Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1885-03-29
SHORT TALKS WITH THE soYs.
ny M. Quad.
. Nms

J. ny M. Quad.
A lad at Howell, Mich; writes A. follows:
IL am farmer's son, and want to adopt
| your suggestion shout 9 fish pond. Please
give me all possible hints and details.
~. e."
First, as stated in former article, get your
pond. l don't remember hsviag seen any
artificial ponds in the North, but they are
to be met with in many parts Of Georgia,
Alabama, Virginia and other Southern
States Almost every farm has creek or
'branch" running through it. Don't At
tempt to make q dam and q pond on the
creek, for you viii have muddy water at
times, and the best fish are those which
must have clear water. In most cases you
can find some natural depression 70 which
water from the creek can be conveyed. 1t
the distance makes iron pipe too costly, yon
can use esrthen drainpipe. A fourtnch
inlet lis large enough If you have good
head of water
You frst want q receiving basin, This
you can build of plank. By digging it closs
to the creek you need only three sides, the
fourth being open to let the water in. From
this basin run your pipe to the site selected
for YOUR pond. For various reasons the
pipe should be as far below the surface Of
the ground as you can get it and still pre-.
serve the fall If you can run the pipe to
the centre of the pond and have the water
bubble up it will be all the the better when
winter comes.
Over the mouth Of your inlet pipe. as it
starts at the receiving basin, you must have
a slide or door. Make it fit so tightly that
in case there comes freshet you can shut
the water off.
AS to the depth of water in your pond,
don't stop short of four feet on the average.
If there are no deeper spots you must dig
some before you run the water IN. IL the
ground is covered with clean sod you can
let it remain, but take out all the old logs
and stumps. Have one side of your pond
shelved down to seven or eight feet, If pos
sible, and don't desire" any trees or over
hanging bushes which will give shade in
the hot days of summer If you are handy
to coarse sand or gravel make shore Tor
fish to spawn on. You can shelve II down,
beach fashion, giving it from six inches to
two hundred feet depth of water for space
of hundred feet long.
How soon you pond will fill up and how
much water il will take to run it will depend
on the nature of the soil and the lay of the
land. There will be more or lass evapora-
ton, according as the pond is sheltered, aud
if the soil loose or spOngey the water will
soak away for a long time. However, you
have only to keep the gate open and let the
creek work for you.
a., 60 ba Geh for yorir Dnnd N the
South they prefer the German carp, as
they multiply very fast and are excellent
eating. In the North black bass rock bass,
pike, pickerel suufsh and other varieties
will do well in an artificial pond 1t may
cost you little money and considerable
trouble to get plant, but you must remsm-
Der that hsh multiply at an amazing rate
If within a handred miles Of any port on
The lakes where fishing is pursued as bust
ness you could arrange TO hare several va
rieties sent to you by express. You can
likewise net many specimens from the near
est river.
Will your pond freeze up in winter and
des roy vour fish? 1t will certainly freeze
up solid if Uorth OF the Ohio River, and for
that reason keep your inlet pipe DOM below
frostline, if possible, and make the depth OF
the pond rs great as you can.
The ice will not freeze over tvwfeet thick
in average winter, and If the water from
your pipe bubbles up in the center the ice |
at that point will not be over six inches
thick.
How long before you can begin to reap
the benefits? 1t may take three years, but |
BY that time the thirty or forty fish you
begun with may number 10000 Begin at |
the very outset TO feed them at a regular |
hour. Select some place where you can
conveniently use net The feeding will |
draw the fish to that particular location,
and when your pond is ready to draw from
the net will not be cast in vain. Long be |
fore your fish are big enough to eat you will |
find sale for all the samples" you care to
spare, as farmers all over the country are |
waking up to the Importance of this matter !
of fish.raising.
II at the North, and you want the several
varieties of fish mentioned, you must |
provide for the habits Of each as you make
your pond. Rock bass are always found
around wrecks, splice and timber. Two or
three barrels filled with stones and sunk in
water lust above their tops will be good
substitute for spiles. Pickerel and black
bass want a weedy corner in the pond to
ramble around in, but will take their rest in
the deepest holes. The sunfsh will haunt
the shallow water, and two or three heaps |
of stones will be gratefully received"
Pike have the same general habits as
pickerel, but if you add bullheads to your
plant you mustn't forget that they delight
in mud.
German carp would do well at the North,
but they are no harder or better eating
than our pickerel and bass.
When your pond is complicated and stock
don't permit any one to worry your fish.
If they are harassed and annoyed, par
ricularly during the spawning season, you
will be the loser.
There are hundreds of small lakes in the
Nor;h owned By farmers and others and well
stocked with fish, but If any individual who
has made success Of fish-growlng in an
artificial pond or lake will give his eNper-
ienceThe Free Press will be glad to publish
for the benefit Of those DESTROYS Of making
= beginning.
If only fish enough were raised to supply
the farm house table it would still be good
thing for farmer son to gointo. tits some
thing which will give him more than or
binary interest and recreation, and the
hours he spends at the pond might other.
wise be worse than thrown away in the
village.
Gratefulness.