The Southern Mercury. (Dallas, Tex.), Vol. 16, No. 32, Ed. 1 Thursday, August 12, 1897 Page: 2 of 16
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80UTKKKJSI MJfiKCUtóY
Our Texas Fish Hatchery.
J. H. Ingram.
Three years ago the United States
Fish commissioner at Washington decid-
ed to establish a fish hatchery in the
Southern states. Southwestern Texas'
was selected as the best locality for such
an enterprise. The genial climate, mild
winters, pure water, and almost perpetual
sun shine was regarded as well adapted to
the propagation of fish. Three points,
New Brunfels, San Antonio, and San
Marcos, competed for the location.
San Marcos was chosen by the Fish com-
missioner on account of its superior wa-
ter supply, and climate conditions. The
village nestles along the slope of a low
mountain range, whose hills act as a bar-
rier against the winter winds, and protect
the locality from the force and chill of
sudden gales. The rocky slopes also
form reflectors of the sun rays and increase
the temperature through the winter
months. But few storms visit the vicin-
ity; the skies are almost constantly clear,
and hard freezes are unknown.
The hatchery is located in the midst of
a plateau, at the base of the mountain,
within a hundred yards of the San Múr-
eos river, and in the northwestern su-
burbs of the village. It is within con-
venient access to the river, and it was
the intention of the Fish commissioner to
use the San Marcos river in the hatchery.
One thousand feet distant the river rolls
out of the mountain side—from a spring
several yards in width; its water is as
clear as glass and has a constant and
inexhaustable current. But when a dam
was erected, of sufficient height, (14 feet)
to turn the water into the hatchery ponds,
the river was backed into the mountain
recesses and sought other outlets. It
was found that the waters of the San
Marcos river could not be used in the
hatchery. An artesian well was bored
for a water supply. The well is situated
at the upper end of the plateau. Boring
began in September, 1894. At a depth
of 195 feet a fine flow of excellent water
was found, of sufficient volume for all
requirements', but the current failed by
five feet to rise to the ground level. Con-
tinued boring was ordered to reach an-
other current—at a lower depth—that
would throw water to the ground surface.
At a depth of 1100 feet a new vein of wa-
ter was encountered of ample supply, that
rose 28 feet above the ground. It had a
temperature of 80 degrees, and so strong-
ly impregnated with sulphur that it was
unfit for hatchery uses. Fish would not
grow nor live in such water. Progress
was delayed for a year. It was then de-
cided to use the upper vein; as the latter
failed to bring its waters to the ground
surface it was determined to reduce the
surface to the level of the water flow. A
basin for the hatching and rearing tanks
was excavated to a depth of five feet The
soil in the lower levels was found well
adapted for hatchery purposes, being
smooth hard clay. On the floor of the
basin 13 hatchery ponds were constructed
Five tanks are 160 feet long and 60 feet
wide; 4 tanks are 50 feet long and 50
feet wide, and four others are 100 feet
long and $0 feet wide; all the ranks are
five feet deep, have earth bottoms of hard
iy, and are enclosed with, earth walls.
The upper ponds are breeding ponds ;the
lower are rearing ponds and are larger
and wider. The well is situated at the
head of the pond, and discharges 60,000
gallons of water, free from mineral and
vegetable matter, per hour into a cement
bottomed and walled lake. Iron pipes
connect the lake with the breeding rear-
ing tanks, and the flowing water is car-
ried into all the ponds; each tank has a
separate feed and a separate drain pipe,
and receives a constant supply of fresh
water direct from the welL No tank re-
ceives any water from adjacent tanks.The
drain pipes empty the water from the
ponds into the San Marcos river as fast
as it is received. The same amount
flows out that flows in except what is lost
by evaporation. The free passage of
water into and from the tanks keeps the
supply fresh and pure. The. water is
clear as crystal and the lake around the
wall is transparant; it is soft freestone
water and excellent for drinking; so light
and pleasant is it to the taste that a dozen
glasses of can be taken without injury;
a short use of the beverage develops an
appetite and relish for it The temperature
of the water (as it escapes from the well)
is 73 degrees. This temperature is 20
degrees warmer than the river water, and
is uniform throughout the year, and is not
affected by the winter cold, nor increased
by summer heat The flow, however, is
enlarged in the winter season from 1,000
gallons to 1200 and 1300 gallons per
minute. No ice forms over the ponds in
the coldest weather, and the sunken loca-
tion of the basin—five feet below the
ground surface protects the water from
cold winds and maintains a mild temper,
ature.
The hatchery is yet incomplete in all
its departments, but its ponds were ready
to receive occupants last December.
Stock fish were then ordered from adja-
ecnt Texas rivers. It was decided to
make San Marcos a bass station. Black
bass were caught from San Marcos and
Blanco rivers and Jacobs' well creek p-ock
bass were caught from San Marcos river;
speckled perch from the Colorado river
and York's creek, The fish were caught
by seines, placed in cans of water and
transported to the breeding tanks at the
hatchery, one brood fish in each can.
Six hundred stock fish were placed in the
ponds.
The black bass is regarded as the best
food fish in Texas; its flesh is of fine tex-
ture, sweet and solid; it becomes fat
when fed, is a very rich fish, and easily
acclimated to other rivers in Texas. It
has been placed in the Colorado, Gauda-
lupe, New Brunfels, San Marcos rivers,
and in Twin creek; it weighs from one
to 7# pounds.
The rock bass is a game and fine
food fish; it difTers from the black bass
in shape, having a shorter and heavier
body; it has rich and hard meat of excel-
lent quality, and weighs from one quarter
to three quarters of a pound.
The speckled perch belongs to the
bass family and is a favorite table fish,
weighing from 1 % to 2% pounds. All
three varieties are well suited to warm
climates. The black and rock bass do
best in clear water, but the speckled
perch does as well, if hot better, in mud-
dy water.
