Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1874-05-26
FISH BREEDING
At the Establishment OF Messrs. CROCK
EFT a. HOLMES, Norway. Maine.


CRocKErr & HOLMES. Mr.. Crockett's
new house is located on the east side oil
of the road. upon the summit oil steep
hill. Facing this hill is Que with equally
abrupt sides; and in the narrow gorge
between runs the stream which is employ
cd for tho purposes of breeding aud
rearing fish. This brook rises in n
"spring not very far of" in the woods;
and has remarkably even temperature,
being peculiarly adapted to pisciculture.
Ice was thing unknown in this brook.
even before the sheds and. troushs were
built above il.
The stream is damned at tho upper
end OF the valley; and the dam is so pro
vided with gates that the supply OF water
in the pond is uniform. All surplus water
passing through the gates, runs down The
orig inal brook bed.
Close to the dam is the Matching house.
building about twenty by twenty.iour
feet. 1t Contains nino Matching troughs.
sixteen feet long, eighteen inches wide
and about eight inches deep. The
troughs are made Of boards whose int O..
surfaces have been charred. A good
quality OF clean sand is spread upon the
bottom of each trough. All these pre-
cautions are necessary; for if the water
sh ould become impure the eggs would
spoil and the young fish would die.
The h itching used formerly 10 be done
by placing the eggs upon the sand in
these lroughs. BY that method it became
necessary to carefully examine the eggs
several times each week. and all bad and
injured ones were removed. This re
quired vast amount OF labor, and did
not produce very satisfactory results. n
new method OF Matching has been lately
introduced. 1t consists in deposiling the
eggs upon W ire screens. and these screens
are placed in the Matching troushs. The
firmly secured across small
rectangular frames. which arc made TO lit
the troughs. are prepared with parratine
so rs to render them sticky. that the eggs
may adhere 10 them. Alter the eggs are
properly secured. water is admitted to
the troughs. through which it runs. above
and below the screens, until the eggs are
Matched. which takes place some days
earlier than by tho old sand.hatching
method.
When the fish hatch they are provided
with small sac, located directly under
meath the gills. which contains nourish'
ment sufficient to last them four or five
weeks, when the little fellows are able to
eat. and the sac disappears.
When the fish arrive at the age of two
months. they are removed to another
trough and fed with chopped liver. These
are the only raiions allowed them. AT
six months they are sized, the larger
ones being placed in separate compart'
ment,-ior they have cannibaiStic pro
peusilies. and unless removed at = suitable
size. will kill and devour their weaker
brethren. At the age of one year they
are again sorted and sized after which
they will look out for themselves. The
compartments ouccupicd by the several
sizes of fish are all connected by long
trough through which water constantly
flows from the pond The fish in each
tank being prevented from .mngling by
a wire screen, placed at each end OF the !
respective tanks.
Messrs. Crockett & Holmes have about |
a half ton in weight OF fins large trout
some of them weighing five pounds or
over. The tank in which the largest fish |
are placed contains several thousand line |
fellows, whose sleek sides and bright
colors attest to health. and liberal diet.
Mr.. Holmes fed the fish during our visit,
aud the sight was one. the like OF which |
is seldom witnessed The instant guam.
tity oil liver touch ID the suffice OF the |
water it was soizoL by 4 host OF mouths.
the fishes jumping fairly out OF the water
in their ea.erncss 10 obtain the food. The
smaller fishes seemed no less greedy, and
la.hed the water into foam in their
individual endeayors to be first. Thirty.
five pounds OF liver are eaten by the fish !
each day. They are fed twice = day-at
six in the morning and the same hour at
night.
Messrs. c. & III. propose to erect new
Matching house this season. They have
discovered fine spring few rods dis
tant from the site of the present house.
which they propose employing, as spring
water is preferable for Matching purposes.
This house will have sufficient capacity
TO hatch from six TO eight hundred thou
sand annually. They row hatch about
seventy thousand. Every one who visits
the place and sees those splendid fish has
q desire 10 take one out "on the ily;-
and TO meet this wish. the proprietors
propose 10 arrange an ARTIFICIAL ponu lor
sporting purposes. Persons may take
fish from this pond with the fly or hook
at a stipulated price. These gentlemen
are to place several hundred black bass
the Norway pond this season. preparatory
TO stocking it with trout; and in a few
years we may expect to find trout fishing
again profitable and amusing occupa
ton in our waters. which have been so
Il /