The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1882-08-24
For THE HERALD.
Fish Culture.
An Interesting Article from Rev. J. a. Sigh.

A new era, it seems, is dawning
upon our State; indeed upon the en-.
tire South. n great many of OUT
citizens are shaking off the dust of
the past, getting out of the old ruts
and ne" life is apparent everywhere.
The cotton crop, though an excellent
aud important one to the South when
properly understood aud handled, will
never again, it is to be hoped, occupy
all of the farmers time, attention aud
lands, as has been the case for SO many
years. 10 this general waking up,
when money is seeking investment in
rail roads, cotton factories, farming
implements and the general improve
men; Of the soil, and when our coun-
trymen are looking more to the 'educa.
tion Of the young, the comforts Of
home and supplying in an easy and
| economical way that which keeps soul
and body together, it may not be amiss
to speak to your readers of small and
pleasant industry known as
FISH CULTURE.
With your permission I will try to
write two OF three short articles on
| this subject for publication in your
excellent paper.
In this first article I wish simply
to speak of what I have lately ascer-
tanned in regard to the increase of fish
in my ponds.
In January, 1881, I received frou
Col. A. P. Butler twenty young Ger
man Carp, which I suppose would
have measured at tha: time three
inches in length. I have managed up
to this date, but not without trouble,
to save eight of this number from be-
ing killed and eaten up by their enc
mics. Last summer these fish did not
spawn, as they we're then but Que year
old. I have recently drawn the water
from the small pond iu which these
carp we're placed and I was delighted
when I found some three or four hun
dred little fellows from two to two aud
half iuches in length in healthy
and growing condition. This number
may seem to be quite small to some of
your readers, but 10 one who has been
trying to raise fish for six or eight
years aud has not succeeded very well;
aud especially to one who has had fears
and hopes as to the successful hatch
ing and raising Of carp in our coun-
try, the number, though small, is
nevertheless gratifying. The eight
old ones are perfect beauties, meas
uriug in length some fifteen or eigh-
teen inches. A carp, with proper
care and food in this climate, be-
lieve can be made to weigh ten
pounds at three years old Now
suppose l can keep two hundred Of
these young carp until they are three
years old; 1 will then have two
thousand (2,0OQ) pounds Of fish
now add to this another thought ;
suppose for every eight of these there
will be an increase of two hundred for
| two out of the three years; then l
will at the end of the third year have
ten thousand 100000 carp from one
to two years old. This is a very low
estimate; fer with a suficiency of
water and proper care in the way of
keeping down their enemies and sup
plying them with food, this estimate
I have no doubt could be doubled,
thripled, and even quardrupled.
received from Col. Butler and
his excellent and attentive assistant,
Mr.. Ruske: last January sixteen
Blue Brean,,' which I placed in a
pond to themselves. About the first
of April they were all alive and doing
well. I have not drawn off the water
since that time to know what the iu-
crease has been, bot 1 have taken a
half bushel basket at various
times and by dipping it into the
water on the sides of the poud have
seldom failed to catch from one to
ten little Dream at haul. | am sat-
isfed that these excellent FISH can be
more easily aud abundantly raised than
the carp, as they are more active in
keeping out of the way of their ene-
mics, and do not 60 to sleep in hard
winter weather With their heads stuck
into the mud for the turtles terrapins,
craw6sb, minks and muskrats to feed
upon. The Dream, not perch Of other
kinds called by some Dream, but the
real Dream, is considered by good
Judges to be as fine fresh water fish
as swims.
In my large pond last spring I put
in some three or four hundred War
Mouth Perch of various sizes, some
weighing over pound, and 1 would
not like to be compelled to count the
little ones that have made their ap.
pearanee since that time. Suffice it
to say, that judging from what have
seen their number will reach into the
thousands. These are also good fish
and grow to be as large as the Dream
and, like them, will bite at hook
with all their might. They are called
BY some Nav, mouth, but the correct
name, J believe, is Yarmouth. Their
mouths are very large aEd With them
they make war on other fish.
In my next, I will speak Of the
construction of fish ponds, &c.
J. A. SL1GH.