California Agriculturist and Live Stock Journal. 



§i!3(i(uUuvc» 



SQif-Sustalning Fish Culture. 



''E understand <iny business to be self- 

 sustaining when the necessary or rea- 

 sonable amount of capital has been ex- 

 pended in its establishment, and the 

 income pays a satisfactory dividend 

 over and above all contingent or running ex- 

 penses. For instance, it is very little expense 

 to dam up a small stream, and stock it vrith 

 bass, perch, bull-heads, and some other fish, 

 as they spawn in and around the edges of the 

 pond, and when hatched out will find their 

 way into every nook and corner for protection 

 • — places unfit for young trout to live in. 

 Thus perch fasten their spawn to weeds.roots, 

 overhanging limbs of trees, etc. Their eggs 

 are very small, and can no more be counted 

 than the sand on the seashore. In fact they 

 look in a mass like the white of a hen's egg. 

 On the contrary, brook trout lay only a defin- 

 ite number of eggs, varying from 1,000 to 

 4,000 per pair, according to size and age. 

 Nature has wisely provided them with the in- 

 stinct of protecting them by burying them in 

 sand or gravel, and if it was not for the fact 

 that they spawn at different seasons (accord- 

 ing to age), varying from September to Janu- 

 ary, and that the old ones lay their eggs first, 

 and that those that come after often (I might 

 say generally), in making their nests, dig up 

 and destroy the first laid eggs, and also that 

 after being hatched the young fry are exposed 

 to numerous enemies, unless screens are 

 placed over them. I say if it were not for 

 these facts brook trout would increase indefin- 

 itely. Just figure up an increase of the low- 

 est estimate that they ever spawn, say 500 

 per pair, and see how long it would take to 

 have a million of trout. Well, now, it is not 

 only possible, but practicable, to so protect 

 the young fry as not only to make the business 

 self-sustaining, but immensely iJiofitable. In 

 the first place, we are not in favor of ponds at 

 all for raising trout for market, as many can 

 be raised in a stream dug deep and wide in 

 the form of canals. Thus the water can be 

 regulated at will. 



The only good reason for making ponds is 

 for use by a club for private fishing with a 

 boat. One other reason may be valid in the 

 interior, where feed is expensive. Ponds en- 

 courage the growth of insects, and a large 

 number of trout will not only live but grow 

 fat, especially for the first few years, without 

 any other food than what nature provides, as 

 I have learned by experience; but near the sea 

 shore, especially in this vicinity, feed does 

 not cost one cent per pound, so that making 

 ponds here to raise feed is not advisable. It 

 is said that trout will not increase in ponds. 

 This is true, that is, if the springs are all 

 choked and the bottom is all mud. If trout 

 can't find sand or gravel to spawn in they 

 will not spawn at all, any more than a hen 

 will lay when shut up in a dark cellar, or any 

 more than wild animals will breed shut up in 

 a cage. Nature does not do business in that 

 way. A pond raised to its fullest extent, so 

 that no water runs through the flume, will 

 grow fat trout (if sustained by springs), but 

 in that case you will have to buy the young 

 every year to replenish the pond. 



To make the pond not only self-sustaining 

 but highly productive, you must not choke 

 the head springs, but dig shallow canals, say 

 two to four feet wide, board the sides, put in 

 gravel, if not there already, and, if you wish 

 to save all, put galvanized wire screens on 

 scantling, and put coarse gravel on these 

 screens, four to six inches deep. Then when 

 the trout bury their eggs in the ground, they 

 will fall through the screens, and can't be 

 eaten up or d ■stmved. The mesh in the screen 

 should be five-eighths or one-half inch; put 

 on the gravel ami woik all the fin ^ through; 

 one inch space between the screen and bottom 

 bed of gravel is all sutfiL-iaut. Now lot in 

 your ti-out and they will do the rest. Two 



inches of water is sufficient. If you have not 

 this, put in a board and raise the water. The 

 trout will scale any w.iterfall in spawning 

 tim.e, if it is five feet high. On this plan it 

 is safe to let the trout remain all Winter, or 

 until they begin to hatch, which, in this lati- 

 tude, is about April 1 to June 15. It takes 

 about sixty-five days for trout eggs to hatch 

 in this latitude. Of course, the variation in 

 hatching is the same as in spawning. But 

 before the trout begin to hatch the old ones 

 must be removed, and within sixty days after 

 hatching take up your screens and put them 

 on top of all the gravel. Now yo\ir young 

 fry are perfectly secure against all intruders. 

 Feed according to numbers and flow of water. 

 The expense the first year is a mere nothing. 

 I have given directions for feeding hereto- 

 fore, and I will simply say a spoonful of lop- 

 pered milk will feed 1000 a day. For the first 

 six months dilute it in a bowl of water and 

 flirt it in mth a quill; blood from liver is 

 good. Never feed enough to foul the water. 

 Thus, after things are perfectly arranged, the 

 machine will almost run itself, and six inches 

 of water will produce more clean money than 

 a large farm. I said certain kinds of fish will 

 replenish a pond without any trouble what- 

 ever. At the same time their market value 

 may be eight to ten cents per pound, while 

 brook trout average, if fat, fully $1 per pound. 

 I mean Long Island trout, for it is a notori- 

 ous fact that our trout bring about double the 

 price in the New York market that any others 

 do. — ^-1. J. Hinds, in New York Times. 



Insulated Beds. 



N insulated bed is one set on some non- 

 conductor of electricity, so the electric- 

 ity cannot flow to and from it freely. 

