[71] POND CULTURE. 537 



ures. One may, of course, employ auy measure he chooses, after its 

 capacity has been ascertained. In this latter case the measure — gener- 

 ally a small net or a perforated tin ladle — ought to hold a little more 

 than 60 young fish, while in the former case a larger measure should bo 

 employed, allowing for the excess referred to above. 



If these rules are observed the fisheries will, under favorable circum- 

 stances, yield a moderate surplus, because the excess is not entered on 

 the books; but it may also happen during an unfavorable year thai, in 

 spite of the excess, there are actual losses, generally owing to the cir- 

 cumstance that the excess had not been calculated according to the 

 greatest loss during a period embracing several years. As such losses 

 may seriously disturb the systematic management of the farm, it will be 

 well to make the excess rather high than otherwise. A moderate sur- 

 plus — say about one-half of the excess — will be considered very desira- 

 ble by every pond culturist, while a large surplus, which can be 

 gained only by interfering with the normal growth of the fish, will not 

 be considered profitable. 



As regards the excess, care should be taken to make it, for the one 

 year's fish, equal to the estimated total loss during the four or five years' 

 X)eriod of raising, so that finally the stock pond may yield its normal 

 product during the fisheries. If there is danger that bj' a great excess 

 (necessitated possibly by local circumstances) the growth of the fish is 

 retarded, nothing remains but to be contented with a comparatively 

 small normal product of the stock ponds. 



Taking as a basis the losses as given by Krafl't. the excess should be: 

 For two years' fish 25 per cent, in the raising ponds of the first class; for 

 three years' fish 15 per cent, in the raising ponds of the second class ; 

 for four years' fish 8 per cent, in the stock ponds. 



If we compare the ratio of fish per pond, given last, with the data fur- 

 nished by Horak and Delius, and with the experience of the Peitz farm, 

 we find that it may justly be considered as stautlard in most cases. 



We must expressly state, however, that this does not imply that the 

 relative size of the ponds, as given by us, should in jiractice be exact, even 

 down to an are or square meter; this would be impossible, and will only 

 be approximately attained in a pond farm containing a great many differ- 

 ent ponds. ]S^or do we mean to say that the stocking of the ponds should 

 only be carried out on the basis of three classes of i)onds — good, me- 

 dium, and i)oor. It will, on the contrary, vary as much as the end- 

 lessly varying character of the ponds ; but, under all circumstances, it 

 will be necessary that the proportion between the classification of the 

 ponds and the quantities of fish placed in them should be made to har- 

 monize, for otherwise there is danger that the raising ponds will not 

 furnish the necessary number of fish for the stock ponds. To obtain 

 this necessary number, at least approximately, it will be advisable, in 

 large pond farms, to form the ponds into groups, according to their char- 

 acter, give each group a separate stock pond, and manage each group 



