The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, January 19, 1920, Page 5

L, o Government Suggests Fish Raising : Bureau of Fisheries Thinks Fish as Well as Hogs Might Be Grown on the ~ & Farm-—Young Fish Distributed Free A B A A A R e R M e A N S il SR i .therefrom may be utilized for the irriga- The. facts: in the article given. below are taken from Document No. 826, “Fish Ponds on Farms,” 1ssued by. the United States bureau of fisheries, Washmgton, C. Those who live near natural sources of fish supply and who have the fishing hobby will find it as interesting as will those who may possibly be able to take advantage of the sug- gestions made. The complete pamphlet can be obtained by sending 5 cents to the bureau of fisheries. This bureau also has a number of pamphlets on smoking fish and dif- ferent ways of preparing- fish for the table. HE propagation of fish on farms in artlficlally constructed ponds or in natural ponds of limited area is perfectly feasible; and with proper management such ponds will afford a convenient and economical food supply that will justify the expense of their construction or prepara- tion and maintenance. Federal and state governments have in the past decade done much to improve the conditions of rural life by the development of public resources, the advancement of social intercourse, the dissemi- nation of agricultural knowledge and demonstra- tions of a better domestic practice. Up to the pres- ent time, however, but little attention has been given to fish culture as an adjunct to farming. Mental and physical efficiency, in the last analy- sis, are dependent upon the character of the food supply, and fish may well constitute a needed ingre- dient which is usually missing from the farm ° dietary. ' The requirement of variety in food is unquestion- ed, if- indeterminate, and the palatability of fish to the average person, in conjunction with its value in protein content, makes it a pleasing and bene- ficial addition to the daily=regimen. The chemically complex substance known as pro- tein is an essential constituent of food, the most important tissues of the body, other than the skele- ton, being principally compdted of it. Most human beings derive their needed protein from the flesh of animals, and in practically all civilized communities the greater part of it is supplied by meat and poul- try. In the United States the main dependence in - the past has been on meat—=beef, mutton and pork —which, owing to the large areas available for grazing and the low price of corn, could be raised in quantities great in proportion to the population. As a substitute for meat fish offers many advan- tages. Pound for pound it contains as much pro- tein as meat, and in some cases more. It there- fore affords the same class and grade of food ma- terial as beef, mutton and pork. There are natural and favorable water areas existing on countless farms which at the present time are being put to no use, many of them consti- tuting unsightly waste spaces that detract from the value of the land. The presence of springs, lakes, flowing wells or adjacent streams are all leading incentives to a fishery preject, and suitable sites for the construction of ponds, especially if at present unremunerative, should make their use to such a purpose desirable to the thrifty husbandman after a full comprehension of their possibilities in a fish- cultural way. PONDS IMPROVE FARM APPEARANCE Ponds intended primarily for the cultiva- tion of fish may be conveniently located for the watering of stock, or the overflow tion of land. In many sections of the United States artificial ponds - on farms are an absolute necessity to serve one or both these latter purposes, and by a merely nomi- nal expenditure such water areas may be advantageously utilized for the growing of fish without interfering in any way with the original uses for which they were intended. In a breod pond, a constant water level b should be maintained at all times, espe- cially during the breeding season. The required flow, which will vary with the char- acter of the soil, must be sufficient to replace loss by evaporation and seepage. An amount Farmers whe have lived in or visited Europe will be less likely to think of fish ponds for the farm as a visionary idea. Over here farmers who live near rivers and lakes fish considerably, but - those who live remote from natural supplies neglect this splendid article of food. On the other hand, most of Eu- rope is not only near the seaboard, but river, pond and lake is made to help out the food supply largely by artificial culture. _In the old days, when travel . was hard, every monastery had its arti- ficial fish pond for the meatless Friday. The bureau of fisheries suggests that many farms here have the facilities for fish cultivation, and the story on this page gives some of the bureau’s ideas on the subject. Although few would recommend fish as a substitute for all meat, it is generally regarded as a splendid substitute for meat for sev- eral meals of the week. It gives the variety in diet, especially where the country dweller must rely main- ly on poultry and pork. . sources of water supply, requiring the minimum ex- penditure in preparation and being the least subject to outside influence. The presence of injurious min- eral substances can usually be detected without ex- pert analysis, but the amateur fish culturist may be surprised to learn that so-called pure water often carries abnormal proportions of oxygen or nitrogen gases in quantities inimical to fish life. This may be due either to subaeration or superaeration, and the results following the use of such water will be as disastrous in the one case as in the other. This contingency and the requisite of high tem- perature make precarious the -embodiment of springs and wells within the pond bed. In the absence of thoroughly demonstrated fitness, the . more prudent course will be to provide an independ- .ent water supply reservoir, apportioning its area to the volume of the spring. While being held in this reservoir the gaseous contents of the water will be corrected and its temperature seasonably modi- fied. In profusely watered sections—notably, in the ° states bordering the Great Lakes—there are many tracts of marshy characteristics, some of them hun- dreds of acres in extent, promiscuously interlaced with tiny rivulets which combine to form streams of considerable size. Seemingly inexhaustible quan- tities of water lie close to the surface in many such Sheep v /4 -"/.';,/i' : O AR R o i N Vi RN L N 2 e ’/I\“ nt e 0."