Show B JIM RHODY Farm Fish Ponds Farm fish ponds are gaining widespread popularity and many thousands of these impoundments of ot all sizes have been built during the past few years Methods were developed in Alabama for increasing increasing increasing ing fish production in ponds by bythe bythe bythe the use of ot commercial fertilizer It now is possible for a southern farm farm- farmer er to raise pounds of ot fish per acre of ot water in a year This is comparable to the production of livestock on an acre of good upland Although yields may be somewhat lower in the North owing to the shorter growing season the pond movement is gaining rapidly in that region Ponds are useful not only for tor fish production but for stock water and domestic ducks and geese Some farmers have made their ponds small waterfowl sanctuaries where wild birds are decoyed by tame ducks and fed during the fall mi mi- migra mi- mi gration gra tion Fish ponds are kept free of leafy vegetation by deepening the margi margi- marginal nal areas Food for young fish is furnished by the minute living free-living plants and animals animals that multiply abundantly in fertilized water These pond areas usually are fenced against grazing to W prevent silting The immediate margin of the water customarily is kept clear to make fishing easier and to keep the impoundment from collecting leaves and brush However plant plant- plantings plantings ings of conifers and shrubs may be used on the watershed or inside the fence of the pond pon l area itself Musk- Musk Muskrats Muskrats Muskrats rats must be excluded from fish fishponds fishponds fishponds ponds as there is not food for them and they would be a threat to dikes and dams Fish ponds should not be stocked indiscriminately with many kinds of fish Some of the highest yields have been obtained by stocking new ponds with largemouth black bass and 1000 to 1500 blue- blue bluegill bluegill bluegill gill fingerlings per surface acre I The proper building and operating of ot a pond requires professional guidance In most areas this can be furnished by the soil conserva conserva- conservation conservation conservation tion service In some states the state conservation also provides assistance Bulletins on the subject can be obtained from the he Superintendent of Documents the US U.S. Department of Agriculture and the US U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service S all of Washington DC D.C. A A A Teach Them Young Kelly DeBusk Oklahoma state game ame and fish director has some thoughtful and inspiring advice for sportsmen in last months month's issue of the he Oklahoma Game and Fish News Captain Eddie says Sportsmen should teach beginners their obligations at well as the pleasures afield What are you teaching leaching your boy Your neighbors neighbor's boy Or your friends friend's boy Have you told him of the many times you recognized limits of creel and bag Have you explained to o him the importance of habitat Have you taught him to see beauty in n the dogwood redbud and sage sagebrush sagebrush sagebrush brush Is he attracted to the ripple of water the song of the brook or orthe orthe orthe the chirping of the birds Is he ac ac- acquainted acquainted ac- ac acquainted with the woods and wild wild- wildlife wildlife wildlife life Have you passed over quietly or ever omitted references to your own unguarded mistakes Does the boy oy know what sportsmen think of Have you told him of the crime of deer hunting at night Or dynamiting streams Of baiting duck ponds Does he understand that a game ranger a servant of the people would welcome his sincere cooperation cooperation tion Have you emphasized to this boy that a game law violator is a thief Dees he know that game is cost cost- costly costly costly ly and valuable That fish are a luxury What are you yourself do do- doing doing doing ing for game and fish besides har har- harvesting harvesting harvesting vesting some of ot it A AAA A A The Bass Bass can be truly called Americas America's Amer Amer- Americas America's ica's leas game fish for more than any other major fresh water roamer they offer unexcelled sport to a great number of men lumen women boys and girls Sirls in the most widespread territory Bass live in a good many places where when the tre spotted trout cannot sur sur- survive survive survive vive because of the high tempera temperature ture lure o o 0 the t l water Several million anglers vearly visit our likes lit and ard t d streams I Y |