Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1872-02-24
Fish Raising,

Knowing that he had superior advan-
tages on his place for the artificial pro
pagation of fish, Mr. Hammond some
years ago resolved to improve them, and
in order to acquaint himself with the
experience of others, he visited the
leading fish breeding establishments in
the Eastern States. On his return he
fitted up his fish pond, and a year ago
the present month procured his first lot
of eggs, from Seth Green, one of the
Fish Commissioners of the State of New
York. These trout eggs, fifty thousand
in number, he divided with neighbor,
who superintendent the Matching of
them. Although about ninety-seven
per cent of the eggs Matched, many of
the young fish escaped, and are enjoy.
ing their freedom in a small stream that
feeds the Fox river. Last May the
young fry were placed in the ponds they
occupied at the time of our visit. A
more beautiful sight is rarely seen
than this army of trouts, fifteen thou
sand strong. Although of the same
age, and receiving the same care, they
varied greatly in size, from four to seven
inches in length.
The water for the supply at the fish
ponds and Matching boxes is derived
from a spring which affords two hun
bred and twenty gallons per minute. Its
temperature rs 1t leaves the spring is
about fifty degrees. AS a fall OF two
feet is allowed where the water comes
into a pond, q motion is given to the
water so that it does not form ice in the
coolest winter weather. BY this time
the water is also erated, so that it may
be used over several times, by having
the ponds arranged so that it may flow
from one to another. At this place
there is fall of eighteen feet between
the spring and the natural stream where
the water is finally discharged SO that
nine sets of ponds may be established.
AS there are many acres of land be-
TWEEN the spring and stream well situated
for the formation Of walled ponds, as
there is an excellent chance to make q
large pond by making q dam across the
stream, and as the stream itself would
make an excellent trout brook, which
would be under the control of the sa :.e
proprietor, there seems to be hardly
any limit to his facilities for propagating
and breeding fish.
All these advantages Mr.. Hammond
CAPSSVo W avail LlllStll vi III lllllt. TIC
has al present a thousand salmon eggs
and fifty thousand trout eggs in process
Of Matching. Next year he will com
mence the raising of black bass. Here
after he intends to produce his own fish
spawn, and expects to hatch at least
fifty thousand fish each year. His ex-
perlments thus far have more than JUS
titied his expectations. The proportion
of eggs Matched, and the size of his fish
are larger than in most of the Eastern
establishments. For the past four
months he has not seen sick or dead
fish among his fifteen thousand.
The ponds which these trouts occupy
or are to occupy, for at present they are
all III two ponds, are from sixteen to
thirty feet long and from four to six
feet wide. The water stands in them
to the depth of about four feet. The
walls are built of stone, covered with
cement; the bottom is gravel. Arrange
ments are made SO that the water may
be let out at the top or bottom. The
trout are fed once a day on chopped
liver. 1t is dropped in the water as
long as it is caught up by the trout. AS
soon as one piece falls to the bottom the
feeding stops. This is done to prevent
any decaying substance remaining in
the water. TO make this doubly sure,
the bottom is occasionally gone over
with very fine rake to remove any
substance lodged there.
Adjoining the fish ponds, and in con-
nectlon with them, is the Matching
house, substantial frame building,
eighteen by twenty-four feet in size. AT
one end Of this is the supply of water
that comes from the spring, filtered by
passing through wire screens and fan
mel. From here it proceeds through
small lead pipes into the Matching boxes,
where the thousands Of eggs are ex-
posed. These Matching troughs are
about eighteen feet long and eighteen
inches wide. The bottoms are covered
with gravel that has been boiled to de-
stroy insects, to the thickness of an
inch. The sides are lined with glass
: These troughs are divided into squares
by means OF cross piece OF wood, two
inches high, placed on the bottom.
Gates, that ply in grooves above these,
contine the water to a considerable
depth after the eggs are Matched. The
troughs are inclined so that the water
ho"' iiSoiy iiolli Siio W elu, anu inc
stops, eighteen inches apart, cause a
slight ripple. The eggs, part of which
We're Matching while we were there, lie
between the pebbles on the bot
tom of the trough, about an inch
OF water flowing over them. The young
fish require no food till they are at least
month old, or until such time as the
sack, that is attached to them when
they are Matched, disappears.
The eggs, as they come from the East,
are put up in tin boxes, three inches in
diameter, and three inches in height.
The bottoms are perforated to supply
air, The tops are tied on for like
reason. Each box contains thousand
eggs, placed in layers between damp
moss. The boxes, when filed, are
placed in large tin vessels, the space be-
tween beng packed with sawdust to
prevent the eggs, which are quite liable
to injury, from being Jared, and to pre-
serve them from the effect of change of
temperature. The eggs are not put up
for shipment till it is known that they
are impregnated, and that they retain
their vitality. The eyes of the embryo
fish, if living, may be plainly seen
through the covering Of the egg. The
dead spawn is of milk white color.
The direct rays of the sun must not fall
on the eggs while Matching.