The suburban citizen., 1902-12-20

Ash and place them in others. In
fact they pass through a series of
ponds until finally they emerge in what
might be called the harvest field. Here
they remain from the time they are
three or four months old until they are
ripe" and ready to be scooped out
and sent to market. When they reach
the pond they are usually two or three
inches in length, but live in 1t three
or four years as the average gold fish
does not get its full growth and color
in less than three years. The banks
Of the ripening pond are higher than
the others, in order to keep the wind
from blowing too hard over the water.
Catalpa trees are also planted around
the pond to assist in keeping off the
wind as well as TO shade the edges
when the sun is too hot. The big
leaves Of the water lily are also good
for the same purpose, for although
gold fish require plenty of sun light
to produce the rich gold and red tints,
If they get too much of it they are liza
BILE to become too dark and their value
is lessened. Some of the ripenlng
ponds contain beds of lilies which are
nearly an acre across. 1t is a regular
fish city sometimes containing 150,-
600 Inhabitants, seldom less than 100,-
900 at any time. In addition to the
fish they have attendants, tadpoles and
frogs which help to keep the water
clean by eating insects and vegetable
growth. The frog industry is sort
Of a side line at this place, and many
thousand pairs of legs are sent to mar.
ket each year. The average size of
the gold fish after its growth is about
foot Its value depends upon the
color, shape and weight, and any which
are imperfect in tint or form are re-
jected. If the fish has a spot frac-
tion of an inch in size on the body
it is thrown out as worthless. but as
even the ordinary gold fish sell whole
sale at from five to ten cents apiece
there is plenty Of money in the indus
try, for the aristocratic species, such
as the telescope and comet, are bought
by the dealers at forty and fifty cents
each. This farm and two others in the
United States send gold fish through
out America as well as Europe, and the
annual crop gathered in Indiana is
sometimes worth $20,000
The fodder for this kind of pet stock
is generally bought by the carload,
for the best food is crumbs made OF
stale bread which is toasted. 1t is pre-
pared especially for the farm by a
bakery in indianapolis, where a big
batch is made up every few weeks.
1t is piled up in the storage house like
so much corn or wheat, and when
feeding time comes all hands fill mar.
ket baskets and start out, the gunners
singing their weapons over their shoul'
ders so as to be ready for the birds
during the feeding time. The large fish
know when dinner is ready as well as
any flock of chickens or ducks ever
hatched, and rs soon as the men with
the baskets appear on the bank the
water boils with the motion of the
schools, hundreds of fish leaping into
the air. The crumbs are scattered over
as wide space as possible, so as to
give all of the fish chance at it. 1t
is one of the sights of the farm to visit
it at meal time, for a hungry. healthy
gold fish has capacity for toasted
bread which is wonderful, and even
a carload lasts but short time.-New
York Commercial Advertiser.