Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1872-11-09
Report on fish Culture.
lrrom ~. sOuih1

IIklslhtlon III hiu OF tue pfchofNH-
ton aud culture Of fish, signed by
u committee OF three gentlemen ; u
report on PiscicuIturc 10 that So.
.ioty by G. A. Peabody and Geo.
i. Harrison; also II Report Of the
commissioners appointed by the
Governor OF Alabama on this inter
ing subject.
The report Of Messrs Peabody
aud Harrison states in such briei
terms the Importance, profit, and
rructicability of this new industry,
lhut we publish it entire. 1t will
repay perusal, and will be found
~ be suggestive to the reader.
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON Pis-
cIcULTURg.
The committee appointed by tho
East Alabama Agricultural Socio.
~ TO visit tho fish ponds Of VIM,
Penn Yonsc, OF Leo county, have
the honor of reporting that We
Lave fulfilled our mission. with
pleasure aud profit to ourselves
and, we trust, obstruction to the
community in which we live.
Yonr committee were well aware
Col. Yonge was successful in rails
ins fish before this official visit.
Bat as the object OF the Society
WAS to ascertain the cost and prac.
t,ribility Of grating fish culture
into agricultural labors Of tho Sun
ny South, we entered upon our du-
ties cody, calmly and dispasslon-
a,ely. And from minute and care
isl examination We are satisfied
that fish can be raised in Alabama
cheaper than poultry.
Col. Yonge started his pond
some twelve years ago, as Il matter
Of ornament and recreation, with.
ont any idea Of stocking it with
any particular kind Of fish. But
nature in our favored cline is so
bountitul that almost before he
was aware Of it, the waters were
tceming with trout, perch and
sucker. He assuredyour committee
that he had never put 1t fish into
the pond. Your committee are
satisfied That any farmer who has
bold spring or IL nover-taiing
branch running through his
gounds, may have u fish-pond
win living fish, ut II very triiIling
cost. 1t is not important to the
successful culture Of fish that the
pond should be laid out in islands,
inlets and bays, or that the borders
should be ornamented with flow
cib
Wherever q body Of water. can
DO controlled, there fish will breed
and multiply. Your committee
have econ The almost stagnant wa
ter in the brick yards Of Columbus,
ga, iiIled with the finest Of perch.
Should there be but one favorable
locality in !. community, township
or county for fish ponds on IL largo
scale, and an onterpris.ng person
will tuko hold and raise fish for
the market, he will enrich himself
and become u benefaCtor for who.
ever Produces and cheapens hui
,l,au food is Il Genetactor to his race.
The case and facilities with which
doh eau DO raised a. tho South il
much greater than at the North,
our genial climo producing 50
lnapy moro OF tho insect tribes,
both in the water and tho air,
which are the natural food of fish.
Col Yonge assured your commit
ice that he mud never fed fish,
aAd Yet his pond was literally
aliye vita trout, varying in size
from half pound TO ten pounds in
weight, suckers or red-horses near
~ as large, with all the varieties of
perch from minnow size up 10 the
largest parrish. And we are salts
lied lila5 had he fed them, as prac-
tico,l in tho Northern market iish.
ponds, that they would have in
creased IA 40 "i.h greater rapid
lily, doabiiug their weight, and
That nc inight have made his
fish ponds : greater source Ofr0v-
enue titan his lilns works. Yet
with aiI tie caro- aud facility of fish
raising, WI learned that it had ils
drawback These Col. Yonge
has experienced, and now has rem
edies. Tho different varieties OF
fish do not increase rapidly togeth.
or as u ey are constantly preying
upon each other. A pond cannot
bc stocked with line fish, where the
jack or pike abounds.
Nor can trout, porch or sucker
be raised profitable together. That
they are often found in large nun.
beers in the stream or pond, ID no
proof that 1t is profitable to grow
them together. The sucksr with his
long hog like snout, roots OH tac
sand beds and destroys the eggs of
any fish ne may find deposited
there. 1t has been estimated by
scientific men, that were the fish in
the Atlantic ocean left to them
selvs, free to breed without preying
uopu encl other, in three years its
number would be 80 great That
vessel could not sail upon its Boa
ON.
Now to make fish culture profit
able, We uust stop this preying up
On each otncr. This fish breeders
have done. THIS Col. Yongs is
doing. The eggs o. spawn of each
variety arc placed in seperate
hatcling pond., and the young are
fed until such times ~ they arc
able to take care OF themselves,
when they are turned into large
ponds together.
In this manDer, good portion
of the eggs hatched are raised TO
,natnre fish. The fish breeder un-