Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1867-02-20
Fish Ponds aud Fish Breeding.

inducements and opportunities for the
breeding and rearing of fish. Some en-
terprising citizens in Georgia and South
Carolina have undertaken this enterprise;
but its advantages and claims have not
been recognized generally as they deserve.
There is no easier, or better or more Ger.
tainly profitable way of. adding a new de-
partnent to our resources OF rural econo-
my than IN fish breeding. Requesting
and inviting brief reports and statements
from any friends who have commenced
this business, we give for the benefit OF
our readers some details of information
for which we are indebted to the London
Times, and to notice ef q lecture ide-
ivered by Francis 7. Buckland, most fa-
vorablv known for his ardor and sue.
ecssful researches in the natural sciences,
andespecially in the experimental branches
of zoology: =
After a PREDATORY observation on the
great Importance of finding some lnedns
of increasing and protecting our fast de.
creaslng supplies of fish, Mr.: Buckfand
went on to say that there were probably
no creatures in nature which were better
calculated to repay our care by Their
enormous productiveness than fish. They
had, no doubt, all heard Of the estimated
number of eggs which most species OF
ish deposited at !, single spawning every
wear; but he had not been satisfied with
a n,ars ro,pb estimate. but had taken the
trouble to 90 carefully into the subject
and asccrtsin, both by weight and by
:nea a>uremens, the number Of eggs which
he chief kinds of edible fish did actually
!ny at each spawning. From these ex-
6erinents he had asccrsaned thst the
salmon and front both deposited eggs at
he rate of 1000 for every pound weight
Of the psrent fish. Turbot deposited
;s5 600 eggs roach, $4,000; mackercl,
$4,000; jack, 42,sOe; brill, 239,oOo;
melt, 5000; soles, $4,000; penrch,
1870 900; aid the cod fish no less than
lOOO,O9O With such powers of repro,
Iuctiveness as this it might be said that
fish were perfectly well able to cultivate
themselves, but it was not so, as was
proved by the fact, as far as the science
Of natural h. ory had been able to show
| it to he fact, that not one salmon Egg
y.t Of thousand eyer came to maturity
* grown fish.
We omit some details in reference to
he casualties which diminish the supply
ii fish, and especially of the salmon, III
English waters. For the encouragement
Of our country readers, it may be sisted
that these difficulties are chiefly traced to
the .n.iIness of British waters from tho
sewerage and n,,wings of towns and fac
sorics, g.: The pur. streams of our
| land will be free from those disadran.
tages. Concerning the mode Of rearing,
the Times report continues:
| They must take the same care of the
eggs of fishes if they wanted them, as,
| the gentleman who wished for good shoot
ing took of his pheasants' eggs. No ex.
pensive apparatus, fortunately, was need,
ed for this purpose for the fish spawn.
| All that was required was boxes to let
the water in at one end and out at the
other, a slight layer Of gravel that had
been boiled to free it from the insects
hat might other;:ise hurt the spawn, and
a shallow but continuous stream of water
running through it. The temperature of
the water should be from 40 to 45 de,
srees; and when the spawn WAS in it
must be let alone. There was a great
art in letting things alone; and if the
spawn was not let alone it was sure to die.
| Thirty to thirty-fve days were sufficient
to develope the eggs, and the fish broke
through the egg with very large eyes to
enable them to see their enemies and
keep out of their way, with no mouths
when they first emerged, but with a large
umtilical sack or bag attached to their
bodies, which contained the albumen of
the egg, and which was gradually absorbed
into the body of the fish, until it grew
biC enough to have mouth to feed itself
They had all heard of Mr.. Youle's efforts
to introduce salmon into Australia and
in the course of the experiments, on the
best way of preserving fish spawn they
had kept the eggs on block of ice for
ninety days, and the eggs were still alive.
Another batch had been thus kept for
!itty-nin days, and were still as good
and as much alivc.as on the day the fish
laid them in the water. 1t was most
important discovery in what he might
Justly call the Science of artificial incuba-
sion, for it showed that by making such
precautions the salmon spawn might be
transmitted 90 Australia safely, and they
meant to do it. For comparatively short
er distances-as in the case of some
spawn of grayling and some trout he had
received that very evening from France
and Switzersnd-it WAS only necessary
to put the fresh spawn in bottles and care
fully pack the bottles in boxes of damp
moss. For the rest, to hatch them, all
that was wanted was box Of cleaned
gravel, an equal temperature,and stream
Of running water from sn Inch to an inch
and q half deep. In France the SYSTEM
of hatchiag fish spawn, had been carried
on most extensively by the Government,
and with enormously beneficial results.
They had there hatchcd no less than
100000 eggs, and restocked thousands
Of acres of their rivers.
TREATMENT OF FRosrED FERT.-To
cure the intoIerable itching that follows
| ,,-oe. I,;,ta,, toaS ~ &c ppcaSSary TO totally
exclude the air from the affected part.