XXXV.-UTILIZING WATER BY FISH-CULTURE.* 



By Pkof. B. Benecke. 



Page. 

 I.— Introduction 1 



II. — Construction of the ponds 4 



III. — Filling the ponds H 



IV. — The manner of using the ponds 11 



1. The spawning ponds 11 



2. The raising ponds 15 



3. Ponds for older fish (growing ponds) 17 



4. Winter ponds 18 



5. The stock-ponds 20 



6. The pond-fisheries 20 



7. The cleaning and planting of the ponds 22 



8. The feeding of carp 23 



9. The relative size of the ponds 24 



10. The different races of carp 25 



11. The yield the of carp ponds 26 



V. — The cultivation of other fish 27 



VI. — The raising of loach and gudgeons 29 



VII. — The raising of fish-of-prey spawning in summer 29 



VIII. — Keeping eels in ponds 30 



I.— IISrTEODUCTIOif. 



While for many years the greatest activity has been displayed in the 

 varions branches of agriculture, with the view to increase the prodnci- 

 tivity of the soil by improved methods of farming and stock-raising, by 

 far too little attention has been given to the utilization of the water. 

 It is a very common occurrence to see ponds, swamps, and small sheets 

 of water lie entirely useless, to see marshy meadows ]>roduce a small 

 quantity of almost useless grass, whilst in these very localities ponds 

 could be constructed with very little trouble, which without great labor 

 or capital would yield a rich harvest of fish. This is all the more hu- 

 miliating, as our ancestors have in many places carried on pond-culture 

 in a systematic manner and with considerable success, as old chronicles 



* " Die Xutzung f?e« Wassers durch Fischzucht," by Prof. Dr. B. Bonecke, of Konigsl)erg. 

 From "LandwirthschaffUclie TMerzueht;' Vol. IV, Nos. 110-133, Bnuzlau, 1884. Trans- 

 lated from the German, by Herman Jacobson. 



11} "^1 



