The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1878-10-24
COMMUNICATED
Fish Ponds.
Carp-e Diem.

COMMUNICATED.
Fish Ponds.
Carp-e Diem.
"The hickory buds are swelling and
lack fish will bite now" is what the
school boys used to say, ever so long
ago, and when the spring comes around
We never see the vanished capsules but
We remember those days when to &c
a.isbing on our Saturday holiday was
an ever new delight.
The cool, clear sand-hill waters, COW
eyered with lily pads and bonuets, hiding
in their mysterious depths the biggest
trout, the 6ercest jack, and the infinite
tribe of maumouth and perch, flyer and
Dream. what revel it was and one
that every Southern boy has drunk OF
until his being was full of it--tbat ju-
bilee of water, earth, dir and sky. 4
Listen, for,the spring-time's coming; -,
Li,ten tothe wild bee humming--r
And the swallow, rs swinging " ~
In the air, while it is ringing
With his song, for he is bringing
News from far off Southern bowers,
That the summertime is coming Win lts
buds and flowers,
See, Mr.. Editor, we sat down to give
our experience of the practical part OF
fish and fishing, and one look back at
the ever so long ago, has set us off as it
we were that school boy still, but it,
deed upon our head what wae-ence black
lis now grey, aud what was grey is now
but never mind; we will say no more
on that head, but 90 on with our SUBJ
ject. =
THE CULTURE OF FISH IN PONDS.
Some twenty-five years ago we were so
situated as to control q bold, flush stream
Of water, divertiug it quarter of a mile
off, at an elevation and bringing it down
to lower level and so formed pond,
with jet of some, one hundred gallons
to the minute, rising in the centre to
the height of eighteen feet, falling with
splash that was pleasant to listen to,
and could be heard on still night a
mile off. This pond. in places eight
feet deep, we stocked With 6sh-bream
and red belly perch--(that grow as large
as Dream from the river, and our trout
from the large pond nearby. The pond
was soon alive with fry from all these,
aud to-day the fine old factory pond,
into which the outlet from this fish
pood found its way, is stocked with the
largest Dream, though none were in it
before. We soon discovered that the
trout. were too much for the smaller
fish, and, having an abundant supply Of
water, made another pond into which
the trout were put. There were Soma
very large ones--weighing FIVE, six,
eight and ten pouuds--but it would not
do. Predacious fish in close U7tefs
scM not pay. They were objects OF
great iutereat. and these large fish, a.
tL-J oaw the shadow of one approach
ing, would force themsefvetasmnst the
bank, showing their back fins out Of the
water, and take pieces of meat from the
hand, but any fish uuder foot long was
either eaten up, or bit or worried to
death. 1t was a "Kilkenny cat" bust.
ness; the trout eat up first the small fish
and then one another. The war and its
consequences, interfering, nothing was
done; but attention has been tarned once
again to the subject, and SONG of US IN
this vicinity propose to 60 regularly into
the rearing Of fish 10 ponds. We find
that the carp, 80 famous as . cultivated
fish all over Europe, belongs To the
cyRriaiidde or. sucker tribe, and-is a
vegetable feeder Here is akey to the
Whole question :: :: Prof: Spencer Baird,
U. S: Fish 0ommissinner. has introduced
the carp from Germany, and expects to
be able to deliver them in the fall, and
though his number will be limited, has
promised US a showing. He says Of the
carp: 'The advantage OF: this species
consists in its being a vegetable feeder,
living upon aquatic plants, and feeding
voraciously upon lettuce, cabbage leaves,
bread, &c" It has also been domes-
ticated for many years, and is to other
fish what poultry is to birds. It is also
semi-domestic fish. and more suscepti-
Bile Of being crowded into limited waters
than any other species known to fish
culturists, and does we'll in q warm
climate. He also says, in speaking Of
our trout, II am very familiar with
what you call trout, and agree with you
as to its great voracity and un6tuess for
cultivation as matter Of economy. 1t
is one of the black bass, so abundant in
the Mississippi valley and the Potomac:
During a recent visit to Florida and
South Carolina I saw q number OF
them"
Independent of the imported, we have
several fine fish, its congeners, (of the
order cyprinidae) of our own which
we know would do we'll in ponds. In
Louisiana we found two varieties of the
buffalo-one very large-grows to the
weight of thirty to fifty pounds, and
even larger, and smaller variety run.
ming as high as six to eight pounds,
called by the Creoles casper gou-both
vegetable feeders; and it is wonderful
the number Of these that are packed
away in q Louisiana bayou. In slug
glish, muddy water they are moi so good
but when taken in clear, strong tide
way, weighing from five to ten pounds