Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1906-05-18
\ GOLD FISB FARM

. - utdE bDAlon mas uu fAAkold hit
ten farm, a girl in 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
ell over the country. Many women
raise birds for profit. and in the West
and South several ranch owners In pet
ticoats breed blooded horses as we'll as
raise and sell huge herds Of cattle.
But queerest Of all Wild animal
farms is the little business OF woman
known to May c. Moore. of the Ma
tional woman's Exchange. This wom-
an raises goldfish-fOr gold. The work
is easy. II requires but small outlay
and goldfish are easier to handle thar
wild steers and yapping dogs and
scratching angoras.
True, the effort Will not pay large
returns, but 1t is an easy matter to
clear from $50 to 500 a year from
well-stocked tanks, and that with Less
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 has
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
fms, fan-shaped tails and abnormal
heads always bring good prices.
Says the goldfish farmer, who is a
cripple, by the way: my occupation
began by the fish in my globe multiply
ing too fast. put the overflow into n
tub in the back yard, where th,y in
creased so rapidly that had to get
another tub. Then some one offered
to buy a half dozen in bucket. and
aunted up a man who stocks aquariums
and offered him my fish. He bought
them and bargained for more. Then
we talked the matter over and he ad-
vised me to 60 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.
"Afy fish are almost no trouble and
very little expense after the building
and stocking of the pools. The great
est care is the shipping OF course
the shipping is an expense. but as |
always require prompt return of my
shipping tanks and their casee, 1 am
saved much. The first year my sales
amounted to $50, but since then they
have steadily increased. and last year
amounted to almost 5000"
Any one desiring to conduct this
business on large scale should have
galvanized tanks placed in the open air
and sunshine, with a 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 filed they should be allowed
to stand for many days, the water be.
ing partially drawn of and the tanks
refilled occasionally. When the green
scum covers the rocks on which the
oxygen bubbles appear like silver shot
1t is time to introduce the fsh. Put
in only q few at time at first, grad
ually increasing the number. When
the bubbles disappear from the rocks
the number of fish could be reduced
and the plant life increased. The bot
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. II a sufficient number
Of plants are kept in the tanks the
water VIII 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 In the water they can stand great
changes of temperature without harm.
Thoroughly test the tank or aquar.
ium to prove its being watertight, and
If to be kept indoors it should be placed
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. e
if the light is too strong.
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.
II you have knowledge OF the sub
ject you can select suitable ones from
pond. If not, it will be necessary to
buy them. Plants that are good oxy.
generators are the most desirable ones.
Two good varieties that grow well In
sand are Proserpina Mermaid Weed
and Myriophyllum Spicatum. In filling
an aquarium pour the water in care
fully. A good plan is to turn saucer
bottom upward and IOur the water Oh
this gently. Continue keeping the saucer
at water level until the filling is com,
plete. This careful method Of filliL,
prevents washing the sand away or
disturbing the plant roots, When fill
ing for the first time the water IN the
tanks should remain day before add
ing the fish. This permits the water to
clear and accumulate the necessary
oxygen.
A good stock to begin with is a pair
of well-shaped dYsrf eoldhshes, one
Japanese fringe 4 with its gay col
Ors, and flowing double tail, and one
small Topapaca annof nvu,nh or fan.