Carp were caught in the Gadalupe
and Comal rivers, and in York's creelc,
and carried in cans to the breding ponds
for food fish. They are raised in separ-
ate tanks. The carp average from 1 to
20 pounds in weight: they are an eatable
table fish, and well suited for ordinary
tanks. They root in the ground like
pigs and keep the water in their ponds
thick with mud. They are cut in to
pieces, one and two inches in length,
and fed to the fish, soon after they are
killed.
More olack bass are raised at the
hatchery than any of the three species
kept here as they are in larger demand.
The rock bass and and speckled perch
are in equal demand; but the speckled
perch will soon preponderate, as they are
the best tank fish in the state.
The fish spawn from February to June;
they sometimes spawn twice per year.
They spawn on the hard clay in the bot-
tom of the tanks • The sexes of the fish
can only be detected in the spring sea-
son ; experts can not distingush them at
any other time, so great is their simular-
ity. Each female fish lays from
500 to 3500 eggs in a spawn,
according to the size of the fish;
the larger the fish the greater the number
of eggs produced. The water in the
spawn tanks is five feet deep and no aids
are needed to assist the hatching, no
nests are made by the fish; they prefer
the hard smooth clay. The eggs hatch
in from five to ten days, according to the
temperature of the water. The female
stays near the eggs, often hovering over
them until they are hatched; stays on the
ground to prevent other fish fircm eating
the eggs, and never leaves them until they
turn into live fish. Too much light or
heat from the sun will spoil the eggs. The
sun in the hot season affects the surface
water to a depth of 12 inches 20 degrees;
the surface water temperature in summer
is 1 o degrees warmer in the day hours
than it is at night; but in five feet of wa-
ter the depths below 12 inches—where
the fish eggs are deposited—remains at
an even temperature. Plenty of
pure fresh water and protection
from enemies is all that the breeding eggs
require. When the young are hatched
the mother remains with them until they
are large enough to take care of them-
selves; she follows them until they are
two or three inches long, and protects
them from the raids of enemies ; she will
fight one or a half a dozen fish if they at-
tempt to eat her young. The males and
smaller fish {attack the young and the
mother is kept on constant watch to save
her wards. For days the young fish live on
substances in the water which are invisi-
ble to the naked eye.
They begin to eat prepared food at
one and two and three months of age.
They are first fed on ground beef steak
and small minnows scattered on the sur-
face of the water in the tank in which
they live. The minnows are caught by
dip seines from the San Marcos and
Blanco rivers, placed in tubs of water
and carried to the hatchery and scattered
in cups over the breeding tanks. The
laige fish are usually red once in two
days; no special houvs are observed; the
food is given whenever it is caught and
Great
O £% |a« proved by the statements of lead-
^^3'CSlng druggists everywhere, show
that the people have an# abiding confidence
in Hood's Sarsaparilia. ° Great
^ I - proved by the voluntary state*
VUl«9 ments of thousands of people,
show that Hood's Sarsaparilia has great
over d,8ease by purifying, en-
r Off wl riching and invigorating the
blood, Upon which health and life depend.
Hood's
Sarsaparilia
Is the One True Blood Purifier. All druggists. $1.
, . ,, n.,, are the only pills to take
11 OOP S "IHS with Hood's Sarsaparilia.
METO
Dr. Garland's
Celebrated Europoan ¡Specific for Syphilis,
Gonorrho® and Gleet.
The safest and most efficient remedy for the
speedy and permanent cure of this dreadful
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removed in from five to ten da-s. The only
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world
Trial package and circular free.
Garland Medicine Co.,
Marshall, Mich.
FREE
TO YOU
If you send your name and address, mentioning
this paper, to Dr. Hathaway & Co., San Antonio.
Tex., you will receive their valuable 64-Page Refer-
ence for Men and Women.
This book has just been issued and is full of valu-
able information to those afflicted with any of those
delicate diseases peculiar to men and women. Ii
tells how to cure all delicate diseases. Dr. Hatha-
way & Co., are considered to be experts in the treat-
ment of such diseases,
and are without doubt
the leading specialists in
the line of diseases which
they make a specialty of
in the U. S.
SPECIALTIES:
Specific blood poisoning,
nervous debility, kidney
and urinary difficulties,
hydrocele, pimples, piles,
rheumatism, skin and
blood diseases of all
forms, catarrh and dis-
eases of women. Address
•or call on Dr. Hatha-
way & Co., 709 Alamo
Plaza, San Antonio,Tex.
Mail treatment given by
sending for symptom
blank. No. 1 for men, No. 3 for women, No. 3 for
skin diseases, No. 4 for catarrh.
■eatlon Southern Mercury when ron write.
"SUC-
CESS"
Cotton
Seed
Huller
and
Seapra -
nearly
lOr doubles
the value of
seed [to ' the
farmers. Up-to-date ginners all use them because
the growers give their patronage to such gins. Ma-
chines Practical, Reliable and Guaranteed. For
further information address
Soule's Steam Peed Works. Meridian, Miss.
KINO OP PENCE MA-
CHdNES—Build your own
woven wire ferce, best in
the world, at actual coat;
2* to 60 inches high; IS to
20 cents a rod on your
farm in Texas. Keep out
hpreea, cattle, aheep.h -.go,
■ 1 , - -, don, chickens, rabbits.
Wire at wholesale; cata-
^ Hrw tree. Cochrane
Wm4«w4, 0Mr.lt. mST
1,
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Park, Milton. The Southern Mercury. (Dallas, Tex.), Vol. 16, No. 32, Ed. 1 Thursday, August 12, 1897, newspaper, August 12, 1897; Dallas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth185722/m1/2/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; .