134 Thirtji-Firxf Aiunuil Mcciiug 



sanio unniok'stcd l)_v him. It is omnivorous, eating almost any- 

 thing that you give it, provided the food is clean and that 

 decomposition has not set in, and finding much of its own food 

 in the pond in the shape of small Crustacea, larvae of insects, 

 worms, etc. If rock hass are to be had in your vicinity and not 

 the blue-gill or bream, it would prol^aljly be best to introduce 

 them. 



In stocking your pond, half a dozen pairs of each species are 

 a great plenty and even these will overstock your pond the first 

 A^ear if two or three pairs of each bring off broods. It is l)y far 

 the better plan to collect adult fishes from near by waters for 

 stocking your pond. These will bring forth young two years 

 earlier than tlie fry furnished by the United States or state 

 hatcheries, besides, being acclimatized, the}'' are likely to do 

 better. 



If black bass are to be introduced it is well to also put in 

 brook minnows, such as chubs, shiners, suckers, etc, but care 

 sliould l)e exercised that undesirable forms, such as pickerel, etc., 

 do not slip in with them and lead to serious regrets later for it is 

 easier to keep out undesirable fishes than to eradicate them when 

 once estal)lished. 



The third, and one of the most fruitful causes of failure in 

 fish-culture on the farm, is over production. I'he first vear'.s 

 hatch of the fishes above recommended with the numbers of 

 adults suggested, will overstock any ordinary pond of a few 

 acres. Just as soon as the fish are large enough, probably in the 

 fall of the year Avhen they are hatched, the owner should begin 

 catching them for the table. They will not be very large but 

 sufficiently so to make a nice little pan fish and their quality will 

 be fine. The more you can get out and consume the better. At 

 the end of the spawning season of the second year your pond 

 should be drawn olT and the sur})lns fish turned into the near by 

 sti-caiu oi- laki', thus paying back to nature the debt you owe her. 



It is a hard matter to advise just how many fish of each spe- 

 cies should be retni'ned to Ihe pond, the natural inclination being 

 to make it too uuniy. One hundn'd of your yearling black bass 

 and twice the number of bream and catfish is plenty for each 

 acre of water, and too many, unless you are pretty persistent in 



