Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1897-05-01
RAISING GOLDFISH.
The TWO LARGEST FARMS m TIE
WORLD ARE IN INDIANA.

Correcting Some Popular Errors About
These Finny Beauties-The Raiser Has
Great Dimculty In Fighting GA the Pest
wOrld-GOldnsh with Many Tales.
Goldfish are SO extremely common
nowadays that few people ever stop TO
wonder where they come from or how
they are raised. Comparatively little is
generally known about the little cold
bloOded vertebrates that swim about in
che aquariums in SO many homes. The
pets require careful and systematic
raising that is scarcely appreciated by
those who expect to get them for small
prices of dealers in the city.
The largest goldfish farm in the world,
il il may be called such, is located in
Shelby county, Ind, about 80 miles
from Indianapolis. Here the original
goldfish men of the country have their
propagating institution.
There are two farms several miles
apart, which are devoted TO the differ
ent branches of the industry. In the
north part Of the county is one farm of
eight or ten acres. The other is a few
miles farther south and is about half
again as large as the first one.
Today there are in the various ponds
of Spring Lake fishery over 200, 600 fish,
from which specimens are constantly
being sent TO every state and territory
of the Union It is even said that some
OF the finest fish in the royal aquariums
of Europe were raised by Mr.. Shoup
and his partner at this farm.
On each Of the farms spoken of are a
large number Of small ponds, some of
them not much larger than ten feet
square. These ponds are all connected
with each other by little channels so
that the water and fish can be let from
one to the other without the least diff
Guilty.
The breeding ponds, which are, of
course, the most important, are protect
ed from the wind ard cold by high en-
bankments around the edges. This is
ali the protection that is necessary for
the fish, even in the winter time, so it
is seen that, although the fish are I'M
doubtedly delicate, they are much more
hardy than is generally supposed.
Several times a year the fish are sorted
in the different ponds and classified so
that the largest and finest ones will be
together, and those which will not bring
such good prices viii be by themselves.
Many people suppose that when the
goldfish is first Matched from the egg it
has the peculiar pretty markings ON its
scales which make it so beautiful and
valuable.
This is not the case. In sts youth in
reality the fish is just thr same as any
ordinary and everyday fish. and looks
like it for all the world. Even an expert
could scarcely tell it from the little
minnows which are found in any stream.
They are of a whitish, silvery color,
and have not the least evidence of the
beautiful hues which they will later as
sumo
Sometimes, however, the goldfish
grower is sadly disappointed in finding
that his fish fail TO acquire the golden
tint for which he has so long been look
ing in vain. There have been many in
stances time and again in which the fish
never did change TO the reddish color,
but grew TO be several years old, retain
ing their white, silvery, youthful com
plexion- Ordinarily, however, the fish
develop the golden shade in less than a
year.
First, they begin getting dark, some
times becoming almost black. From the
dark complexion they begin turning to
the reddish shade, and finally come out
in all their glory, full fiedged goldfish
The food has not. as many people
suppose, the least thing to do with col
oring the fish. All the fish are fed ex-
actly the same thing, toasted bread two
or three times a week, and nothing else
is given them for their subsistence. The
sun seems TO be the necessary agent and
the only one to complete the scheme of
nature, and even this sometimes does
not work successfully.
The greatest difficulty with which the
goldfish raiser has to contend is the pest
world. Snakes, cats, coons, frogs and
insects innumerable are all fell destroy
ers of the goldfish, and the crawfish is
by no means a second in the destruction
which he can work when he gets in the
neighborhood Of the finny tribe. Some
one must be kept constantly on watch
Mt the season of the year when these in
sects and little animals abound to see
that they do not get into the water of
the pond where the fish are.
The sting Of some insects will kill a
fish in almost every instance. Snake
feeders and some other well known in
sects fly close TO the surface of the wa
ter in the summer time and with the
greatest ease touch the tiny little fish
swimming near the surface of the pool.
An egg is laid on the fish or a stingeI
inserted, and either will invariably
prove fatal.
The freaks and unusual Developments
in the fish are the varieties which will
always bring the best prices in the mar
ket. Odd and rare colors and spots upon
the scales are the marks which are pre-.
ferred by fanciers. Unusual shapes in
the fishes are equally popular with oddi-
; ties in colors and will cause a fish tc
bring as good a price as if it had orange
or purple scales.
In physical developments the great
4 varieties are in respect to the tail One
never finds two headed fish, but those
3 with moe than one tail are plentiful
' Two, three, four and five tails are quite
I often found on the fish and sometimes
even six, but the latter is very rare. o.
r course fish with six tails would bring
o a handsome price in any market.
: Goldfish are often killed by overat
d tention, but sometimes by lack of atten
o ton The two things which above al