[89] POND CULTURE. 555 



the best ponds aie given a two years' or one year's eourse, by phicinj.- i„ 

 them only three-year-old fish."* 



The above may apply to very larovi),)i,(l farms like th:\tof Wittin-au, 

 whieh has a total pond area of (I.OOO Iiectares, raisiiio- ponds of 7 to ."id 

 hectares, stock ponds of 100 to 500 hectares and more, and a lodd niiiii- 

 ber of abont ;500 ponds, for not oidy will the condilions of sod vary 

 mnch in the different ponds, but there may be <i;\vnt diflerenees in this 

 regard in one and the same pond, thus causing a difft-renee in the growi*i 

 of the various classes offish. But the above may apply at Wittingaii 

 also on account of the great size of the individual ponds, as it is a rule— 

 and exceptions only go to prove the rule— that large ponds do not seem 

 as favorable to the raising- of fish as small ponds; and it may, tliere- 

 fore, frequently happen at Wittingau that the one year's fry do not, 

 in the second 3'ear, reach the minimum weight of half a pound apie(;e 

 and do not reach the minimum weight of 1:^ pounds in the third yeai- 

 in which case all that can be hoped for is that the fish, during- one year 

 in the stock pond, will reach the weight of at least 2 ])ounds. It is 

 tlierefore considered a, satisfactory result at Wittingau if the average 

 result of the raising- ponds of the first class is .'>0 to .'« pounds per 100 

 fish. Cinder ordinary circumstances tlie lisli will in tlie second raising 

 year not reach the weight whicli would enable them to become market- 

 able during- one year spent in the stock pond. 'J'here is only the alter- 

 native to let them pass throngh another raising pond, or to let them 

 remain two years in the stock pond. If this sliouhl on some ])on<l farm 

 occur very frequently, or even become the rule, it would have to hv, con- 

 sidered a miscalculation if the one year's course in stock ])<)nds was 

 introdnced, and it will under all circumstances be the safest plan to have 

 only stock ponds with a two years' course. On medium-sized pond fa rnis 

 there is no necessity whatever for stock ponds with a three years' (jourse. 

 It is an old adage that what is good for big folks is not always good 

 for little folks, and, as the vast majority of pond farms an; small, we 

 shall not deviate from our program, and take for our motto, "The 

 highest aim of a pond cultivator is not to have two years' but one year's 

 stock ])ouds." Von Reider advocates, as a rule, only stock ponds having 

 a one year's course. He says: "Those stock ponds are the best which 

 can be fished, clean every year; but, in order to accomplish this, one 

 should be able to raise every year the necessary number of lish for 

 stocking them, and consequently have as many raising i)onds as this 

 requires. Such ponds should have a constant supply of fresh water, so 

 that they can every year be filled as soon as needed, and there should 

 be no cause for shunning the expense of the frequent fisheries. Only 

 very large stock ponds are fished clean every two years, as it may be 

 difficult to fill them ; or, in case there is a la(;k of raising i)onds, making 

 it necessary. to use some of the stock ponds for this ])ur[)ose; or, finally, 

 where it is desirable to avoid the expense of annual (isheries. To use 



*Hovak, Teichmirthschaft, 1809. 



