264 
SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
It appears that the importation of guano into England 
has been falling off since 1845, which constituted the 
highest point, viz: for that year 283,300 tons; in 1851 it 
was 245,016, and in 1858 only 151,333 tons for England 
and the Continent. The average each year, for four 
years, ending with 1848, was 139,713; the four next years, 
129,198 tons. We doubt not it has reached its point of 
culmination in this country, viz : 51,253 tons, unless, as 
we sincerely hope, it may prove a more profitable fertil- 
izer for cotton than anything else. 
E. M. Pendleton, 
Sparta, Ga., 1859. 
FISH PONDS IN GEORGIA. 
Editors Southern Cultivator — Much has been said, 
written and accomplished in Germany and France on the 
subject of Artificial Fish Culture; and, I am happy to say, 
that this truly interesting matter is beginning to receive in 
this country, that attention which its importance so justly 
merits. 
My pleasures of hope have been fully realized in this 
department of the economy of Plantation Life; and I can- 
not imagine anything connected with my rural home 
that has contributed more to my happiness than ray “Yel- 
low Lake, “Lake Como,” and “Loch Lomond.” 
The last named pond contains fiifteen splendid Trout, 
weighing each from one to four pounds, which were cap- 
tured by the aid of a seine. These Trout are beautifully 
striped, and present a handsome appearance, and are al- 
together different from the Brook Trout, so beautifully 
spoken of by Dr. Garlic, in his work on Fish Culture. 
The doctor is wild with delight, when speaking of his 
“Naiad Queen,” the nautical name given to a splendid 
specimen of the Brook Trout. 
Now, I have no objections to his praises; but, on the 
contrary, admire him for his romance ; but, at the same 
time, I must be allowed to feel that, though he has made 
his Queen so gentle as to be able to handle her at pleasure 
and carry her from place to place, I can (although it has 
been but three weeks since I obtained my pets) call them 
up within three feet of me, and they will follow me around 
the pond. A toad, lizzard, large tadpole or small fish will 
be instantly seized and swallowed, 
A Trout at two years old will produce 600 eggs, and at 
the age of three years old 800 eggs. My “Loch Lomond” 
contains Bi'eam, White Perch, Yellow Belly Perch, Bed 
Horse, Mullet and Suckers, none of which were put into 
that “Loch” more than 6 weeks ago; yet I can now show 
at least 10,000 small fish, many of which are supposed to 
be young Shad from the eggs of a Shad taken in the 
Oconee River, 
Gehin and Remy, two poor and illiterate fishermen of 
France, claim the origin of artifically producing fish, and 
their success induced the government of France to pay 
them S6000 per annum. The Legislature of the State of 
New York has passed a law compelling each fisherman 
in that State to deposit the spawn of six fish in the streams 
in which they are accustomed to catch fish, in the pres- 
ence of a Magistrate. 
Gehin and Remy obtained the spawn of the female fish 
by pressure on the belly, and in the same way the milt 
or semen of the male, both of which were caught in ves- 
sels of clean water, and from 3,200,000 eggs of the Trout 
they produced 1,682,000 living fish. They obtained from 
one of their ponds, for distribution in the rivers of France, 
1200 Trout in one year of the two year-olds; and the 
same men placed in the Moretolle River 50,000 fish in one 
year. 
In my opinion, the Trout is the most splendid fish 
that swims in our waters ; and on account of the great 
esteem in which he is held by myself I shall devote more 
Trout of two years old has been known to swallow one 
of one year old, I remember to have seen, many years 
ago, a splendid specimen of the Trout caught in a seine 
below Augusta, which had swallowed a Shad and the tail 
of the latter was extending out of the mouth of the former. 
Yesterday, while standing on the banks of Loch Lomond 
feeding my Trout, I saw one often inches in length, or 
one year old, swallow a Stone-toater or Honeyhead, of 
four inches in length, whose tail extended from the mouth 
of the Trout. 
My Lake and Lochs are supplied by springs of pure 
and limpid water, within their banks, and the stream 
from one of them supplies the stock in the horse lot with 
clean running water. Fish work very hard to obtain 
gravel for their beds, and will convey them some distance 
and place them with care" in the bottoms of them. 
When on their beds fish are quite gentle and will allow 
persons to approach to within a foot of them. In fact, 
I have heard, from good authority, of a large Perch that 
would jump out of the pond at any one who might ven- 
ture to approach too near its domicil ; and I have found 
somewhere in the sea of my reading, this singular little 
incident : “A gentlemen in one of the German States v/ho 
possessed a fish pond, observed, in one of his rambles 
around his pond, a large Perch cutting up a great many 
antics while running before him, and finally spring out on 
the bank. This ! nduced the gentleman to take up the fish, 
on doing which, he found that a splinter of wood had 
entered the eye of the fish. On withdrawing the piece of 
of wood he placed the Perch in the water, and it ‘walked 
the water like a thing of life.’ ” 
My attentions are n v/ being bestowed upon a new 
pond of the following dimensions : 75 feet by 125 feet, 
with a depth of 6 feet. The name of this will be “Loch 
Leven,” in honor of “Mary Queen of Scots,” who was im- 
prisoned in the Castle of “Loch Leven,” and who, sur- 
rounded by her Maids of Honor, “the Catherines,” and 
who tried to soothe her captivity, whiled away their time 
in the same kind of needle work so fashionable at the 
present day. 
It has now been about 14 months since I built my first 
pond, and now I have three, with a fourth nearly com- 
plete. I estimate my fish by the million, many of which 
are, of course, very small yet. I expect to raise to the 
length of 10 inches, this year, ten thousand Trout. 
John C. Carmichael. 
Greemhoro ^ Jane \si^ 1859. 
» WINGER’S SCRAPER— “NO GO.” 
Editors Southern Cultivator — “In the midst of de- 
served wrath” Winger’s Scraper has “obtained mercy!” 
And if anybody don’t believe it, let them read your worthy 
correspondent’s recommendation of it, and then try it, and 
they will be convinced of the fact. I have tried Winger’s 
Scraper, and my opinion is simply this: th t it will do 
where there isnothing to do; but just use it “fore and aft” 
in the scraping of your cotton, and if you don’t throw it 
over the fence f shall always think you ought to have 
done it. It is a double scraper, as you have been informed, 
scraping both sides of the row at the same time, and if it 
comes in contact with any obstruction on either side of 
the cotton row, one or the other scraper is thrown into 
the cotton and cuts it up, of course. Don’t take my word 
for it — just try it. 
If you want the best Scraper on the top side of the globe 
get Yost's Plow and Scraper. Don’t take my word for it 
— ^just try it. Yours, &c , 
G. D. Harmon. 
Compromise Place, La., 1859. 
^^”Hear no ill of a friend, nor speak any ofan enemy ; 
believe not all you hear, and appear what, you are. 
