The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1874-07-16
Fish for Farmers.

The impression seems to prevail that the
raising of fish, especially brook trout 1.-THE
most desirable of fish, is necessarily at
tended with large expense, which cannot
be INDUCED by the average farmer. 1t is
not generally supposed that man may
make a saving by raising his own fish, as
he does by producing his own beef, pota-
toes, and breadstuff; yet | believe it to be
true. OF course, not every farm has facil-
tiles for raising fish at all, but anywhere in
a temperate climate, where there is good
spring of water or clear running stream
not too much affected by floods, and the
water does not rise above go in summer, a
few trout may be raised, and large num-
bers if the water supply is ample.
Three or four days work of two men
and team will complete pond sufficient
to raise trout enough for an ordinary fam
ily, if the ornamental is nOtcOmbined with
the useful The sides may be walled up
with stone, with or without mortar the
bottom and sides may be made of boards,
or the hole may be scoOped out, leaving
the earth only to form the bottom and
sides. In the latter case, or in any case, 1t
is better to have board or other covering
over some portion of the pond, to protect
the fish from storms and sun. The pond
should be long and not very wide, that the
water NAV have nearly an equal current
i'm every part. This is to prevent its be-
coming stagnant.
If the fish are to be fed regularly, and
the supply of water is abundant, large
number will thrive in very small space :;
but if they are left to forage for portion
of their food, more room must be given
them. Give only animal food; such "a
lights, liver, or scraps of any kind OF meat,
chopped fine enough so they can take il
easily. Angleworms make good food, but
cannot be collected in sufficient quantities
to supply many fish.
The process of taking the spawn from
the adult trout requires some skill, and is
attended with many difficulties. 1t is bet
ter for person starting the business to OBJ
tain the impregnated eggs of fish cultur-
ist. which he can do at a small outlay.
rhe eggs are packed with moss in tin
box surrounded by layer of sawdust and
all enclosed in tin pail. In this way eggs
may be safely sent to any part OF the
country.
Make a trough by mailing six inch
board on each edge of wider one, so that
inside measurements will be 10 to 10
inches wide, and five inches deep. A
trough II feet long will do to hatch 1000
or 5000 eggs. Fit, in the bottom, at in
tervals of Is inches, cross strips one and
half inches wide, and fill up between with
fine gravel (which has been thoroughly
washed) to the depth of one inch. Level
down the gravel nicely on top. Connect
one end of the trough with spring OF pure
water and depress the other end little
Just enough to secure gentle current over
the cross strips.
1t will now be observed that the water
is half an inch deep over the gravel, which
depth is to be maintained during the time
of matching. The supply of water should
be about what will run through half
inch pipe. and must be filtered by run
ming through gravel or a flannel screen.
The temperature of the water should be
somewhere from 45o to $50. The water Of
most springs, near where it comes from
the ground, remains at about the same
Temperature during the whole year.
Now will suppose the eggs to have
been received from trout culturist. Ar
fer taking the tin box from the sawdust in
which it was placed, let it remain couple
of hours near the water i'll the trough
that it may acquire nearly the same tenn
perature then carefully empty the con
tents of the box into pan of water; re
move most of the moss with the fingers,
the rest may be washed out readily by re
peatedly pouring out part of the water
and as often filling the pan. The eggs are
heavier than the moss, and will remain or
the bottom. Dam the water in the
trough by placing an extra strip IN one O
the cross-strips mentioned above. NOW
lower the pan containing the eggs into the
water of the trough, and by tipping one
side down let the eggs run out on the
| gravel. Move the pan along as the egg
are running out so that they will be evenly
distributed. Remove the extra cross striI
very slowly to prevent rush of water.
Ifvou have no hatching-hOuse, thu
trough must be provided with a boarC
! cover to keep out sun, rain, and snow
| Mice and rats are fond of the eggs, anC
will DESTROY large numbers if allowed tC
oct at them. If at any time dead egg !:
| found which may be told by its turning 8
milky white color, it must be removed, a.
a kind of mildew soon forms about it
which will in time communicate with anC
| kill all the eggs in its vicinity.
The Young fish require no food for
month or more after Matching; at the enc
of this time they should be fed regularly
at least once day, with the yolk of al
epg. boiled hard and grated, or curd o
sour milk. The water may be raised il
the trough when the eggs are all hatched
to give the fry more room. when TN
fish are, say three months old, they can d.
removed to the pond.
The writer fthis recently had the pleas
ure of visiting the celebrated Seth Greer
fish ponds. where are to be seen thou
sands of the finny tribe, from the proud
oyerbearing trout of three or four pound
weight down to the insignificant fry. Ih'
frv. yearlings, twO-year-olds. ETC., ar
kept in separate ponds to prevent tn
large ones eating the small ones. Ihes
ponds are mostly of small sizes or II
feet by l5 to 80 feet, and three or four fee
deep. Space is econOmized, large mum NJ
bers of fish being kept in each pond. Inc,
NAV be seen sometimes chasing each othe
about and sometimes huddling in a blac
souirm:np mass. Not only are broo
trout propagated here, but salmon trout
whitefish, bass. gold fish, silver tlsh, sal
mon. etc. The latter, salt water flsn {
wonderful beauty, is successfully raised
the wafer taken from Caledonia Creek (NeN
York; NV attention was called to cur
osity in one of the ponds, in the shape
dozen, perhaps. of albino salmon, eV
IDENTIFY about a year old. They were llk
the others. with the exception of having
white skin and pink eyes.-CoT. ~.
Tribune. ... -.---L
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