--¢...". “u Yinew Ttemevesell, N // $§“h ae oS iz ..-ul,,, % /<‘“ g 514 ;\WF{' Mz, LA F RS Hi nll@ »l/a, ’ N = .yy, ally, S Sy G ;\\\\‘ retf The above drawing shows one way of making a fish pond. places, and by driving pipes only a few feet into the ground flowing wells are obtained. Where the volume of water is a matter of con- cern the overflow level of spring reservoirs, sunken tiling or driven pipes should be kept as low as pos- sible, consistent with the object in view, as the flow will naturally decrease with the elevation of the head against which it works. The chief objection to creek or river water as a supply for fish ponds is the great quantity of mud and debris carried during freshets, and the exces- sive cost of effective measures to prevent its intro- duction into the ponds. Streams subject to ex- tremely high water periods are totally impracti- cable as a source of supply, while those of lesser floods can be utilized only after a considerable ini- -tial expenditure, and much vigilance will be entail- ed in their use, as large and continuous deposits of mud in breeding ponds will ruin any eggs present, and invariably kill recently hatched fry. Further- more, protracted roily water will retard and some- times prevent growth of the aquatic vegetation so essential to pond fish cultural operations. It is also imperative that undesirable and predaceous fishes be rigorously excluded from the ponds, and it will be impossible to accomplish this if the water sup- ply is beyond control during certain periods. “SKY PONDS” GOOD IF CONTROLLED Another class of ponds available for the propaga- tion of fish, known as “sky ponds,” embraces those wholly or partly dependent upon local precipitation for their supply of water. Such ponds are invari- ably profuse in the production of fish food, and for this reason would be ideal were there an auxiliary water supply adequate to maintain constant surface levels during the critical nesting season, and a fair depth throughout the remainder of the year. In the absence of this reserve many such ponds become practically dry-during periods of drought or freeze to the bottom in the winter months. Where ponds are subjected to such conditions fish cultural oper- ations are impracticable. Experience teaches that breeding ponds should be excavated to hold not less than 12 inches of water at or near the margins; that one-fourth of the pond area should range from 12 to 30 inches in depth; and that one-half its total area should be not over three feet deep, the bottom of the remainder to slope from this depth to six feet or more at the outlet. Avoid abrupt slopes. Provide complete drainage to the deepest point, where a waste pipe controlled by gates or slash boards should lead to outside natural channels. The most successful and speediest results in pond culture are attainable by the use of adult fish for the original brood stock. These can in. most cases be secured from the public waters of the immediate locality during the open season prescribed by the state laws. It is such a common failing to want something new and strange that many prospective fish cul- turists endeavor to procure some species of fish that is foreign to their community with which- : "m\\\ to begin their operations. -//u\ The bureau of fisheries will undertake to furnish fish to individuals for % stocking public and private. waters. /. Blanks upon which to submit % //,, 5 formal application will be supplied upon request. As- signments of-fish are made large enough to form the nu- cleus for a brood stock for a given area of water, and are e —'/ - K & delivered at the applicant’s T N railroad station free of ey charge. From the informa- tion given in these applica- tions the bureau decides as to_the suitability of the waters for the fish asked for and reserves “the right to substitute other species if in its judgment the applicant’s selection is ill chosen. Landowners desiring to undertake fish propa- gation may feel that the expenditure necessary to secure completed ponds, as deseribed above, is just short of overflowing the pond is the ideal to be attained, as it is desirable to avoid a cur- rent. A surplus of water is preferable to a shortage, as any excéss may be easily diverted through waste channels or held as an emergency reserve. Springs are the most dependable of all the The farm brook is dammed in two places and a new channel provided for the'stream. The object of the new channel is to prevent flooding and muddy water, which is harmful to the fish. By means of the control the stream can be turned aside until the water has cleared. A little*half-acre pond ought to support 2,000 to 3,000 crappies or sunfish and somewhat smaller numbers of the larger species of fish. _ PAGE FIVE prohibitive; or they.may have waters available for fish culture which it would not be expedient to remodel along the lines indicated. The plans “outlined are in accordance with the present-day ' standards. Fish may and are being successfully propagated in far less ideal environments, but more native ingenuity in such cases is required. - v