American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1876-01-01
FiSh-Culture.

FIsH-CULTURE is an industry steadily
growing in importance. This subject
should be looked into by every one who
has running water upon his estate or who
can build ponds at reasonable cost. It
is true its votaries have been laughed at
as those who years ago advocated tree
culture on the prairies were laughed at !;
but time brings. all things right. Now
the advocates of timber planting are in
good repute and fish culture also is be-
ginning to receive something Of the at
tention its merits demand. Dr. Pratt, of
Kane, and the Hon. ID. A. Hammond, of
Cook County, ILL.,, are earnestly and indus
triously pursuing this industry to prac-
tical end, and others are doing so in other
parts of the country.
In many Western States and all over
the East regularly appointed Fish Com
missioners are stocking the streams with
foolish and many instances might be
cited where the most satisfactory results
have been attained. Whom time has been
given there is no doubt but the same re-
suits will be reached in the West Some
time ago it was asserted by one who had
given the subject much study that an acre
of water was capable of producing as
much food as an acre of land. From
what we have seen we should not like to
assert this to be incorrect.
Certain it is that every individual who
has running stream, an arteslan well
or other source of water that will supply
a continuous stream, however small, may,
by excavating a pond-and this may be
done at light expense If systematically
worked-supply a goodly sized family
with fresh fish from a pond of an acre in
extent.
Experimnets have demonstrated that it
makes but little difference of what mate
rial the bottom of the pond is composed,
except it be a pond for Matching eggs. In
this case gravel is said to be bad, since if
the fish spawn on gravel the eggs will be
lost. 1t is better that the ponds be so
arranged that the water can be drawn off
when necessary; but it seems immaterial
what kind of water be used, unless it is
very strong with mineral substances.
Even brook-trout do well in hard and
soft water, and mineral water is not in
furious to these fish unless strongly i'm
pregnated.
As testimony on this point we have the
statement of Mr.. Seth Green, the we'll
known authority on fish-culture, who says
trout have been known to live and do well
in a stream One-sixth of whose volume
was supplied from strong sulphur
spring. For trout he also says that, while
the purest water is the best, the essentials
are that the stream shall be reasonably
LII
or SO arranged that the supply taken from
it is uniform, and that the temperature
be between thirty-six and sixty-fi de-
grees.
All Western men know that the water
of ponds never gets warm enough in
summer to injure ordinary varieties of
fish. In arranging ponds it would be
that nearly the entire margin might be
shaded, thus adding to its GOODNESS. In
any pond supplied BY springs trout may
be reared successfully, and in ponds sup
piled by the water of springs any of the
fish natural to the locality or latitude may
be bred. Artificial ponds may be stocked
with the variety desired, just as our farms
are stocked with cattle, sheep and swine,
for fish are tanned and fed without diff
Guilty.
In discussing this question of fish-cult-
ure we do not advocate the breeding of
trout in ponds supplied with the water of
our ordinary prairie streams. Although
we have heard it asserted that it could be
done, we have never seen it, nor do we
believe it feasible. But we do know, in
localities where the water is clear and can
be kept comparatively cool, trout may be
bred successfully and at little cost, pro-
vided The supply of water, however small,
is constant, and whenever a pond can be
built having continuous supply of water
any of the fish natural to our streams may
be bred and fattened at mere nominal
cost.
But whether the culture of fish in arti-
fetal ponds becomes general industry
or not, the contamination of our natural
streams with filth of every kind, thereby
destroying our better fish, is matter that
should be looked into at once by the au-
thorities having jurisdiction. As an in
stance of this kind, near Chicago, we may
mention a habit of running the refuse of
the large distillery into the Calumet River,
near Dalton Station, not only filling up TO
great degree u stream navigable for YES
sells of large tonnage, but, as has been
stated by Inhabitants there, actually driv-
ing from the vicinity, and if so certainly
preventing, the annual run of lake fish TO
the upper couEtry,-Chieago Tribune,