food. Supposing that 200,000 young are on hand, at least 4 ponds with an aggregate area of 

 7,000 square feet should be available for the alternate growing of "mijinko" and fish. With the 

 exhaustion of the crustacean supply and the increased capacity of the young, mosquito larvae and 

 other foods may be given on earthenware plates as previously mentioned. The demekin and the 

 deme-ranchu are handled in the same way as the ryukin. 



The young must at all times be protected from unfavorable meteorological conditions. When 

 the fish are in the shallow concrete ponds, frost and hail are much feared by the breeders, and hard 

 and protracted rains also are dreaded. Protection against these agencies is secured by covering the 

 ponds with a screen or canopy. When in the mud ponds, the young are injured by strong winds, 

 especially in the early morning before sunrise, when the fish have the habit of coining to the 

 surface and may be blown against the lee shore, banked up and killed. Winds therefore cause 

 much trouble in spring and early summer, and necessitate all the attendants getting up early to 

 provide against emergencies. If the wind is very strong bamboo sticks or poles are put in the 

 ponds to break the force of the waves, and it may be necessary to net out the fish and deposit them 

 on the protected side of the ponds. After an hour or less of sunlight the fish go down and the 

 clanger is over for the day. 



Various enemies of the goldfish must be guarded against. Among these are birds, other fish, 

 water snakes, turtles, frogs, and insects, the last being probably the most serious. A number of 

 kinds of aquatic insects fly into the concrete and mud ponds from outside waters, and do much 

 damage in a short time, pouncing on the fry and devouring them. It is therefore necessary to 

 look over the ponds with these enemies in mind at least twice daily. Other diseases and fatalities 

 to which the fish are subject will be noted later. 



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