Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1897-09-02
Raising Goldfish.

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 the aquariums in so many
homes. The pets require a careful and
systematic raising that is scarcely ap-
preciated by those who expect to get
them for small prices of dealers in the
city.
The largest goldfish farm in the
world, if it may be called such, is To-
Gated in Shelly 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
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 100000
fish from which specimens are constant
ly being sent to every State and ter
ritory of the Union. 1t is even said
that some of the finest fish in the royal
aquariums of Europe were raised by
Mr.. Shoup and his partner at his 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
the water and fish can be let from one
to the other without the least difficulty.
The breeding ponds, which are, OF
course, the most important, are pro-
tected from the wind and cold by high
embankments around the edges This
is all the protection that Is necessary
for the fish, even in the winter time,
so it is seen that, although the fish are
undoubtedly delicate, they are much
more hardy than is generally supposed.
Several times a year the fish are
sorted in the different ponds and clas-
sifed so that the largest and finest
ones will be together, and those which
will not bring such good prices will be
by themselves Many people suppose
that when the goldfish is first hatched
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 its youth
in reality the fish is just the same as
any ordinary and every day fish, and
looks it for all the world. Even an
expert could scarcely tell it from the
little minnows which are found IN
streams. They are of whitish, sill
very color, and have not the least ev-
idence of the beautiful hues which they
will later assume.
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
looking in vain. There have been
many instances time and again in
which the fish never did change to the
reddish color, but grew to be several
years old, retaining their white, sill
very, youthful complexion. Ordina-
rily, however, the fish develop the
golden shade in less than year.
First, they begin getting dark, some
times becoming almost black. From
the dark complexion they begin turn
ing to the reddish shade, and finally |
come out in all their glory, full hedged
goldfish.
The food has not, as many people |
suppose, the least thing to do with coll
oring the fish. All the fish are fed
exactly the same thing, toasted bread
two or three times week, and moth
ing else is given them for their SUBJ
sistence. The sun seems to be the nec-
essary agent and the only one to COM
plete the scheme Of nature, and even
this sometimes does not work success
fully.
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 destroyers Of the goldfish, and the |
crawfsh is by no means a second in the |
destruction which be can work when |
he gets in the neighbOrhood Of the fnny
tribe. Some one must be kept con-
stantly On watch at the season of the
year when these insects and little an
imals 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
fish in almost every instance. Snake
feeders and some other well known in
sects fly close to the surface Of the wa
I'll Al