The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1889-07-06

of affection for the young, and never have
been known to injure or destroy them. They
always prefer vegetable to fish diet, and
viii not touch animal food of any kind, if
properly fed.
They will not take on a rapid growth If
much spring water water directly from
spring. be allowed to enter the pond in sum
mer, as it contains no fish food, and keeps the
I temperature Of the water too low. But 1t Is
well to have the water of spring turned into
the pond in winter, that we may prevent the
entire closure of the pond by ice, as when this
happens the water is not properly aeratsd,
mud gas accommodates beneath the ice, and the
fish are sufocated. We all know, from our
ordinary soda fountains, what great amount
of gaseous matter water will absorb; and this
pond water, when sealed up under a few inches
of ice, becomes similarly charged with gas
that is as fated to carp life as the notorious
Black Hole of Calcutta to the fated prisoners
who met death there. | now wish to call
attention to another error concerning ventila-
ton that the beginner in fish culture is likely
to fall into. 1t is this: Some who wish to
enlarge their feld of operation build a series
of ponds, arranged in such way as to supply
the first with water directly from the stream,
and have each succeeding pond to receive its
supply from the one next above.
Now, is it not very clear to all that if the
first pond of the series be fully stocked with
fish, the outhowing water will have lost much
of that element which sustaius fish life, and
eaters the second pond in an impoverished
condition, and so on through a series of four
or more ponds? l repeat, is it not clear that
fish cannot live and grow in the exhausted
water Of the lower ponds of such series?
know fish cuIturist in this county who
has series Of such ponds. About year ago
he placed several thousands of young fish in
the fourth OF lower pond Of MS series, and
last fall on drawing the water from the pond,
he was surprised to find less than 100 fish
there. He accounted for the loss by laying
the blame on a few ducks that occasionally
had access to the pond. Now, did the ducks
eat all those fish. or we're they suaoeated?
How would it be with us here today were
this room supplied with air that, prior TO
entering here, had passed through two or more
rooms as fully crowded as this one? | IN
cline to think you would prefer fresh air to
"a tale Of a fish, - Its well to bear this in
mind when We contemplate the construction
of additional ponds, and make It point to
/ have each pond receive its water directly from
the stream, or, when our water supply will
not allow that, be satisfied with one pond.
4 PROFITS.
I Il is estimated that from n pond az one
acre, from one 10 six feet in depth, well sup
/ piled with good water. l0,0o0l Weather carp can
be taken each year if the tish have been prop
erly fed, considering them marketable Al the
age Of two years, and their weight at iwo
4 pounds each.
/ Here We have 20.oo0 pounds Of fish, worth
/ in the marke, in winter The only season carp
arc edible Is to % cents per pound, say al
20 cents per pound. worth $1,000; al Is cents,
worth s., 900; or pat them as low as 10 cents
per pound, and the proceeds will reach s, 600
per acre Of fish pond. Even throw more Of
the chances against US, and reduce the number
Of fish BY one half, and the price to 10 cents
per pound, and cur annual income from this
acre Of water will be 81 900. To have this
annual income we must have an additional
pond az from one fourth to one, half an acre,
for the young fish to pass their first year in.
Now, we do not say that all who may engage
10 carp culture can reap these great prohis
inside the FIRST Eve years, or that al can do !,
even then. Bat these are possibilities, and
will venture the assertion that after years Of
careful experience in the business il wili be
done inside the bounds Of York county. To
accomplish good results in any line Of Business
we must give it our undivided attention. and
With so promising future as carp culture
appears to have, ii will, after few more
years. pay 10 attend IT,
EDIBLE QUALITIES.
We have asserted that there IS no other
( FISH 50 well adapted to pond culture, and vii
go further and say that, whea taken in sea.
son and properly prepared We have none
more tooihsome. The prime object Of this
paper is TO disabuse the public mind Of the
idea that the German carp are not good food
fish, and, therefore, you will pardon me Tor
again calling to the sezson aud Circumstances
under which they are good-reg good.
Never take German carp from the pond
il the Summer, for the table; do not take
them directly from the poad at any season,
for table use, or you viii lave an unpaiatabie
dish Of fish.
The reason for this may as well be given
now, aud / viii do II briefly. Ia summer
their flesh is soft and lacks that erispy, solid
quality, when cooked, that is 50 marked in
the late fall and winter, as they spawn during
the summer months. Again, they are unit
for the table when taken directly from the
pond in fall and winter, because we catch
them By drawing of the water from the pond,
and when we have the water drawn low
enough to take them, We find them wailowiug
in filthy medium Of mud aud water Of
syrupy eonsistenee. This matter passes
\ through their lungs, or gills, gets into the
! blood and permeates the whole fish, ever in
I the coolest days Of winter. If we taste them
then, the Aesh viii have muddy taste. The
I fesh of every animal. when cooked, pariakes
/ Of the characteristic food il has eaten. Every
I farmers wife knows that fat chicken that
has had the run Of the stables aud barnyard,
is not nearly so good as the flesh of the same
fowl after it has spent probationary period
Of fatteaing in pen. The flesh of many of
our wild fowl has the peculiar taste and odor
of the food they have eaten. Take the hog
( from his filth aud walIow directly to the
shambles, and can we expect our pork to be
as sweet as that from the carefully fed animal?
\ Now, what is true of the flesh Of one animal
in this sense is likely to be true in another;
hence is il not clear that it is unreasonable to
expect the carp to yield as finely favored
flesh, when taken from the mud ahd filth Of
drawn off stock pond, as when taken from a
pool of pure, tasteless spring water, after
1 spending a brief probationary time there
/ Trout that are taken from our pure mountain
streams are much better and sweeter than
those reared ia u pond and taken directly to
the table. The principal cause of the COM
plant in regssj to the sdible qualities of this
fish was that, when the U. S. Fish Commits
sion began the free distribution Of the carp,
great numbers were sent to parties who began
their culture in hap-hazard way, taking it
/ ! - ~. l., i, II,