Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1870-02-08
lCommunicated.)
Trout Fishing Made Easy.

Mr.. EDIToR.-An article on the
successful little trout factory of cur
friend, Alfred Palmer, of Boscobel,
will no doubt be read by those who
take interest in all the novel and
laudable enterprises of this ingenious
age. We presume Mr.. p. ia tho first
man in this section of Wisconsin to
attempt the practice of pisciculture
or hsh-breeding, although writer's
have long urged its claims as an easy
and profitable branch of productive
industry.
There is really nothing more to
prevent the successful rearing of the
best varieties of fish, than that of
| sheep, fowls or pigs Build suit
able set of ponds with plentiful
stream of fresh spring water, and a
shanty with Matching troughs &c,
and bestow on your fish as much
daily care as Is often given to your
setting hens, and young chickens, and
you will raise plenty of flsh--if you
know how.
The other day as Mr.. Palmer was
about TO take his daily ride out to
his trout farm to look after his young
aquatic stock, he kindly invited your
correspondent to join him. Follow
ing up Crooked Greek only a mile
and half, we reached his place be-
side the road, where a large spring
pours from the sido of the bluff into
an artificial pond of three feet in
depth, covering three or four square
rods. Here was seen shoal of two
or three hundred fine two-year-old
trout, from ten to thirteen inches
long perhaps, taking their ease as
quietl y and tamely in our presence
as two-year-old steers or any other
domestic animals. Just below the
dam stood the Matching house, over
pond number two, which also con-
tains swarms of spotted trout of all
sizes Below this again, the third
and last pond extends several rods
stocked with fine large fish, but Sc
curely guarded against inundation
and accident.
After feasting my eyes on the
graceful forms and brilliant hues OF
the "speckled beauties" | inspected
the Matching troughs in the building
Shallow wooden troughs containing
an inch Of clean gravel and just
enough crystal spring water con
stantly flowing over it to cover il
well, this is all the expensive appa-
ratus required to hatch millions ot
fish,-if as before remarked you
only know how. The eggs arr
spawned into a vessel Of water and
impregnated by the careful hand Of
the operator, who catches the parent
fishes aud returns them to the poo
uninjured. The eggs are then pour.
ed into the water, and lie among tie
smooth pebbles till they hatch. The
season for this work is the early
part of Winter. Matching troul
eggs is much easier than Matching
hens eggs, for in the former case the
parent fish never sets upon the nest
but the poor feathered parent hai
to ego into executive session" fol
twenty-one long days.
A trout egg ready to hatch is 6
translucent little globe like pea
showing u minute fish coiled up with
in, reaching once or twice round hii
narrow bounds. A newly Matched
fish has large head with prominent
eyes and a very small dark body
being half an inch long at least
For some time after Matching, 8
round transparent sac, nearly al
large as the egg at first, forms thu
abdomen or stomach, and looks like
a large drop of water hanging or
the under side Of a small pin. A:
the first growth of the fsh's body is
drawn from this bulky reservoir, il
is soon absorbed leaving the tiny
fish free to navigate unimpeded
among the pebbles. But until then,
they swim about rs awkwardly as
would man with bass drum at his
waist for a life preserver.
After short time they become
large and enterprising enough to be
removed to the pond below the
trough, where each takes care Of
number one till he is wanted for some
festive occasion.
The older fish are greatly excited by
the sound of the chopping knife and
tray, while Mr.. p prepares their
dainty meal of fresh liver, they
swarm up to the waters edge
they were only on land would un-
doubtedly squeal like a number oil
pigs. When the first Jumps of meat
fall on the water, its surface present to
a quick flashing mixture of heads,
and tails splashing and fighting and
josJling each other till the food has
disappeared, save perhaps some very
tough piece that several are tugging
at. Again and aguin they boil up to
the surface, as they see more rations
distributed, till their dainty appetites
are supplied.
Mr.. Palmer was about to catch q
string of his best for customer
down town, so we divided the task
between us. The game was too cas-
lily caught, however, to win us much
distinction in fishing. The sport
and excitement Of the wild noun
tain pool is not to be had at the trout
farm. Mr. p. has already sold many
fine fish that he Matched two years
ago, seventy-five cents per pound
being readily paid. OF course en-
terprising hotel keepers like Carrier
will not long neglect this opportuni-
ty to supply their tables and please
their appreciative guests.
PISCES.
sH- Mr.. Henry Cheney, of Johns