The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1911-03-03
FISH ON THE FARM.
An Opportunity to Make Money by a
Small Investment.


In discussing fish culture as farm
product. squaretailed, speckled brook
trout only, will be considered, under the
title of How to Grow Fish on the Farm.
Lake trout, chinook salmon, black bass,
and all other large species OF hsh are
only adapted to lakes and ponds anu
LARGE bodies of water, where natural
food is found. The first problem IN
raising trout is the nursery for the new
horn babies. II is the same as caring
for n brood of newly Matched ehleke
with this difference: wet weather IS de,
sired instead of dry, and cold instead
of heat ..:t
Select a level place near never ran.
ing spring or brook where the water Il
pure and cold, apd there IS enough nj
IL TO furnish a continual flow that VIII
I'll a III inch pipe-never less, and II
more. the better-and where there Is
fall enough for the water to flow IN al
the top of the pond or tank. DO not
allow any part of the man stream TO
run through the nursery space TO De
washed ont by storms and high water.
Divert the water from the main source
after using it, return it to the nam
channel. Prepare a trench 80 feet long
bv & or $ feet wide, by removing the
dirt, the width depending on the sup
ply of water, Dig down into hardpan
two feet, if there is any; II not, PLANK
the bottom and sides with two.lnch
bemlock boards. Sharpen and force
the lower ends as far as the planks VIII
drive. This is necessary as preeau'
tion against musauash and minks dig
cling under to kill and eat the FISH,
Place frame of round logs or square
,;mher nj the tops and bottoms to
spike the planks to. Eighteen inches
10 "a in depth will answer. Use. water
pine one. fourth inch larger, for the wa
ter 10 run through in leaving the tank,
than the inlet pipe. Provide copper
screens, with sixteenth men holes
for pines, to prevent the fry from gong
through. A tank of this size VIII nc.
commodate 10000 trout fry the hrst
season. Other tanks can be added, ana
tha same water used at lower level.
Ponds can be constructed without
thanking. but there is more danger OF
LOSING fry by frogs, water beetles ana
other enemies, if the planking is not
used.
To make a success in fish culture, the
tanks must be provided with clean
gravel, and the bottoms raked once
week. If the tanks are disturbed. by
fish hawks, bullfrogs, mink or otner
nests, place strips of boards across the
| tank and cover with wire netting tnat
can be removed when cleaning. me
| food will scatter through the wlfe..
| When the tank is ready to receive
the FRY. order from commercial hsh
hatchery 10000 speckled, square.talled,
brook trout fry, that will cost from
three to five dollars per thousand, ae-
| cordinp to age. For four weeks after
Matching no feed will be necessary.
| Nature provides a sack for the fry trst
| TO consume. For the next six weeks,
skinned milk curd may be fed three
times a day; after that, sheep and pig
liver, poultry waste cut flne, or com
mercial food that a Boston firm wlll
nut on the market the coming season.
made in the form of meal, contain n,
| fish and grain at low cost. ms
should be fed to the fish the same as
poultry is fed.
Surprising the cost of tank and Try IS
S5O and cost of feeding $25, a total OF
S75, and 5000 Of the 10000 fry grow
to fngerlings the first season. by sep.
TENDER. the fngerlings are worth va
per thousand, and will find ready sale
if put on the market:
The producer has left the tank and
$50 above the cost, with chance to
save many of the other 5,0o0 fry n i3
l reckoned There are no fertilizer pliis
l,o pay, no spraying Of trees, no wait
ing year for returns no working N
tho hot sun killing weeds-iust. lot OIL
Wholesome fun, that need not interfere
with other work on the farm.
The plan dope not end here. VIII the
fingerlil gs be sold or kept for further
use9 n depends. l am writing j, II
an effort u aid the poor chap with little
money, who wants to make his farm
nav. / would like to see those 5,00o te
| 10000 fngerl ,gs allowed their liberty
200 TO 1000 at a time. three or foul
DAYS apart, to give all chance to fino
homes and mates, which cannot be done
4 If they are kept i, tanks. In Septem
her. the lack trout oons his best suit OF
crimson and gold and GOES forth to seek
a bride. It sometimes appens that tWt
lacks want the same lazy trout, and, II
such a case, she witnesses a DESPERATE
fight. going away with The victorious
lack to seek home up the stream OF
some eravelly bed. where Tot OF egg
are deposited and fertilized by th'
jack. e-, th.+ 20,
main by their nests and waIcN. IL, ~
former 90 away to find a deep 1 1e,
for the winter, where they may be lei,
until the next season, when if they arr
AGAIN observed. they will be found u
he over FIVE inches in length, as theN
arc slipped into baskets for the break
fast or dinner of fortunate ones. =,
A beginning has been made at ~
exnense of the farmer Where does TN
snortsman come in? That will be lei
!, for another chapter.-New England
, Farms.