The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-09-06

ing of trout, Dream, maw-mouths, red
bellied perch and suckers-the trout, of
which there were ioplys 100, weighing
from, four pounds, which:was the heavi-
est, to one and half pounds, the Oldest
and largest being; four years old My
pond isitwo acres and half in extent.
Myriads Of young fish, the weight of
which is not reckoned in the above, were
put back and are now doing better since
the larger ones have been taken out. In
fact, all ponds,. Including mill ponds,
| should be- drained and the fish. assorted
at least every third year. 1t should be
borne in mind that the 700 pounds were
the product: of the pond, with no assist
ance whatever, except the occasional
throwing inufa little grist, more for the
purpose of attracting the fish to-certain
localities where I was in the habit of
using the hook, than for regular feeding,
and that it was not the result of an un-
usual accumulation, for the pond, had
| been subjected to vigorous fishing each
| year since its commencement. -,
The truth is, that meagre as have been
the results obtained by pisciculturists of
include myself, in which we had right
to expect better returns-not Lone in
which we deserved success I have yet
to hear of any one in this State who has
made use of Matching boxes, artificial
formulation, or any of the plans or ap-
pliances by means of which so much is
being done. elsewhere. My experiments
in artificial Matching have been on an ex-
ceedingly small scale, mostly in -tum-
blers, soup plates and in small glass
aquarium, and more for the purpose of
testing the truth of the discovery than
for practical advantage.
Seth Green and other pisciculturists of
the North, who have done. so much for
the country, pursue regular systematic,
scientific routine-frst constructing
ponds with a proper regard for water
supply and extent Of surface, having due
care against damage from freshets and
other unfavorable contingencies. Then
attention is given to The procuring and
impregnating of eggs. These are hatched
in boxes judiciously arranged for the
purpose; the young are then confined in
separate reservoirs, according to age and
size, because fishes of the same size can
not swallow each other. Here they are
regularly supplied with animal food,
which is made to take the place of fish
diet until ready for market. So COM
pletely has the process been perfected
that nature herself has been. .outwitted in
the arrangement, and the fact established
that pisciculturists can breed fish faster
than fish can breed themselves. 1t has
been said that whoever raises and sends
to market a million of frogs will be The
possessor of an immense fortune by the
transaction. 1t is equally true that who
ever properly cultivates the fresh water
turtle, which fourishes in any kind of
water and feeds largely upon aquatic
plants, which all ponds should furnish,
will find himself largely the gamer.
But to him who, first raises the produce
of only single pair of either the trout.
the Dream, red-bellied perch maw-
mouth, red.horse, humped-back sucker,
cat, or almost any other of our numerous
species, simple as is the process, will be
due the gratitude of the State. fDo with
our trout (Grystes salmoides (what Green
has done with his trout (Salmo fon-
tinalis}, and compare results. His fish
produces about 600 eggs, requires several
months to hatch and about: four years of
careful feeding to2 reach one pound in
weight. From one of our. trout Ihave
counted over 16, 600 eggs, and they fre-
quently rear two broods in a year; they
can be hatched in from four to six days,
and in four years would easily average
four pounds in weight. Deduct ten per
cent.-usual loss from eggs to fsh-and
you have $40 fry in one instance; II, 400
ties, and you have 2,O7O for one and
7,200 for the other. Feed them for four
years and the difference in weight is in
favor of the Southern fish by y28,530
pounds. The difference in ifavor is
claimed for the salmo fontinalis, but I
have yet to see even the epicure who
would discard the Grystes salmoides
either for pot or pan purposes. AS a
game fish, he is little if at all inferior to
the brook trout. Ali can testify who
have had one at the: end of his rod that
he neither lacks pluck nor energy. 1 do
believe, with this fish treated as are some
at the North, that it is practicable to add
millions of pounds to our supply, and
yet am not prepared to say that it is
our most valuable species for ponds in
fact have always thought that to some
of the cyprinoid family would be given
the palm. '. ,''
Whilst engaged on this article, Mr..
James M. Stewart, of Winnsboro, fur
nished the following information: His
mill dam broke during the last heavy
rains and ran down to the bottom. In it
were left two trout of several which I
had given him, aud which were just two
years old. One weighed two pounds, and
three-quarters, the other two pounds and
one-quarter. sNeitherThad3 beenfed arti.
ficially. y gaE f. I "a ~
This information is exceedingly saia-
able, as it shows that larger results as to
weight eau be reached than has been yes-
.timated, and that clear waters are by no
means essential, for Mr.. Stewards, pond
is situated among the reddest and steep
est hills of Fairfield, and is after every
rain as muddy as clay hole.
/ suggest, in conclusion, the formation
Of a society, which will have for its OBJ
iect the advancement of pisciculture, to
be called "The South Carolina Piscicul-
tural Association" This body, having
such bylaws and officers as may be
agreed upon, could meet with either the
State Grange or the State Agricultural
and Mechanical Society, or with both,
and could by assigning experiments with
different kinds Of fish to different sections
of the State, and by sending delegates toi
similar bodies in other States, tend large
ly to the speedy solution of the now
doubtful question so often asked, what is
the best fish for the ponds of this State ?
The problem before us, then, is to!
raise the young of single pair, even
where there are thousands of pairs in
reach. Do this, and fish ponds are a
grand success.