The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-04-28
The Cultivation of Fish.

/ Inv SuAVAVoO4Oh VA 4 AoAH
A Rockville correspondent of the
Baltimore Sun gives the following
interesting account of the successful
breeding of the carp by Mr.. Benz. D.
Palmer, residing near Sandy Springs,
Montgomery county:
1.-THE most notable fish pond of this
section is that of Mr.. Benz. D. Pal
mer, situated on his farm in Mechan-
icsville district, near Sandy Spring,
Montgomery county. and distant
about ten miles from Rockville. This
pond was started in November, 1880,
for home use, and has been eminent.
ly successful. Many persons have
visited it, and number of farmers
in the community have started ponds
and gotten their stock fish through
the kindness of Mr.. Palmer. The
pond is situated in natural basin
between two hills, and is supplied
with water from spring and blind
bitches, which drain the adjacent
land. The pond has an area of about
one sixth of an acre, its greatest
depth being seven feet. 1t runs off
shoal at the edges, so the fish can
come out in two or three inches of
water to Gun themselves. The edges
of the pond are also made shallow
that the water grasses and other veg
etable feed may grow. The dam,
constructed across the narrowest part
of the basin, has length of 50 feet.
tits solid masonry set with cement.
Earth is banked up on the water side
of the dam, as the masonry is only
intended as support. Though the
basin was naturally deep, Mr.. Pal
mer hauled from its sides and bottom
to further deepen it, 1903 loads of
dirt. The basin was too marshy to
use the pillow, so the dirt was all taxi
en- out with shovel. The part re-
moved consisted of the washings
from the surrounding upland and
was very rich in vegetable nutri-
ment. The excavated material was
spread on ten acres of land, anf the
benefit the succeeding crops receiv-
ed from it has been remunerative.
In order to prevent earth from be-
ing washed into the pond by surface
drainage when the land surrounding
it has been plowed, a ditch encircles
the pond. Mr.. Palmer has the pond
arranged tor letting off the water &C.
cording to an idea of his own. This
contrivance consists of a four inch
iron pipe running from outside the
bottom of the stone masonry into the
pond about ten feet. The end of the
pipe in the pond is covered with a
box that is faced with galvanized iron
wire to prevent the escape of the fish.
This end of the pipe is covered with
disk of wood bolted to an iron lever,
which extends two feet above the sur
face of the water. To the end of the
lever above the water is bolted at
right angles an iron rod which ex-
tends to the breast of the dam. The
side of the wooden disk next the pipe
opening is covered with sole leather.
The pressure of the water keeps the
disk in its place over the mouth of
the pipe. When it is necessary to
discharge the water from the pond
the end of the lever above water Is
pulled towards the dam breast by
means of the iron rod. This causes
the lower end of the lever to open
the pipe. So long as the lever 10
held in this position the water flows
out, but when the lever is released,
the weight of the water forces the
disk oyer the end of the pipe and
stops the discharge. The actual out
lay of money for the pond was $25,
and the work on it, excavating, haul
ing, &C., was done by the hired farm
hands at leasure times. The whole
cost of the pond is less than many OF
Mr.. Palmer's neighbOrs supposed.
In November, 1880, Mr.. Palmer got
80 scale carp from Druid Hill Park
and 20 leather carp from the Smith
sonian Institution in Washington.
Both lots were about 6 months old
and averaged about three inches
long. They were brought to the
pond in ordinary buckets without
any difficulty or special preparation
the fish being hardy and easily trans
ported. In Germany the larger fish
are transported from pond to pond in
wet moss.
The fish, on being put into the
POND, were not seen again until the
following July. They were looked
for a long while after spring opened