Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1922-07-06
Something About Goldfish.

States there are aouS. uus, each with
'neir three, four or more goldfish. In
public fountains there are schools of
them, To the child feeding them FISH
food they are Joy. To the father, as
they eat from his hand, they are COM
fort but 10 both of them the FISH are
as mythical as Santa Claus. Where
DO goldfish come from?
Travel up about Lewistown and YOU
Will hear that c. j. Remsburg has is
acres in fish. Wicomico county, on the
Eastern Shore, claims more corn to the
acre than anywhere on earth, but to
Frederick must be given the blue ribbon
for more fish to the acre.
Fish-that is TO say, goldfish are
one OF the products of this county that
net 4 nice income. There are more
than $50 acres planted in fish, 200 OF
which are in the ncighborhood of
Lewistown and Thurmont. You are
there told that last season from eight
acres at Lewistown there were harvest
ed 100000 goldfish, averaging medium
grade, or worth SIS per 1000 To cal
culate little further, il will be seen
that this bottom land produced net TO
its owner S67S per acre. From these
$50 acres of otherwise worthless land
there comes into Frederick county lust
about SS00,o00 annually. a regular
crop without fear of frost, flies or other
kindred enemies.
Here is how the goldfish crop is
handled. AS soon as the water be-
gins 10 feel the warmth of the spring
sun the brood fish are removed from
the deep pool in which they have hi
bernated during the cold weather and
released into the shallow water of the
ponds" which are simply shadows
impounded by earthen entertainments.
Here natures scheme of reproduction
IS accomplished, and the owner sits
easy until cold weather brings on har-
vest days. Owners of aauariums
doubtless wonder why their pets don't
grow. In the ponds with natural food
they develop into regular size fish
more than eight inches long The
motl-- and father of the bowl fish in
/ the homes are from four to eight inches
/ in length. The reason your fish do
not get larger is simply because they
gricvc over the narrow confines of
their glass prison, and the food does
not encourage growth.
In the fall the water is drawn from
the artificial lakes and as it passes
over the flume the fish are separated
from the tadpoles, turtles, snakes and
like animals and then are graded
Those to be retained for brood pur-
poses are placed in the winter homes.
The smallest are worth to the grower
Sll per 1000; the medium, SlS, and
the large size sell for S25. Extra large
specimens yield the fish farmer $45 to
$50. You will pay in the stores 10 to
so cents apiece for these fish.
Then, as the harvest progresses,
\ shipments arg HldIC over TIC CHtlTc
| United States and to Canadian points
Probably each year sees l00,0OO,OOO
of the golden beauties leave Frederick
county for the homes of Americans.
The reason for this peculiar indus
try in Frederick is that the soil and
water produce the right food. There
are losses in the industry Fish
hawks, herons, craness in the bird
tribe, and snakes, "snappers" and
others in the water take their toll
/ The hawk is the worst offender, for
he does love nice big mother fish
and will wait around all day in pref
erence 10 getting a meal any other way.
Who has visited the city of Fred
erick and seen the golden beauties in
the Courthouse fountain, and how few
realized that they we're but a sample
of home production, and an industry
that is important! The largest indi-
vidual acreage is probably on the place
Of E. r. Powell, near Thurmont, where
| big profits are made from 25 acres of
land few feet under water.-Balti
more Sun.
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