The record-union., 1891-08-22
FISH-BREEDTNG.
Artificial Raising of Fish as Prac.
ticed in Various Countries.
How the Eggs are Hatched-MalSing
Fish Pond-EeI Ponds of Venice and
Enclosed Fiords of Norway-Success
of Fish Culture as a Business.

The comparative ease with which fish
are taken, together with the net weight
as compared with that of land animals
and the nourishing properties of all sorts
When used as food. have rendered fish
highly esteemed in all ages. There is a
physiological reason for the regard il
| which fish are held, for the best medical
authorities are agreed that no kind O.
nourlshment is so promotive of nervous
power or SO conducive to the health Of
! both body and brain as that derived from
the inhabitants of the sea. In ancient
times fish were fattened and prepared foI
food in ponds especially adapted to the
purpose. The Greeks and Romans had
hsh ponds, so had the Egyptians, and the
! epicures of all three nations had extrav-
agant ideas, not only as to the value OF
fish as food, but as to the manner il
which the denizens of the deep could be
fattened so as TO be of special excellence
There was an idea that by feeding the
| fish on special articles unusually delicate
| havors could be given the flesh; so great
pains were taken to provide dainties for
! the fish, in order that they might be OF
! the highest degree of excellence. The
flesh of swine treated with spices was be-
| lleVed to give a dainty flavor to both
| mulletS and salmon; but in the fish ponds
of Lucullus the fish were fattened by be-
| ing fed on human flesh. A captive taken
IN war, wretched prisoner bought in the
| forums, slave who had offended his
master, each and all were doomed to the
| fish ponds, and, tied to stake, with only
the head out of water. in order that he
might not die too soon, the wretched
| man was devoured alive by the pets of
LuculllS.
If the Romans knew how to breed fish
artlticially the art was lost during the
latter empire. Although the art of fish
breeding was thus either lost or un-
known, fishing continued, and in early
modern times it was noticed that many
rivers which once abounded in the finny
game were almost destitute of inhab-
itants. Still, however, fish ponds were
kept up, and at various points in Ger
many and Denmark ponds communicate
ing with the sea were kept filled by al
lowing the fish to enter freely during GER
tain seasons, and then closing the exits
and preventing their departure. These
ponds, however, were not for breeding
purposes. but merely for fattening. The
fish were not bred, but induced to enter
and then properly cared for until ready
| for the table. The same system was
prevalent in Italy, and for ages along the
! shores of the Adriatic large lakes were
| prepared, whose waters had communica-
| ton with the sea, prevented only by nets
or screens which forbade the departure of
| the game inclosed. Fish were caught in
| seines and nets, were carefully sorted ac-
| cording to kind and size, and placed in
| ponds accordingly.
| The famous eel ponds near Venice,
| which formerly supplied that city with
| eels the whole year around, were stocked
in a similar way. The gates were left
| open during the season when the eels
/ uh o Sh m al hn,
the return movement began. In years
! when the eel migration was limited the
| eel ponds We're provided with stock by
means of selneS, just as were the fish
| ponds already alluded to. In Tunis and
Morocco there are extensive fish ponds,
! one near the capital of the country first
mentioned covering many acres, and pro-
| viding annually large revenue to the
! city government. There are many fish
! ponds IN Egypt, some Of them probably
occupying the same locality as the ponds
in the time of the Pharoahs, and while
not so productive as were the artificial
| lakes which supplied the fish so often
mentioned in Egyptian history, there is
every reason to believe that the product
is quite as toothsome.
Artificial breeding of fish is a modern
industry. Some books were written on
the subject during the last century, but
no practical attention seems to have been
given IL uullI ABOUT Io4O, Wnen an nuInDl0
French fisherman named Joseph Remy,
who made his living by catching fish in
the Mosel, found his occupation so unre-
munerative that he was forced to contem-
plate the possibility of being obliged to
abandon it. He was as industrious as
ever, fshed busily from morning till
night, and sometimes from night till
morning, but occasionally passed days
without even a nibble. There were no
fish; and in despair at the prospect he de-
termlned to try whether fish might not
be raised, as one would breed fowls or
sheep. Near his house a small stream
ran from the mOuntain-Side down into
|. the Mosel. With his own labor he eX-
| cavated the ground, prepared space for
several ponds, and diverted the little
mountain stream from its natural course
into his ponds then divided into several
compartments. Securing grown fish at
the proper season, he placed the eggs un-
der conditions which he deemed most
favorable, and in short time was re-
warded by the presence in his little ponds
of many thousands of fish. These he
cared for, placing them in larger ponds
as their size increased, until he had not
only an abundance of fish for the market,
but also supply of small fry sufficient
in quantity to restock the Mosel.
The remarkable exploit of Remy at
tracted the attention of Professor Coste,
who at once began experiments on large
scale. The results were astonishing. He
discovered that the breeding of fish could
be made a successful business; that under
proper conditions there was a large per
cent. of profit in It; that while the initial
expense might be heavy, the returns were
reasonably certain and probably large,
and with this discovery the business
sprang into popularity almost every
where.
1t does not, however, pay to raise COM
mon fish; only the best varieties are to be
chosen for breeding purposes. Trout,
salmon and white fish may be profitably
raised, but the cheaper fish are not, and
even under favorable conditions cannot
be made profitable objects of the breeders
care. The plan pursued in breeding fish
is almost everywhere substantially the
same. The choice of locality is import
ant; cold spring, which never varies all
the year around, is indispensable. for no
nsh- breeding scheme can be made to sue
'ceeo without large supply of clear run
ming water.
From three to five ponds must be con-
Structed, with raceway between them.
II tnese ponds are in the earth they must
pe 4ree 1rom mud, for the water must be
Clear; In general, the ponds are made of
boards, are IN reality long troughs, and
ene longer IN proportion to their width
Ghe better, for then the water remains
colder longer. The bottom should be
covered with gravel and sand, and in the
Hrst OF the series the water in depth
snoIlIo not be less than two inches nor
Tor the fish directly after thew have been
natched; The second pond should be
TWO or three times as large as the first.
pelng intended for the fish after they
lave lave outgroWn their first home; while