Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1888-07-12
e,scAToRY HINTS.

PiSCATORY HINTS.
Seth Green Writes About Practical Fish
Culture for Farmers.
There are few people who fully real
ize the benefits to be derived from fish
culture, and estimate its value from a
practical standpoint / find there are
many who have read considerably on
the subject, and have fair conception
so far as can be gained by reading.
but who, never having seen a practical
illustration of fish culture. are edu-
Gated only so far as their Imagination
has shaped the scheme in their mind
have thought of it SO much, written
about it so much. and talked about it so
much and have had SO much literature
on the subject placed before me, that
it seems to me that every body ought
to have a pretty clear idea of what the
artificial propagation of fish is; hut of
course in this am mistaken, and it is
not strange that should be. With the
view of instructing readers who have
never had the matter explained to them.
! will endeavor to describe its princi-
pies in as few words as possible.
We take pair of fish, trout for in
stance, male and female; for strange
as it may seem. there are many who
express surprise that the male as
we'll as the female is required. How.
ever. this is the fact To operate
upon them artifcially, both parents
must be alive and healthy. and per-
fectly ripe. By the term ripe l mean
that the eggs contained in the fe-
male and also the milt or vitalizing
fluid of the male must be matured SUI
hciently to leave the fish free and
easily, with Int very little outside
assistance. An ordinary milk pan is
then placed on the floor or ground,
having been previously rinsed out
with water. and is tilted up on one
side. SO that the spawn and milt will
readily collect in the lower side of the
pan. Every thing being in readiness
the operator takes the fish in hand
the male first-and carries it close to tho
bottom of the pan. Then by few dex-
ferrous movements down the sides of the
abdomen he expresses the milt into the
pan. The female is then taken in hand
as quickly as possible and operated on
nearly in the same way, except that
the movements are slower and the
foreiinger is gently pressed on the
abdomen, commencing low down to-
ward the vent and gradually working
up toward the head. After this is done
the eggs and milt are Immediately
mixed thoroughly by slowly tipping
the pan. first one way and then the
other, and water is gradually added
until the pan is half full. This. in
brief. is the process of the artificial
mpregnation of fish eggs. and by this
means, if every thing is favorable.
from ninety to one hundred per cent
of the eggs should be vitalized. as
against less than twenty-five per cent
in the natural way. After the spawn
has been taken in the pan. glutinous
substance is formed which causes the
eggs to adhere to the sides and bottom
of the pan and to each other for about
twenty or thirty minutes, after which
it appears to dissolve and the eggs
become detached from the pan and sep
arated. As soon as this occurs they are
washed by rinsing in several waters,
and are then placed in the Matching
apparatus, of which there are several
different kinds. Here they remain
from seventy to one hundred and thirty
10 forty days. according to the temper
allure of the water. If the water for
the hatchery is taken directly from
spring where the temperature ranges
from forty to fifty degrees Fahrenheit
the former time is required. if it is taken
from under the ice, where a uniform
temperature of about thirty-four de-
grces is maintained. then it takes the
longer time. After the fish are Matched
they are encountered with yolk sac
extending from the under part of the
gills to the vent. and from forty to
sixty days are consumed before this is
absorbed. the fish requiring no food
till this is nearly gone. As soon as
the fry reach this stage-or are able to
''swim up" as the expression goes
they are ready to be deposited in the
waters to seek their own subsistence.
grow to good size, and rejoice the
angler who is fortunate enough to
place his line so temptingly as to Sc
cure the professionalism -4aricui-
tariSt.