58 



THE GUIDE TO NATURE. 



Sometimes the semi-amateurs go one 

 step further. These are usually flor- 

 ists, who arrange a part of the green- 

 house for goldfish propagation. The 

 illustration No. i is the greenhouse of 

 Mr. S. C. Selak, of Reading, Pa., a 

 recent recruit in this industry and a 

 successful goldfish breeder. It is lo- 

 cated in that city while his breeding 

 ponds are some miles distant at his 

 country residence. 



The arrangement of the cement 

 tanks is good, the conditions favora- 

 ble, and the returns satisfactory; but 

 in the writer's opinion, this method is 

 not ideal and could be greatly improv- 

 ed upon. 



With the toy-varieties of the gold- 

 fish, and it is these that promise the 

 high returns on the investment, it has 

 been proven beyond doubt that fishes 

 raised in smaller containers than a 

 pond are superior, and that a greater 

 number exhibit the desired perfection 

 of body, fin and eye development which 

 characterize the fine breeds. 



An article recently published in The 

 Guide to Nature states that only a 

 small proportion of young fishes in- 

 herit the desired peculiarities -of the 

 artifically produced varieties. When 

 these are selected as soon as hatched 

 they escape the cannibalistic tenden- 

 cies of their inferior but more active 

 brethren, which latter are usually not 

 preserved. 



In small tanks perfect supervision is 

 possible and feeding may be so regu- 

 lated that the young fishes need make 

 no effort to procure food ; which large- 

 ly tends to short bodies, elegance of 

 form and exaggerated fin develop- 

 ment. In the pond no such super- 

 vision is possible. Those fishes near- 

 est like the ancestral type, the com- 

 mon goldfish, are best able to care 

 for themselves, are most likely to es- 

 cape enemies and will prey upon the 

 finer double-tailed, short-bodied fishes. 

 Furthermore, efforts to obtain suffi- 

 cient food tend to produce long bodies 

 at the expense of large fins, and much 

 activity will result in a general coarse- 

 ness of appearance different from the 

 fine forms of the selected tank-bred 

 goldfishes, which command prices, 



three to ten times as great as those of 

 the pond. 



It is also noteworthy that the young 

 of different broods should be isolated 

 until they have reached such size as not 

 to fall victims to the older or more 

 robust fishes, either of earlier hatch- 

 ings or those which evince a more 

 rapid growth, again those which are 

 less perfect in. development and not 

 desirable to the expert aquariist and 

 goldfish fancier. 



The illustration Fig. 2 is a sugges- 

 tion for a large breeding establishment 

 in the open air, which presents many 

 advantages over the pond for the cul- 

 tivation of all the fishes which may 

 be kept in aquaria. Its location 

 should be in the country, near a con- 

 stant supply of moderately cold water. 

 Surrounding a central greenhouse, 

 spawning and breeding tanks and 

 larger rearing and storage tanks should 

 be arranged with the necessary water 

 supply and drainage pipes; and a large 

 water collecting tank and pump in- 

 stalled, to insure uniform condition and 

 temperature of the water. This ar- 

 rangement will permit of perfect su- 

 pervision, the rearing of the fishes out 

 of doors in favorable weather ; and 

 furnish ample storage facilities in the 

 greenhouse for the brood fishes, the 

 keeping of very fine specimens for 

 special prices, and the holding over 

 of a considerable number of others un- 

 til times of greatest demand, usually 

 during the winter; and in the spring, 

 when good breeding fishes are sought 

 and usually not to be obtained. 



All the tanks should be based upon 

 a factor of 4 or 5 feet ; which means, 

 either 4 by 4. 4 by 8, or 5 by 5, 5 by 10 

 feet ; so that wire screens, to protect 

 the fishes from enemies, may be inter- 

 changable. These tanks should be 

 constructed of cement concrete, 

 either altogether or only partly above 

 the level of the foot paths, and should 

 be entirely drained in winter to pro- 

 tect them from the action of frost. 



A less expensive construction is 

 wooden tanks for out of door use. 

 These need only be water tight, of 

 1 -inch rough lumber, which answers 

 all purposes as well or better than 



