﻿MANUAL 
  OP 
  FISH-CULTURE. 
  169 
  

  

  The 
  same 
  general 
  care 
  and 
  cleaning" 
  usnally 
  given 
  to 
  troughs 
  con- 
  

   taining 
  trout 
  fry 
  is 
  necessary 
  in 
  cultivating 
  bass. 
  The 
  trough 
  is 
  swept 
  

   down 
  twice 
  a 
  day 
  and 
  occasionally 
  washed 
  inside 
  with 
  a 
  cloth, 
  and 
  the 
  

   water 
  snpply, 
  conduits, 
  and 
  outlets 
  frequently 
  examined 
  and 
  kept 
  clear 
  

   and 
  clean. 
  

  

  The 
  young 
  bass 
  is 
  able 
  to 
  stand 
  any 
  temperature 
  to 
  which 
  the 
  sun 
  

   raises 
  the 
  water 
  of 
  the 
  nursery 
  ; 
  those 
  hatched 
  in 
  water 
  at 
  50° 
  F. 
  will 
  

   thrive 
  two 
  months 
  later 
  with 
  the 
  temperature 
  at 
  86°. 
  However, 
  bass 
  

   grown 
  in 
  very 
  high 
  temperature 
  are 
  exceedingly 
  tender, 
  and 
  can 
  not 
  

   be 
  handled 
  and 
  transported 
  until 
  the 
  apin'oach 
  of 
  fall 
  and 
  winter 
  has 
  

   gradually 
  reduced 
  the 
  temperature 
  and 
  so 
  hardened 
  them. 
  Moreover, 
  

   under 
  such 
  conditions 
  they 
  are 
  more 
  liable 
  to 
  attacks 
  of 
  parasites, 
  both 
  

   external 
  and 
  internal. 
  While 
  bass 
  can 
  live 
  in 
  water 
  ranging 
  from 
  33° 
  

   to 
  98°, 
  more 
  moderate 
  limits 
  are 
  desirable. 
  The 
  Cyclops 
  and 
  some 
  

   other 
  of 
  the 
  natural 
  forms 
  of 
  food 
  for 
  young 
  bass 
  reproduce 
  best 
  at 
  a 
  

   temperature 
  between 
  08° 
  and 
  70°, 
  and 
  can 
  not 
  resist 
  higher 
  than 
  95°. 
  

  

  CARE 
  OF 
  PONDS. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  desirable 
  that 
  the 
  ponds 
  should 
  be 
  " 
  wintered 
  " 
  each 
  year 
  — 
  that 
  

   is, 
  entirely 
  drawn 
  off 
  in 
  the 
  autumn, 
  thus 
  leaving 
  the 
  beds 
  exposed 
  to 
  

   the 
  combined 
  action 
  of 
  sun, 
  winds, 
  and 
  frost. 
  This 
  tends 
  to 
  kill 
  out 
  

   the 
  larvtB 
  of 
  the 
  larger 
  aquatic 
  insects 
  (dragon-flies, 
  beetles, 
  etc.), 
  and 
  

   to 
  increase 
  the 
  following 
  season's 
  supply 
  of 
  small 
  Crustacea, 
  which 
  fur- 
  

   nish 
  an 
  important 
  element 
  of 
  food 
  to 
  the 
  young 
  bass. 
  This 
  purifying 
  

   process 
  can 
  be 
  assisted 
  by 
  the 
  free 
  use 
  of 
  quicklime 
  dropped 
  into 
  the 
  

   crayfish 
  holes. 
  There 
  is 
  no 
  danger 
  of 
  the 
  lime 
  injuring 
  the 
  fish 
  the 
  

   following 
  year, 
  as 
  lime-water 
  is 
  more 
  beneficial 
  than 
  harmful, 
  and 
  the 
  

   process 
  purifies 
  the 
  pond-bed, 
  besides 
  killing 
  the 
  crayfish 
  and 
  the 
  like. 
  

  

  In 
  addition 
  to 
  the 
  yearly 
  wintering, 
  the 
  accumulated 
  decayed 
  matter 
  

   ought 
  to 
  be 
  occasionally 
  removed, 
  the 
  frequency 
  for 
  this 
  depending 
  on 
  

   the 
  character 
  of 
  the 
  water 
  supi)ly, 
  the 
  amount 
  of 
  silt 
  it 
  brings 
  into 
  the 
  

   pond, 
  the 
  character 
  of 
  the 
  soil, 
  and 
  on 
  the 
  thoroughness 
  of 
  the 
  yearly 
  

   removal 
  of 
  the 
  surplus 
  mosses. 
  Scraping 
  large 
  ponds 
  and 
  hauling 
  the 
  

   accumulated 
  muck 
  involve 
  considerable 
  labor 
  and 
  expense, 
  possibly 
  

   more 
  than 
  the 
  yield 
  of 
  the 
  pond 
  warrants, 
  and 
  in 
  some 
  cases 
  it 
  is 
  advis- 
  

   able, 
  once 
  in 
  four 
  or 
  five 
  years, 
  to 
  lay 
  the 
  pond 
  bare 
  for 
  an 
  entire 
  year 
  

   and 
  cultivate 
  it 
  in 
  peas 
  or 
  some 
  other 
  deep-rooted 
  vegetable. 
  

  

  While 
  abundant 
  jwnd 
  vegetation 
  is 
  favorable 
  to 
  a 
  large 
  i)roduction 
  of 
  

   fry, 
  it 
  is 
  sometimes 
  so 
  luxuriant 
  that 
  it 
  settles 
  down 
  in 
  a 
  blanket-like 
  

   mass 
  and'smothers 
  many 
  of 
  the 
  young 
  fish. 
  Under 
  such 
  circumstances 
  

   it 
  should 
  be 
  removed 
  some 
  time 
  in 
  advance 
  of 
  lowering 
  the 
  pond 
  

   level, 
  and 
  during 
  the 
  process 
  should 
  be 
  carefully 
  picked 
  over, 
  as 
  some 
  

   of 
  the 
  fry 
  will 
  be 
  found 
  among 
  it. 
  Wading 
  into 
  the 
  pond 
  leaves 
  the 
  

   bottom 
  tracked 
  with 
  deep 
  footprints, 
  which, 
  as 
  the 
  water 
  recedes, 
  

   catch 
  and 
  retain 
  many 
  of 
  the 
  young 
  fishes, 
  most 
  of 
  which 
  die 
  in 
  a 
  short 
  

   time. 
  To 
  avoid 
  this 
  a 
  strong 
  but 
  lightly 
  built 
  flatboat 
  is 
  used, 
  which 
  

   can 
  easily 
  be 
  moved 
  from 
  pond 
  to 
  pond 
  as 
  needed. 
  At 
  either 
  end 
  of 
  

  

  