, 1875-02-20
Is Fish Culture Profitable!

IL answer to an inquiry as to the profits
of tish culture for their flesh only, Mr..
Fred. Mather, noted pisclcuiturist,
writes to the Forest and Stream as fol
( lows:
Fish culture is a broad field, and after
| all the successes which are on record
there are still skeptiCs. OF course there
are failures. So in all business. One
party had not water enough: another
could not get food, etc But there are
others who succeeded by having every
thing favorable in connection with the
requisite amount of brains. One great
draw back on private fish culturists has
been, III my opinion, the desire TO confine
themselves to what are called game
| fishes. They seem like BOYS who mingIe
work and play. The game fish are more
or less cannibals, and it is this that
raises the Crawling in my estimation far
! above the brook-trout, for the trout are
plSclvorouS as well rs insectivOrous
while the grayling cannot eat fish but
| thrIYeS on the refuse of the slaughter
| house as well rs the trout does. There
are but few places suitable for raising
trout on large scale, and il is only on a
large scale that II viii pay. An ordinary
spring VIII suffice 10 furnish few, but
10 turn out ton or more a wear reuuireS
not only large flow of water, but also a
great quantity of food. There are those
who have made it pay, hut do not feel
at liberty 10 publish what little know
OF their business. Fish culture for profit
and hsh culture for sport are distinct
things, and the following gives my ideas
on game fish:
/ nave Kept trout at a temperature
above 90 deg, in fact As high as - deg
where there was good flow and copse.
quently a rapid change ,. Don't dam
ravlne toT a pond; the wind Will blow
leaves IN, which, with the leaves and drift
brought down BY rains. will clog the
screens and the floods Will carry every
thing away. >. If you dam the rayine,
do 1t high up and lead the water in a
dItcn along the hillside into ponds and
let all floods and surface water 20 over
me dam and down the old channel { II
md that trout kept at the head Of my
spring, where the temperature Is 50 dcr..
do not grow much, while those kent he /
low, where il is 90 deg. and IS deg. grow
N'N-N- 'A'Hb II II Ftkt Tree. VII ]
work down whore the water Is even 1
warmer. >. Back has, pickerel and .
perch are recommended where the water
IS TOO warm Tor trout: but these fish are
All cannlbalS: The first named IS 90 u for F.
the table and the sportsman; the second |
Is a gormandK ng beast, unfit 10 associate
with decent fishes aud only catahle when
nothing better can be had: the third is a
GOOD little pan fish but terribly deSru .
i've to other fish. 6. If | were asked
Tor list of fishes to be kept in waters
not suitable for trout or Crawling il would
comprise white fish, ciScoeS, smeIts. the
large carp of Europe and the square
tailed variety of catfish that is known in
the Eastern States as a bull-head, horn
pouJ, etc. The indiscriminate inrroduc-
ilon OF predaciOuS fishes to please the
sportsman has been carried too far. and
many waters are filled with them thai
VIII be wanted for a more peaceable and
prolific nsh in few years If YOU wish
10 stock hundred acres of land with
ANIMALS what kinds viii YOU chooSe-lions
igers, wolves, weaSels. etc, or cattle.
'heep, deer and rabbits: And from /
which class would YOU expect the greater !
lumber Of pounds of meats