The F'arm Fishpond 



2031 



New York (Fig. 197). They seem to be able to stand the cold winters per- 

 fectly, even when living in a shallow pond, which freezes nearly to the bot- 

 tom. Each snail will deposit in one season 

 from five hundred to one thousand eggs, 

 depending on its age. The shells of these 

 snails are very thin and easily crushed, and 

 this may be one reason why sunfish, perch, 

 and black bass eat them so readily. 



Forage fishes. — Certain fishes can be 

 made to furnish the principal animal forage 

 crop of the pond, but one should be very 

 careful to select only the proper kinds for 

 this purpose. In order to be desirable in 

 this respect a forage fish should possess 



the four following characteristics: namely, ^ ^ 



/ \ •■ , • 4-t, J / \ ■*- i- 1 Fig. IQ4. — A midse (Chironomus). 



(i) It must Spawn m the pond; (2) its food ^'^ ^^ adultjB, lanu 



should consist largely of vegetation; (3) it 



must be relished by the fishes that 

 it is desired to propagate ; and (4) it 

 must not grow so rapidly the first 

 year as to make it too large to be 

 eaten by other fishes. 



Fortunately there are two forms 

 easily obtained that fully meet these 

 requirements, the goldfish and the 

 golden shiner. The former may be 

 bought of dealers in aquaria and 

 fancy fishes, while the latter may 

 often be captured in a minnow 

 seine or trap set in a sluggish 



Fig. 195.— Fresh-water shrimp {Gamma- stream, a pond, or a lake, or may 

 rus) be bought from certain dealers 



whose names and addresses will 



be furnished on application to the 



College. 



The carp has been used in ponds 



as a forage fish, and would be 



excellent for this purpose were it 



not for its rapid growth. Pike 



and pickerel will usually keep it 



under control, but as a food for 



bass, perch, and sunfish, it is not recommended. 



Ordinary brook minnows are not desirable for the reason that nearly 



Fig. 196. — Fresh-water sow hug (Asellus) 



