Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1875-02-26

In answer to an inquiry as to the
profits of fish culture for their flesh
only, Mr.. Fred Mather, a noted pisci-
culturist, writes to the Forest and
Stream as follows:
Fish culture is q broad field, and
after all the successes which are Oh
record there are still skeptics. Of
course there are failures. SO IN all
business. One party had not water
enough; another could not not get
food. But there are others who sue
ceeded by having everything favora-
bic in connection with the requisite
amount of brains. One great draw
back on private fish culturists has
been, in my opinion, the desire to
contine themselves to what are call
ed game fishes. They seem like
boys who mingle work and play.
The game fish are more or less can
nibals, and it is this that raises the
grayling in my estimation far above
the brook trout, for the trout are piss
civorous rs well as inscctivorous,
while the grayling cannot eat fish,
but thrivcs on the refuse Of the
slaughter-housc as well rs the trout
does. There are but few places suit
able for raising trout on a large scale,
and it is only on Il large scale that it
will pay. An ordinary spring will
suffice to furnish few, but to turn
out ton or more Il year requires not
only a large flow of water, but also a
great quantity Of food. There are
those who have made it pay, but | do
not feel at liberty to publish what lit
tie l know Of their business. Fish
culture for profit and fish cult re for
sport are distinct things, and the fol-
lowing gives my IDEAS Oh game
fish,:
l. | have kept trout at tempera-
ture above 60 deg, in fact, as high
rs IS deg, where there was good
flow and consequently rapid
change.
2. Don't dam a ravine for 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 everything
away.
3. If you dam the ravine, do it
high and lead the water III u ditch
along the hillside into ponds and let
all floods and surface water 90 over
the dam and down the old channel.
4. l find that trout kept at the
head of my spring, where the temper
allure is 40 deg, do not grow much
while those kept below, where it is
so deg. and IS deg, grow rapidly,
and tyout fry, if left free, will work
down where the water is even warm
or.
5. Black bass, pickcrcl and perch
are recommended where the water is
too warm for trout; but these fish are
all cannibals; the first named is good
for the table and for sportsmen; the
second is gormandizlng beast, I'M
fit to associate with decent fishes
and only eatable when nothing else
can be had; the third is good little
pan fish but terribly destructive to
other fish.
6. If were asked for list of
fishes to be kept III waters not suita-
bic for trout or grayling it would
comprise white fish, ciscoes, smelts,
the large carp of Europe, and the
square-tailed variety of catfish that
is known in the Eastern States as a
bull-head, horn-pout, etc. The indis-
crininate Introduction of prcdacious
fishes to please the sportsman has
been carried too far, and many wa
tiers are filled with them that will be
wanted for a more peacable and pro-
life fish in a few years. If you wish
to stock a hundred acres of land with
animals, what kinds will you choose
lions, tigers, wolves, weasels, etc,
or cattle, sheep, deer and rabbits?
And from which class would YOU ex-
pect the greater number of pounds of
meat?