The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1874-04-24
FISH CULTURE.
Visit to the Establishment Of a Pioneer
in the Business.


in the Business.
There are but few industries o.
modern times that have attracted
more attention, or have received
more liberal encouragement than
fish culture-or technically pisci-
culture. The early Inhabitants OF
oar country, or the new settlers in
the various localities, were able to
obtain considerable portion of the
means of subsistence from the
streams, lakes and forests. But the
advance of settlements have been
attended by large elimination, and
in some places, the almost total ex-
tinction of these sources of food.
These once common articles of food,
fish and game, have gradually be-
come articles of luxury, which in
some places are both rare and ex-
pensive.
The supply of fish for home use
having attracted the notice of per-
sons in various parts of the country,
some progress has been made in the
Inauguration of means for meeting
the demand. One person in this
portion OF the State has borne q
liberal part In the effort to intro
duce this kind OF food supply, and
impart information upon the sub
iect. The name of Alfred Palmer
of Boscobel, Grant county, Wiscon-
sin, has become well known among
the pioneers in that department of
industry. During recent visit in
that vicinity, 1 embraced the OPP
portunity to visit his establishment
for the propagation and care of
brook trout, and embrace the oppor-
tunity to furnish some notes of my
observations, and to repeat the in
formation kindly impaired by Mr..
Palmer.
His place, which is situated near
the village of Boscobel, was chosen
on account Of the necessary supply
of water being furnished from per-
rennial springs which furnish the
required supply of water from the
neigboring hills. This supplyof cold
and running waters are imperatiVely
demanded by the brook trout. The
water from these springs flows into
a rivulet when there is sufficient de-
clevity to admit of the construction
of a succession of ponds, through
which the water flows in sufficient
quantities for his purpose.
My observations were rendered
somewhat imperfect on account of
some repairs and improvements
which were being made, and which
had rendered the water in many of
the ponds So turbid as to prevent a |
good view of their inhabitants. |
But an observation of his arrange
ments for Matching and for the care
of little fish during a few W. eks,
was not prevented by this accident.
His arrangements for Matching were
the most interesting, as this is the
chief item upon which the work de-
ponds. They are situated in a
small building and are partly the
invention of Mr.. Palmer. This con-
sists of two long, but narrow
troughs, few inches deep, and lin
ed with zinc. The zinc lining is the
improvement referred TO, which |
was added by Mr.. Palmer. This
he regards as peculiarly useful on
account of the facility it furnishes
for keeping the troughs clean. The
troughs are partly divided into sew
eral compartments, the water flow
ing over the shallow walls, onward |
through them, successfully. One
of these compartments had been Sc
lected, upon which a pebbly bottom |
was arranged for the deposit of ova |
or spawn. A constant stream of
water flows through a pipe and
falls into the upper compartment,
thereby securing the necessary adj
mixture of air with water
l was fortunate in making my
visit at the time of Matching or
when it was nearly completed.
There were schools OF thousands of
these diminutive fish, which appear
ed as fieecy cloud, moving oyer
the bottom of the trough.
The chief impediment to success
seems to be in the supply of such
food as these diminutive beings are
able to swallow. This selection of
food having attracted much atten-
ton, Mr.. Palmer discovered that
frozen cream would meet the de-
mand. Whenever a small mess of
this material is thrown into the wa
ter, it is Immediately separated into
minute particles which are readily
seized, and easily swallowed by
these little fish. After q few weeks
a portion of their food may be de-
rived from the slaughter house, or
the liver and lungs of animals.
While q larger portion of the nat
ural food of fish is supposed to be
derived from small insects, these are
too large for the young fish to swal-
low, and as a consequence, large
numbers of them are lost by starva-
ton. 1t is question worthy of at
tention, whether the streams of
Kansas may not be profitably used
in fish culture. C. Be.
Madison, Wis, April Sth, 1874.
THE PULsE.-A healthful grown