Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1882-05-03
Fish for the Farmers.

We cannot conceive why it is that
with the immense influx of foreign |
immigration into this country, our
native born farmers are so slow to
learn the value of fish culture as
an item in rural economy. Travel
where YOU will on the Continent OF
Europe you will scarcely find an
estate of even modern extent With
out a fish pond. ii the surroundings
ave at all favorable to its construc-
tons.
In some parts Of tie Continent,
notable in tie Province OF SOlogne,
in France and in Piedmont, in lta
". fish culture is excluded in the
regular rotation. much of the farm
land being alternately under water
aid under the pow.
In France, Germany aud Italy |
it is led that given surface OF
laud devoted to tie different vane-
ties Of i1eshwater fl hes, but more |
especially such vegetable consum
ers as tie carp and the tench, Will
vi,ld a greater profit than amy crop
wha.e>er. tie estimate Is ton OF
fshmnually 10 every halt ac'e OF
wafer. 1t IS eaSy 20 see That The
profit rom lDis source, at even zen
cents pound (aqout halt the leai
value) far exceeds that from any clop
N any county, WHEELER tropical or
temperate. Almost lnseperable
from fish culture in Europe is that
of the basket willow, also peren
NAL, and very profitable crop. /
greatly neglected with us, though
We import annually from Europe
Sc, cial thousand tons OF ozlcrs al
great cos;, wien, IN a fact, We
might grow ard export them at a
prof.. +
Tie farms Of say two hWndled
aces in extent iii this country
whl.h d. lot afford sufficient facili
lies fer the construction OF ponds
suited to tie profitable growth OF
tie vegetarian fishes are the rare
exceptions. Most OF these ponds,
f.om the high temperature or In
purity OF tie wafer, would OF course
not be suited 10 trout. black bass,
or even the perch; but they offer
the identical conditions under Which
the carp and the tench flourish
best. The muddy bottom pro-
duces The aquatic plants upon
" hich they feed, and furnishes the
most ,ongenial bed for their hitter
nation, while the temperature OF
tie water is never too high for
their comfort.
1t has been objected that fish |
ponds breed forth malaria and
musqu;tos, but this has not been
found to be the case abroad, where
tiese ponds are generally in close
proximity to tie dwellings,, for 10
bcdy ef water will breed malaria II
the daily supply OF water equals
,he ,loss by evaporation, and no
POW. ,~,-S1,sd mosquitoes it,
sufficiently stocked with fish.
Very erroneous ideas arc preya-
lent in this country as regards the
edible qualities OF tie foreign carp |
we mean, OF Coulse, the German
carp imported by lie Federal
CO, eminent and distributed 10 any
ne without c,si, upon proper ap-
plication. The error is probably !
due TO our familiarity with the
sor-meated, fla, DRESS and ahogeth-
er worthless native fish so common
in cur waters. and known as carp
CT tucker.
The German carp is domesf-
Gated fish, holding the same rela
ton to otter fishes IS 10 our DO
nestle iewls to the wild bircs Of
the fields and ioiest.
For this noble conquest irom
nature we are indebted 10 The good
fathers oftho Roman Church, who
knew so we'll low 10 temper the
rigors of the Lenten season by
delicate cuisiene, the invention Of
suceulent dishes which Go not
come under the proscripti'e ban OF
tie church, and thus enable us TO
ccept chcertully the 'Carre vale Of
flty days.
Every monastery and convent in
the Old World is provided with a
piscine or fish preserve, and some
OF these are on a royal scale. The
oily Ieclus,s WHO Lave sought
shelter tiOn tie stOlms ana tempta-
lions Of a wicked vorld within the
walls Of these establishments,
have Tor centuries past devoted
themselves to the breeding and i'm
provemeat Ct the carp, and with
such success that it now ranks, IN
a easlronC mic sense, among the
n, blei fishes, second only 10 the
tm bot, the salmon and tie lake
cut.
The good fathers of Strasburg,
more than a century sill CO, sub
iected the carp 10 the same opera
ton which produced Tie unrivaled
soplali 'or Tie ohmch cLoirs Of