the brook or spec
kled trout, owned by Mr.. Seth Green. IL
is ON a small rapid stream called Spring
/ Creek, a mile in length, which bursts up
ont Of the Ground from several coplous
springs. and empties into Aliens creek.
| The water is cold in summer and warm in
winter, the temperature never varying
II -
more than 20a--from So to So. 1t IS
also very hard for the whole region is un-
derlaid, and sometimes overlaid. with lime
rock. Mr.. Green has purchased both
banks Of this stream for nearly the whole
distance, and turned it through Artificial
ponds constructed for his fish. The water
enters the pond through wheel SO made
as TO prevent the escape OF the fish up
t stream, and leaves il through screen
= which retains them. 1t is essential that a
: current of fresh water should be running
9 tn, ough at all times, for the sEeckled beau
8 ties cannot endure stagnant water. Inc
y stream too furnishes much of their food.
When they are fed artifirially it Is with
u fresh liver, chopped fine for the small ones
a and left coarse for the larger ones. Each
ie years growth is kept in separate pond
:" lest the big fish should eat up the little
~ ones" 1t is worth going hundred miles
" to see the schools of trout, Thousands IN
y number, rushing, thick as they can swim,
- 10 the top Of the water, aud sometimes
A throwing themselves bodily out the water
80 in their eagerness to seize their food
~ When the owner wishes to catch them, pc
us feeds near the bank and uses scoop net
ne The principal business at present, Is tt
:" sell the young; and this suggests the ~
y ouiry, How are they hstched
= series Of shallow drawers are arranged q
ooN an inclined plane in an house 50 situate'
~ as to receive the water. These drawer
ie" are filed with fine gravel, and stead
: q stream passes through Them. The nous
es's is kept at right temperature BY stoy
gu for the Matching in the winter months
ueu When the female is ready to spawn, III
'ei attendant removes the eggi, by genti
anu pressure, into pan partly filed with ";
anu Ter. The milt from the male is procure
'sht in similar manner and mixed in the pa
ieo and then the spawn are carefully distrlb'
ane ted upon The gravel in the drawers, ar
hA. left TO hatch. They soon give signs
Ae' vitality, and in about forty days the lit
~ fish appear in countless numbers. Th'
. NC must then be carefully protected from "a
0o"' and ducks, and all their natural encmi'
? 20 or they will be gobbed up. In the bro
''''' The great mass Of them are destroyed. a
e''ie those that escape are so few that the tro
are scarce.
'hen When very small Mr.. Green has "
= 'e. Of packing them in moss, by which tn
'9'e' can be sent by express as far as the g
met can run in TWEEN y-four hours. There
WIN great demand for them for stocking I
mo yate fish ponds in the northern States
''eo Canada; and millions more can be sold
'"so' IS the thousand So great is the call
=" the young that few have as yet been
! 'ns for food, though Mr.. G., will sell few
the sick at 81 pound. His success
"' been so great that other ponds are be
F" so made on the rest of the strcam.a
ee'e' This is, undoubtedly, to become q
- ,n business. Fish can be multiplied with 8
= = "'' wonderful rapidity fsce Genesis Il.
49,, they furnish food at once 50 palatable
healthiul, that the inventor Of this sys
-. -. is a public benefactor. There must
N r.. many streams in the United States
fitted for trout breeding, though few. p
p ably, with so many advantages as Sp
Creek, which was their favorable HI
long before these ponds were built, bu
pain unfailing supply OF 1t, cool IN summer
mother perhaps, that does not freeze in wi
rs ele- though this latter requisite we are not
anan lii. Whom This business shall be