The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1906-05-17
A GOLD FISH FARM
A LII kinds OF creatures are bred
IL for money nowadays. A woman
4 n near Boston has on AngOra kit

ACh AOAAi u xiii III Jersey raises
frogs, women all over the country are
keeping bees and chickens and SQUAD.
A Long Island woman has collie ken
nels, and exhibits at the bench shows
all over the country. Many women
raise birds for profit. and In the West
and South several ranch owners in pet
hcoats breed blooded horses as we'll rs
raise and sell huge herds of cattle.
But Queerest of all wild animal
farms is the little business of woman
known 10 May C. Moore, of the Ma.
uonal Woman's Exchange. This wOm-
an raises goldhsh-for gold. The WORK
is easy. 1t requires but small outlay,
and goldfish are easier to handle than
wild steers and yapping dogs and
scratching angoras.
True, the effort will not pay large
returns, but it is an easy matter 10
clear from $50 to 500 a year from
well-StOcked tanks, and that with leSC
attention than is given many other
home industries, for too much atten,
ton, frequent feeding and changing OF
the water is injurious to goldfish.
In recent years much attention haJ
been given to the propagation of fancy
goldfish from stock imported from ia
pan, and twenty-seven acres of water
space has been purchased and set
apart near Washington, ID. c., for the
experiment. Here the breeding Of
what might be termed freak fishes will
be the chief object. Fish with fancy
fins, fan-shaped tails and abnormal
heads always bring good prices.
Says the goldfish farmer, who is
cripple, by the way: My occupation
began by the fish in my globe multiply
ing too fast l put the overflow into a
tub in the back yard, where they in
creased so rapidly that l had to get
another tub. Then some one offered
to buy half dozen in a bucket, and /
hunted up man who stocks aquariums
and offered him my fish. He bought
them and bargained for more Then
we talked the matter over and ne adj
vised me to go into the business: so |
had pools built in my back yard, and
began to breed as extensively as my
stock would permit. The next season
L added several new pools, and the
third year had fish for sale.
''My fish are almos. no trouble and
very little expense after the building
and stocking of the pools. The great
est care is the shipping or course
the shipping is an expense, bnt as !
always require prompt return of my
shipping tanks and their cases, / am
saved much. The first year my sales
amounted to 500, but since then they
hoxrn 81 l.
amounted to almost $780,"
Any one desiring to conduct this
business on large scale should have
galvanized tanks placed in the open air
and sunshine, with n thick layer of
sand and pebbles on the bottom and
rocks arranged about the sides. Aqua
tic grasses are necessary part of the
equipment, as they relieve the waters
from impurities and preserve the
health of the fish. The best of these
grasses are milfoil, water violet, pink
fanwort and tapegrass.
After the grasses are placed and the
tanks are filled they should be allowed
to stand for many days, the water be.
ing partially drawn off and the tanks
refilled occa siOnally. When the green
scum covers the rocks on which the
oxygen bubbles appear like silver shot
it is time TO introduce the FISH. Put
in only n few at time at first, grad.
ually increasing the number. When
the bubbles disappear from Che rocks
the number of fish could be reduced
and the plant life increased. The lot.
tom and sides of the tank should not
be cleaned nor disturbed, for there the
fish drop their spawn. They require
little food, as they live on the exhala.
tons from the plants. They should be
fed specially prepared waters and eggs
not more than twice a week, and then
very sparingly. If a sufficient number
of plants are kept in the tanks the
water will be pure.
In transferring the fish from one
tank 10 another great care should be
taken that the temperature of the fresh
water is the same as the water from
which they have been removed. When
once iii the water they can stand great
changes of temperature without harm.
Thoroughly test the tank or aquar-
1um TO prove Its being watertight. and
- W NC iACPl AAuOOIS IL De ElHCGU
near a window receiving the least di.
rect sunlight. When the damp sand
has been placed in the bottom you have
your foundation for your water garden.
Stones of irregular shapes should be
scattered prettily about, so as to form
arches through which the fish like to
dart and behind which they can b. Q
If the light is too Stron0
The best form of rock for the pur-
pose Is known as turfstone. This can
be bought at any store dealing in aqua,
rum supplies. The delicate color and
beautiful reed-like projections render
this stone peculiarly suitable. The
decorative feature of an aquarium is
never complete without the addition of
water plants.
If you have knowledge of the sub.
1ect you can select suitable ones from
a pond. If not, it will be necessary to
buy them. Plants that are good oxy-