The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1897-05-21
RAISING GOLDFISH.
THE TWO LARGEST FARMS IN THE
WORLD ARE IN INDIANA.

Correcting Some Popular Errors About
These Finyly Beauties-The Raiser Has
Great Dihaculty In Fighting on the Pest
World-Goldfsh 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
the 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,
If it 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 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, 900 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 and cold by high en-
bankments 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 un-
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 will be by themselves.
Many people suppose that when the
goldfish is first hatched from the egg it
has the peculiar pretty markings on it's
coo los xryt,; ;oI, 10 f,,1
valuable.
This is not the case. In its youth in
reality the fish is just the 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 cf 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 fist fail to acquire the COLDER
tint for which he has so long been look
ing in vain. There have been many in
stances time and again in which the fisl
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 fsl
develop the golden shade in less than {
year.
First, they begin getting dark, some
times becoming almost black. From th'
dark complexion they begin turning tt
the reddish shade, and finally come ou
in all their glory, full fedged goldfish.
The food has not, as many peopl,
suppose, the least thing to do with col
oring the fish. All the fish are fed ex
actly the same thing, toasted bread tw'
or three times week, and nothing els
is given them for their subsistence. Th,
sun seems to be the necessary agent ant
the only one to complete the scheme O
nature, and even this sometimes doe
not work successfully.
The greatest difficulty with which th,
goldfish raiser has to contend is the pes
world. Snakes, cats, coons, frogs an,
insects innumerable are all fell destroy
ers Of the goldfish, and the crawfish i
by no means second in the destruction
which he can work when he gets in tn
neighborhood of the finny tribe. Som
one must be kept constantly on watcl
at the season of the year when these in
sects and little animals abound to Sc
that they do not get into the water o
| the pond where the fish are.
The sting of some insects will kill
fish in almost every instance. Snak
feeders and some other well known in
sects fly close to the surface of the wa
ter in the summer time and with tn
| greatest ease touch the tiny little fsl
swimming near the surface of the pool
An egg is laid on the fish or stinge
inserted, and either will invariabl,
prove fatal.
The freaks and unusual development
in the fish are the varieties which will
always bring the best prices in the mar
ket Odd and rare colors and spots upol
the scales are the marks Which are pre-
ferred by fanciers. Unusual shapes il
the fishes are equally popular with oddi
ties in colors and will cause a fish t
bring as good price as if it had orang
or purple scales
In physical developments the grea
1 -, b. ko:1 ~.