 Their usefulness is as yet a matter of 

 experiment. Their value might be 

 tested by invalids, at little, expense, for an in- 

 sulated bed can be made by placing the four 

 feet on strong glass tumblers. Dr. Wagen- 

 hols, of Columbus, Ohio, recently read an 

 article on the subject before a medical society, 

 detailing many cases of acute rheumatism 

 which had been benefited by sleeping on au 

 insulated bed. We quote: 



"On December iHlh, 1871, I was attacked 

 with rheumatism of the ankle and knee joints 

 in one limb, then the other. I treatad myself 

 actively by alkalies, opiates, etc., iu the or- 

 dinary manner recognized by the profession 

 as of most value iu this disease. I was un- 

 able to leave my bed for three months, could 

 not walk until April, 1872, and did not fully 

 recover until the warm weather in June. On 

 the IGth day December I was again assailed 

 by my tormentor, treated myself as before, 

 'and I thought myself happy' that I was able 

 to be out of my room iu eight weeks, privi- 

 leged to hobble around the streets of the city 

 with the aid of a cane. Warm weather re- 

 stored me to health, and during the Summer 

 and VViuter I attended to my professional 

 duties. On February 15th, 1874, while I was 

 congratulating myself that I should escape my 

 annual attack, I was suddenly seized in the 

 night time with severe jjain in both ankles. 

 In the morning I failed, after an ardent ett'ort, 

 to leave my bed. Fever was intense, as also 

 the sweUiug of ankle and knee joints. A 

 sense of coldness of the lower extremities 

 existed, which was even more distressing than 

 the pain caused by the sweUing of the joints. 

 This condition continued until the morning 

 of the 18th I inxulated my bed by causing the 

 legs of the bedstead to be placed iu four glass 

 tumblers. I fell into a profound sleep, wak- 

 ening iu the morning of the lyth bathed in a 

 profu.se perspii'atiou, without the aid of ano- 

 dynes. I steadily improved, and in a few 

 days was out of my room." 



This single case is of httle consequence, but 

 the doctor gives a largo nvimber of others cor- 



roborating it. How much is due to insulation 

 and how much to the expectation of a cure, we 

 caunot tell. 



The closing part of Dr. Wagenhols' paper 

 is suggestive, and we quote it : 



"One of the patients makes mention of the 

 sensation of drowsiness which came over him 

 by the prolonged use of the insulated bed. 

 This I have noticed in several cases, and dis- 

 tinctly observed it iu my own. Now the 

 question is, do the effects of this form of 

 treatment, which in comparison with our for- 

 mer modes, is simply marvelous, depend upon 

 expectant attention? Is it another specimen 

 of the wonderful power the mind has over 

 the body? It certainly deserves attention, as, 

 in either case, the patient is benefited, and 

 this is the end of all therapeutics. 



"I have in my possession several commu- 

 nications from gentlemen of worth and emin- 

 ence in the profession, who fully corroborate 

 my experience in the particulars set forth; and 

 I am confident that if this subject, which I 

 deem important to the profession as well as 

 to the community, is properly tried and tho- 

 roughly investigated, much information will 

 be gained and large beneficial results will be 

 accomplished. 



"We live to learn; as we learn we advance 

 in knowledge, our information and attain- 

 ments expand, and thus our usefulness is 

 made felt in communities in which we reside, 

 and our vigor and energy is undaunted, by 

 reason of the good results we obtain." — Her- 

 ald of Health. 



The Evils op Alcohol and Tobacco. — Ma- 

 ria H. Holden, of Waterville, Minn., has this 

 to say on the subject. 



Alcohol is carrying down to disgrace, pov- 

 erty and destruction many of the most talented 

 men in the country. It is carrying toward 

 destruction multitudes of the brave and no- 

 ble young men in our land. All the crimes 

 on earth do not destroy so many of the hu- 

 man race nor alienate so much property as 

 drunkenness. In the United States i;iJ,UOO 

 places are licensed to sell spirituous liquors. 

 In these dram shops 300,000 persons are em- 

 ployed. If we add to these the number em- 

 ployed in distilleries and wholesale liquor- 

 shops we shall have at least 570,000 persons 

 employed in sending their fellow mortals to 

 premature graves. Crime is mostly caused by 

 drunkenness. Criminals are an expense to 

 the United States of ^540,000,000 per year. 



But alcohol is not doing all this without the 

 aid of its companion, tobacco. Yes, tobacco 

 has utterly ruined thousands of boys. A boy 

 who smokes early and frequently, or in any 

 way uses large quantities of tobacco, is never 

 known to make a man of much energy, and 

 generally lacks ambition and mental power. 

 Therefore we would warn boys who want to 

 be anything in the world to shun tobacco as a 

 most baneful poison. 



Don't touch it in any form ; it does no good, 

 and a very great deal of harm. Y'ou caunot 

 properly be called a gentleman so long as your 

 lips are saturated with a disgusting poison. 

 Would a gentleman poison the air with sick- 

 ening smoke, or deluge the floor with liquid 

 filthiuess? Never. Tobacco enfeebles the 

 mind; it makes a man old and nervous. As 

 it is au intoxicant, it exerts a special influence 

 on the brain, and by weakening the nerves 

 produces excitability. 



Young men, you last, you chiefesl, let me im- 

 plore you whose precious precious it 

 still is to make life long by commencing the 

 performance of its duties early. Where he 

 your own welfare, your own honor, your own 

 blessedness? Lie they notiu that future course 

 of life which is to flow out of your own miuds 

 and hearts, and which your own hands are to 

 fashiou as the temple is fashioned by the 

 builder? 



Remember, boys, you need not expect to 

 enjoy a life of usefulness if you begin by lov- 

 ing the tobacco pipe or whisky bottle. 



