[5]/ POND CULTURE. 471 



by protectiug them during the spawmng- seasou, and by introducing 

 finer liinds offish by placing young fry or eggs in sucli lalies. 



Lalvcs are never laid entirely dry, but, according to tlicir origiu, 

 they either keep a constantly even depth of water or their water rises 

 during a rainy season, and falls during a period of drought. If lakes 

 are not too large, it is in many cases possible to control the water by 

 artificial means, i. e., to decrease it whenever desirable; and if this is 

 the case, such lakes may be used for artificial fish-culture or "tame 

 fisheries" and even for keeping fish. 



lUit before such artificial means are resorted to, a careful estimate 

 should be made in order to ascertain whether there is any reasonable 

 hope tliat the results will justify the outlay. Special distinction should 

 ill tin's connection be made between the lakes wliich have a constantly 

 even dei)tli of water, and those which owe their origin to an accident, /. 

 c, which have been formed by the rain or snow water of a neighborhood. 

 Such lakes may contain a considerable amount of water in spring or 

 after a long continued rainy season, but it is uncertain whether the 

 quantity of water will remain the same during suunner; and they can 

 either not be utilized at all for fish-culture or only to a very limited ex- 

 tent, so that the expenses of controlling the water by artificial means 

 would be too great. It is possible, however, to transform such waters 

 by degrees to profitable fish-ponds. 



Asa general rule we understand by '"fish-iiond" a reservoir which is 

 suitable for fish-culture and for keeping fish, i. e., which combines a 

 suitable location, the proper soil, and water which, when uecessaiy, can 

 be either decreased or let off entirely. To carry on fish-culture and the 

 keeping of fish in such ponds is termed "pond culture," and as a gen- 

 eral rule it forms part of agriculture. Pond culture, therefore, com- 

 l)rises the laying out and the construction of ponds, their maintenance, 

 the carrying on of fish-culture or the keeping of fish in such poncis, and 

 (he other .uses to which such ponds maybe put. 



Most of our establishments where pond culture is carrie^l on date 

 their origin centuries back, and in the course of time their condition 

 has naturally undergone many changes. The income from agricult- 

 ure (I include in this term stock raising) nmde the utilization of the 

 soil for agricultural purposes api)ear more profitable than i)ond cull- 

 ure. Many ]M)nds were laid dry and used as fields with increasing 

 ])rofit, for the price of grain had risen, while the price of fish had de- 

 clined steadily. In nmny parts of our country this,is now reversed, as 

 agriculture does not yield so large a profit as formciiy, while the price 

 of fish has risen enormously, in illustration of wiiich we will only 

 state that within a period of twenty-live ycuvA the jjrice of car}) has 

 risen from :'A) marks [$7.50] to from GO to 70 marks |!^J5 to -$17.50] per 

 hundred-weight. 



Nevertheless I would not unconditionally advocate at this day the 

 establishment of new i)onds with the view of carrving on lish-culture 



