Charlevoix county herald., 1919-10-10

Iection-ciear Profit Of $4,000 In
Summer Season by Raising Fish.
G. ID. Pullen Of 1904 Crotona Park
East has gone out of the fish business.
and New York thereby has lost place
of pilgrimage, the New York Evening
Sun SAYS. Mr.. Pullen's home In the
past has housed one Of the most re-
markable aquatic collections In the
world, and students of aquatic life and
fish fanciers have come from distant
parts to this Bronx home to compare
notes with Mr.. Pullen and to see his
collection.
There were casual features about
this collection, however. which to the
average man were even more remark
able than the collection itself or the
deep knowledge of fish life possessed
by the collector. In former years, be-
fore the breaking up Of the collection
was begun, the story of an exhibit of
more than 100000 fish In private
home brought many curious to Mr.. Pull
lens door.
It may be judged how great was
the surprise of these visitors when
they found their way to small double
house, with a narrowly confined back
yard, that so large and famed col
lection could be contained therein.
Their surprise was still greater when
they found tanks containing thousands
of fish slowed out of the way In the
living room, in the kitchen and on the
porches, and nests for the breeding OF
mosauitoes-fish food-by the billions
tucked away in the back yard and I'M
der the back porch.
Kept Them In Close Quarters
II was the aquatlst's thorough and
intimate knowledge of fish life that
enabled him to keep such an enor-
nous collection In such confined space.
He kept the fish healthy and active by
the tens Of thousands in space where
the amateur could not have kept hum
dreds. But Mr.. Pullen has been fish
fancier and collector since 1884 and
he had opportunity to learn many OF
natures aquatic secrets.
With a small back yard-say one
about 10 feet by 40, which Is about
the size Of the widely known Crotona
Park yard-one may well clear profits
of more than $1,000 In a summer sea-
son In the raising Of fish, Mr.. Pullen
SAYS. that Is, If he possesses the nee
essary information, and at the same
time may make this business one or
the most fascinating Of hobbies.
There are a few aquaria left In the
home, and a mosquito plant with
capacity Of many hundreds Of millions
of MOSQUITOES is still working, but Mr..
Pullen has decided to dispose OF the
aquara and give up the study to
which he has devoted more than 80
years.
And he has come to know water life.
Interested in his hobby, he ventures
even to interpret the language OF the
fishes and recently, explaining the pc
culiaritIes Of the life that has so long
been under his sympathetic observa-
ton, he illustrated many of his. points
| by hypothetical fish dialogues.
Bubble Nest Of the HeIIerie.
|. He told of the bubble nest building
of the little hellerie-a species or hsh
that brings its young into the world
aliye-and told of Mr.. Hellerie's fussi-
ness about this business. Pa Hellerie
blows bubbles for the nest, he said,
without taking ma into his confidence,
and when he does invite her to see
. the work his surprise goes for naught
Ma Hellerie turns to and bursts his
work all to bits. This always, accord
ing TO Mr.. Pullen, annoys Pa Hellerie
so thnt he forgets himself and chases
ma In and out among the seaweeds I'M
I'll one or the other breaks down. He
is then brought to reason and dociieiy
follows his wife's advice as to the
proper site and architecture Of the
nest-when he begins his work anew.
Mr.. Pullen showed an aquarium
J with many hundreds Of those little
fish. He said that the water In this
AQUARIUM was % years old and, for
the purposes Of growing healthy and
vigorous fish, was invaluable. 1t was
planted thick with seaweed, and IL
: showed through the glass the same
thick green that water scooped from
a natural pond would show. 1t was evil
| Oently the same SUIT VI Wutci th"t ~"
ture uses for the growing of fish, and
not the crystal clear water Of the con-
ventional aquarium.
Most fish in captivity are starved"
TO death by their unnatural surround
ings, Mr.. Pullen says. The economy
Of nature Is ignored and the result Is
that fish in captivity die after short
keeping and are always sickly. The
glary white sand, the crystal water
and a limp conventional weed or two
: spell a prolonged death for the regu.
lation aquarium denizens.
Rules for Aquarium Keeping.
These rules are given by Mr. Pull.
len for the success Of the home aqua
rum: In the first place, never change
the water Of the aquarium. Be sure
that the circulation Of oxygen through
the water is sufficient and thorough
By planting seaweed and grass reach