South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1882-12-01
A Mod. I Fish Pond.
CULTIVATION OF EuRoPEAS rfss ~
VIRGINIA 'wArERs--rnE FISH FARM

contributed 70 tie Syracuse Journal.
A reporter chauced TO be canterinp a :
long one ~ The cliaracteristically ronyh
roais In Western Yirgioia, near Cha, <,
Gap, one day last summer. when the
Gull roar OF falling water attracted his
attention. CHANGING ahead lie perceiv.
ell an unusual Sight for that section or
Vie country,a beautiful pond OF largo
extent. ornamen;ed by an open houss
VI aiustic design In the centre o. its
"a'eis, Whicn was connected with the
soore ny fanciful bridge. A wide
cieen walk bordcred the miniature lake
winch mlrrored the dense verdure of tall
naples and other trees that partially
sheitered II from the glare of the sun !:
ana an old-fashioDed stone wall. of
Inas END so common in this region. of
| INIT and i-onstone. lent a turthercharm
| by seeming the other .ise modern sv,-
| founuings with an agreeable odor of an
tiquity.
Wish journalistic assurance, which
no'hing daunts, the reporter di.mouut-
va anu sought out the proprietor. who
proved 10 be Mr.. Thompson Pax on. one
" Tue ehterpr'sing gentlemen Of Lou
uouh county, Va. Having stated his
business, MIR. Iaxson cUurteous.y pro -
ceeued TO show the points of interest
about the place. he was o true TYNE
o. 'lrginian, with "a disnterestcd kind.
ness beaming in his couuienance. and n
determination TO make stranger feel
at case, which he displayed in his 'ex-
treme courteous attention. Around linn
| constantly lowered an amusing satellite
pl a,
us lace towards its planet for the lea
son IL had no ether SIDE 10 turn. | was
In brief, sable youth Of nine or ten
summers, who, forgetluI of father and
mother chose TO share The daily v5ci.-
| STUDIES and iabors OF an adopted mas
! Ter.
We were soon 8 anding w..hlp The
open structure in the pond.
King 'em up said Mr.. Paxson To
ihe satellite, nj which he began to i'm
gle little bell vigorously. la q mo
mont commotion in the water was
noticed over The entire poud, aud waves
like the wakes of Little boats could he
seen IN every direction leading towards
TIE house, al before long the wafer a
round us seemed almost To boil with the
schools OF fish that gathered at the Call.
lie then fed them with cornbread bro.
ken into small fragments, and orcen
corn of The cob. The fish scramble
after it like so many street camincs
alter penny, and some mo re venture
some Than he rest, fine, large fellows
that must bring down the scales a, five
or SIX pounis, would leap far out of the
wafer to catch piece they saw comins.
There lie q platform two feet beneath
the surface CT the water, extending sew
etal feet beyond the house all around j,
20 catch the food. o herwiss much OF
II would be lost, and laying in the mud
on tue bottom woul in a short while
render the water foul and unhealthy.
The pond is complete in every partic.
nlar. It occupies three fou: Tbs Of en-
acre, with on average depth OF 8 feet.
Tie banks are lined insid. with blank
wall that reaches several feet bene ath
the bottom Of the pond eifccluaiIy pre-.
ciudng ell possibility Of an escape of
Tue water by muskrat bUriu2s. or the
washing OF The waves. Another advan.
tage possesses, securing it against IN
undaLlonS in event of q fires. e.. il thai
the sur ace Of The water in Tho pond is
six feet above the meadow IN which il
stands. The advantage of this over
the nmon method Of building ponds
aS low or lower than the surroundiug
land, can be readily seen, and is by no
means miner consideration. Tie
pond is fe 10y n stream, sufficient wa.
ter from IL IS conducted in a pine six
inches IL diameter, which leads il SIX or
eight fee; into the blind ditch. Thus
only SO much water as can enter n six.
inch pipe 10 admitted to the pon
which prevents it being flooded or wash
Cd out, even IN the Highest water. and
immunity from dirt ana tie aluissi3a
OF smell creek fish, which wouli in ma
ny ways injIre AID destroy the cult
waited fish, - accomplsho toy iuterpos-
ing tiAe screen between tie creek AMI
The mouth Of The pipe.
10 FISH but the European earn il cal.
livated in the pond. a better food fl IN
does not exist than this. H. has always
been hell IN tie highest estimation for
tue table IN Europe. The price pad
Tor a. 10y the farlsian7 seems almost in
credible Fifty cents pound il tb,
sGm i, comm .nds IN the Paris markets.
Tho average we ght Of the f-h sold il
l"obt l"ur ana a hait pounds. which
brings the average price up to two Dbl
l-rs anil more apiece
Americans, however. will pay No such
price as iaai. and fGeon cents n pound
Is all they will c)nnan | il our large
cities
Prof. Stephen Baird, ol ,hs smith
s3rilG Institution, fr lire: tied pub
lic HtJ ntlon ~ these fish about twenty
years ago, and es'hhisnel ponds FOR
thcir cul'u.J in Wssbingt,r. Dr. Has.
sell, Gcrma0. was brought here to
supcfiutrni thc work AMI tEs govern.
m-n. ponds are s.lI ia Ii4 charge. 4.
ny person having q suitable place fer
them can obtain number Ihye puir-j
20 sock q poud, upon application, &c
companlrd with @ tIlldesc,iptiJu OF bis
tICfiiiits for ur9ita.sttin . tb.r,