THE GAME BREEDER 117 



FISH PONDS ON FARMS. 



ByRoBERT S. Johnson, and M. F. Stapleton, U. S. Bureau of Fisheries. 



The propagation of fish on farms in tissues of the body, other than the 



artificially constructed ponds or in nat- skeleton, being principally composed of 



ural; ponds of limited area is perfectly it. Most human beings derive their 



feasible ; and with proper management needed protein from the flesh of ani- 



such ponds will afiford a convenient and mals, and in practically all civilized 



economical food supply that will justify communities the greater part of it is 



the expense of their construction or supplied by meat and poultry. In the 



preparation and maintenance. United States the main dependence in 



It is the purpose of this report to the past has been on meat — beef, mut- 



point out briefly the essential features ton, and pork — which, owing to the 



to be considered in the location of a large areas available for grazing and 



site, the construction of the pond and the low price of corn, could be raised 



its operation, and the care of the fish in quantities great in proportion to the 



contained therein. population. 



This information has reference exclu- These conditions no longer prevail, 



sively to the rearing of the spiny-rayed and shortage of the meat supply, with 



or warm-water fishes, which are espe- resulting high prices, is now a general 



cially adapted to culture in ponds, and condition. As a substitute for meat, 



which can only be propagated through fish ofifers many advantages. Pound for 



natural reproduction. pound it contains as much protein as 



Federal and State Government have in - meat, and in some cases more. It there- 



the past decade done much to improve fore affords the same class and grade 



the conditions of rural life. by the de- of food material as beef, mutton and 



velopment of public resources, the ad- pork. 



vancement of social intercourse, the dis- Unfortunately, those actively engaged 



semination of agricultural knowledge, in farm work rarely have the oppor- 



and demonstrations of a better domestic tunity to fish in neighboring lakes and 



practice. Up to the present time, how- streams, and more distant excursions, 



ever, but Httle attention has been given involving several days' absence from 



to fish culture as an adjunct to farming, home, are usually beyond consideration. 



The need is apparent, therefore, for a 



VALUE OF FISH AS FOOD. i-, ■ i C t U C U 



readily accessible supply ot tresh nsn 

 Mental and physical efficiency, in the that may be drawn upon when desired — 

 last analysis, are dependent upon the a source as dependable as the smoke- 

 character of the food supply, and fish house or the poultry yard, 

 may well constitute a needed ingredient 



, . , . ,, . . , ^t i UTILIZATION .OF WASTE LANDS. 



which IS usually missing from the farm 



dietary. The Bureau aims especially to infiu- 



The requirement of variety in food ence the utilization of the natural and 



is unquestioned, if indeterminate, and favorable water areas existing on count- 



the palatability of fish to the average less farms which at the present time 



person, in conjunction with its value in are being put to no use, many of them ' 



protein content, makes it a pleasing and constituting unsightly waste spaces 



beneficial addition to the daily regimen, that detract from the value of the land. 



The chemically complex ' substance The presence of springs, lakes, flowing 



known as protein is an essential con- wells, or adjacent streams are all lead- 



stituent of food, the most important ing incentives to a fishery project, and- 



