The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1899-05-17
AGRICULTURAL.
A Neglected Source Of Food Supply.

income, the farmers of Vermont ought
not to overlook the breeding of fish as
branch of farming. There are hum
dreds of farms in the State through
which streams run which used to be
trout brooks, and which now only need
little care and intelligence to be made
a source of food supply, both for home
and market.
1t is not possible to give definite
statements as to the actual profits to
be derived from fish culture, but it is
entirely safe to say that the returns are
as good as for any kind of meat pro-
duction, and possibly little better.
There are different ways of rearing
fish, the great need being a stream of
water, the colder the better, and the
sleeper the grade the better. Trout
will endure heat of 500 in the sum-
mer, but the water can often be shaded
and thus kept cooler than this. Floats
can also be used to afford the fish shell
ter from the heat. These can be made
of plank, and if first well seasoned, they
will be all the more durable. II there
are large fat stones to be had, they
may be placed upon supports 80 as to
raise end hold them two or three feet
above the bottom of the water. This
will give the fish place to hide and to
rest and sleep in. 1t is also well to
have some old stumps in the pond, or
rough rocks, against which the fish
may rub themselves to get rid of the
parasites which keep them poor and
sometimes kill them.
Fish need air, and this gets mixed
with the water when it flows over rocks
aud stones. This is one reason why
the brook in which the trout is found
is usually the noisy babbling stream.
To make home for fish it is generally
best to contrive a series of ponds, into
the higher of which the water runs.
Then it can be led from one to another,
and if there can be fall between some
of the ponds where the water will run
over little dam and make froth and
foam, this will be all the better for the
fish.
Many farmers need pond for ice,
and it is good plan to look out for
fish at the same time. Making dam
for large stream is quite job, and
should not be undertaken without skill
ed help. But for small stream such
as runs through 30 many Vermont
farms, the dam only needs to be well
made in every part, and no great skill
is required. Begin by digging down to
bed rock or hard pan. Cut narrow
channel into the hard pan with pick
and shovel, and set up plank of the
proper length. Put in two thicknesscs,
breaking joints. The last thickness
can be hewed slightly on one side and
if the trench is made just of the right
width the last section of plank can be
driven down to the bottom of the
trench, Then it will be best in DOING
thorough job to bolt the planks to-
gether, and they should extend from
bank to bank as far as the dam goes.
1t will also be best to bolt strong pieces
of timber two inches by eight inches or
three inches by six inches on to the
lower side of the plank, or better on to
both sides at the top and middle, and
then set heavy props against them, Sc
curely fastened at top and bottom.
The rest of the dam can be made of
clear dirt, and care must be taken that
it is clear, that no stones and especially
no sticks or twigs are in it. Such
things weaken the structure and may
cause the loss of dam, pond and fish.
Inside, the dam should slope one to
one, that is, at an angle of forty-five.
degrees, but on the outside it may
slope one to one and one-half. Less
will not be safe.
If the water would only always re-
main at the same level, all would be
well, but even then the water should
not be allowed to flow over the topIof
the dam, but should be carried around
in sluice. There will always be liza.
ability to freshets and floods, and to
guard against all possibility of these
washing out the dam, it is best to cover
the earth with plank, fastening them
securely to heavy stills bedded in the
earth of the dam. This would guard
against washing. Then the dam should
be of such height and the sluices of a,
such size that the water could never
reach the top of the dam. This looks
like formidable job, but any one who
has to do with making dams to stop
water needs to keep in mind the i'm
mense pressure exerted by the water,
and the liability of the smallest crevice
to cause serious break and perhaps
destroy the whole dam. 1t is there