The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-12-30
GOLDFISH FARM.
THE LARGEST NURSERY IN THE
WORLD.
Eight Acres Devoted to Ponds For
Breeding and Rearing Fish-Col-
oring the Finny Pets-Ene-
mics of the Fish.

IeIuapS Gue OuuCoV hhStAo
ing living and one least known
about by the average reader is that Tor
the propagation and colorlng OF gold
fish. Goldfish are natural products
and have been known for many CEN
turies, but the production of oddities
and freaks to attract and amuse IS the
result of modern art.
The largest farm for the breeding
and growing of goldfish in the world,
SAYS the Indianapolis Journal, Is the
Spring Lake Fishery. which is located
in an out.of.the-way part of Liberty
Township, Shelby County, Indiana
near Shelbyville. There are in real
ity two farms under the same man.
agement devoted to goldfish culture.
The upper farm Is under the direct
management OF William Shoup, the
originator of the enterprise and the
senior member of the firm.
Twelve years ago Mr.. Shoup i'm
ported directly from the Royal Aqua
RUINS of Japan dozen small goldfish.
apd from that small start, together
with few common Chinese fish
bought in this country, he has &C.
cumulated thousands of dollars and
built up business which reaches out
inte every State and Territory III this
country, and some Of the choicest
specimens found in the Government
aouariums of the Old World came
from this farm. The entire eight
acres are devoted to ponds for breed.
and and rearing fish. These fish are
not always golden. There are five
large breeding ponds in the upper
part of the gulch, protected from the
winds by high walls or embanknaents
of earth. Below these and connected
with them are a large number OF
smaller ponds for sorting and some
still smaller for feeding and colcring.
These latter are not larger than a
small living room. Twice every year
al the ponds are in regular rotation
drained, cleaned and the bottoms al
lowed to become perfectly dry. The
fish are sorted at regular reasons, the
larger and more perfect being saved
for breeding; the others are divided
into classes, those ready for selling
and those which have not yet attained
the color to be salable. The reader
must understand that the gold
fish was not always the color
he is when seen in al aquarium, for
when first Matched he is a silver color,
and if caught in a stream would be
easily mistaken for a common sinner
or bass minnow. Indeed, some Of the
goldfish, for some unknown reason,
never reach any other color. Usually,
however, the fish are ready Tor market
the next spring after Matching. being
first white or silver colored, changing
to dark shade, sometimes entirely
black, atterward assuming the golden
or red color, and the odd varieties of
goldfish exhibited are usually the re-
suit of this changing OF color. Some
Of the prettiest of fish are OF more
than one color. When perfectly white
they are called pearl fish, and when
looked at when the sun is shining on
the water they present all the colors
Of the IN ost beautiful mother. of-pearl.
These are rare and consequently valu.
able. Some are a clear red, Others
spotted, white and red, or black and
red.
In the pearl fish it is possible to see
through the clear body the entire
skeleton and observe the working OF
the brain ant the blood vessels One
fish kept by MIR. Shoup for exhibition
has q black stripe running down its
back and body, while the head is a
deep blood red; the body Is a rich
yellow above and lighter below; on
each side of The body, just back of the
gills, are two round red spots which
look like extra eyes. They are some.
times orange in color, and lew speci'
mems have been raised which were
purple. There is a popular idea that
the difference in coloring is due to the
different kinds of food which are fed ;
but that is A mistake, for they all re-
ceive the same food exactly, and yet
there is vast difference in color or
shade between two fish treated ex-
actly alike. The different colors are
said to be due to the action Of the sun.
In winter all the fish in ponds become
much darker in shade, while in sum-
mer they become brighter and change
color rapidly.
At this upper farm Mr.. Shoup esti,
mates there are in all 100, 600 fish. 1t
has taken, four years to produce what
is here, and no one can estimate the
hard days and nights of work he has
spent i'll securing and guarding bis
treasures. Enemies innumerable have
to be guarded against, for while the
fish itself is hardy and can stand great
exposure, they are one of the easiest
prey to wild and domestic animals OF
any fish known. The ponds must,
necessarily, be shallow and kept clean
Of all trash wherein other fish could
hide when pursued. 1t is these enc.
mics which prevent a goldfish pro
ducer from becoming independently
rich in few years. Snakes destroy u
large number each year, while cats,
coons and ali members of the feline
tribe are ravenously found of gold
fish end must be guarded against.
Crawiish :and frogs sometimes get into
the pounds and eat up enormous num-
-Hr1,