U. S. Nat. Mus.
Div. Fishes. Carded

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The Gold Fish and its Culture. Mlustrated. 108 pp. Bound in
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Der Gold Fisch und seine Zucht. Ulustrirt. 104 Seiten. Stettin,

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OCTOBER, 1892.

CopyriIGHT 1892. ALi RIGHTS RESERVED.

THE GOLDORFE, AND HOW TO
BREED IT.
(With illustrations.)

The Goldorfe (Cyprinus orphus
Idus melanotus auratus), also called
Golden ide, is a member of the Carp
family and a native of Southern Ger-
many. Body slender, much com-
pressed on the sides, and covered with
uniformly sized scales; back and
sides orange red, more or less speckled
with small, irregular intensely black
spots ; abdomen silvery white; head
small; mouth without barbles; eyes
large and of a golden hue; dorsal fin
short and far back; caudal fin deeply
forked ; abdominal fins small ; all fins
rounded at the ends, pinkish at the
roots and tinted vermilion in centre.
Young specimens, excepting the color,
resemble very much our American
shiner. :

There is scarcely a fish which, as an
ornamental fish, so satisfactorily meets
all the demands made of it as the
Goldorfe. In summer and winter it is
constantly seen near the surface of the
water where it seeks its food, which
consists of insects, tadpoles and small
water plants. It does not feed on the

bottom and, consequently, it does not
muddy the water, which is such an ob-
jection to Carp.

It attains a length of 24 inches anda
weight of about 4 pounds.

The raising of the Goldorfe as an
ornamental fish has a peculiar advan-
tage over that of the goldfish, the young
swimming about in large schools, short-
ly after leaving the eggs, present a re-
markably beautiful appearance. Having
at that stage a thickness of about two
lines and a length of about a quarter of
an inch, their color being bright orange
with a black head, the easily fright-
ened school swim with lightning-like
rapidity from one place to another.

In the year 1558 Gessner wrote in his
Natural History that the orfe enjoyed a
high reputation as an article of food,
especially when fried, particularly in
the months of April or May. _—_‘ Permis-
sion to sell the orfe was only given
when it had reached a certain size, as
they were considered an excellent food
for the sick, and consequently it was
desirable not to let the species die out.
From the habit of those days to bring
them to women in confinement, this
fish was called the Ladies’ fish.

2 THE AQUARIUM, OCTOBER, 1892.

The movement of the Goldorfe is
very graceful and quick. It is very
watchful, giving warning to other fish
of any approaching danger; for that
reason they were kept in Carp ponds
as a kind of guard for the other fishes
and for the same purpose they were cul-
tivated in the moats surrounding the
castles during the middle ages.

The Goldorfe was introduced to this
country by the United States Fish
Commission and also by us in 1882;
the former introduced it as ‘‘Golden
Ide,” by which name it is known to
English writers, while we stuck to the
name by which it was known for cen-

Murlertt. Te

turies in its native country and which
for business purposes we found the bet-
ter of the two, as it avoids disappoint-
ments. Several cases we have recorded
where the customers asked for go/den-
eyed fishes, and in one case for golden-
eyed Carp. In both cases the parties
having heard of the fish, but not seen
its name in print, were under the im-
pression that it meant Goldfish or Carp
with golden eyes. The name (oldorfe
is easily pronounced and might, for
that matter, be spelled ‘‘orphe;” one
could then raise orphen and call his
orfen pond an orphan asylum.

Although introduced twelve years
ago, this beautiful fish is yet very little
known; the cause of this, we think, is
the difficulty in breeding it. In the
following we give a description of our
method to propagate it and hope that
it may be inductive to a more frequent
cultivation of the fish.

BREEDING THE GOLDORFE.

In the spring of the year, when the
temperature of the water in the ponds
has risen to about 65° F., we prepare a
spawning-bed for the goldorfe in a
rectangular rearing pond, of which the
banks run due south and west, in the
following marner :

Eight feet west of the northeast cor-
ner of the pond we place a slightly
perforated board partition, which pro-
jects four feet into the pond and
reaches a few inches into the bottom
of it, while it extends six inches above
the water surface. Four feet south of
same corner, running due west, a sim-
ilar board partition of eight feet in
length is placed. Where the two ends
of these boards meet, a stake is driven
into the bottom of the pond, against
which they are both fastened. (See
diagram.) Over this bed a wire screen
of inch mesh is placed, mounted on

THE AQUARIUM, OCTOBER, 1892. 3

hinges. The shallowest parts of this
bed, the east and north sides, are cov-
ered with four inches of water; the
deepest part is the southwest corner,
with a water depth of about twenty-
four inches.

All along the shallow sides bunches
of fibrous roots and grasses are laid in
profusion, and no current of water is
allowed to enter this bed. When all
this iscomplete, we place three females
and four males of twelve to fifteen
inches in length in it and close the
wire screen. ‘Tadpoles of frogs may
now be had in plenty; some of these
we catch daily and throw alive through
the screen for the spawners as food.

When the weather is nice and warm
the fish will begin to spawn towards
the latter part of April; if not, they may
delay it till June. The clumps of root-
lets which were placed in the bed as
spawn-catchers, are therefore examined
every morning, and if found covered
with eggs, which are watery white and
double the size of a pin head, they are
at once carefully removed and placed
by themselves in a hatching pond.
This isa little pond, eight feet each
way, with a water depth of six inches,
through which a moderately flowing
current of water is allowed to pass.
The clumps of roots to which the eggs
adhere are placed over some dry brush
or tree branches, which are placed in
the pond for this purpose, in order to
support them free in water and near
the surface. No insects, frog or other
enemies of fish eggs are to molest these
eggs.

After six days the eggs hatch. The
young at first have a milky appearance,
which changes after a few days into a
cream color, the top of the head at the
same time becoming darker—almost
black. They swim in schools, near the

surface, and frequent the place where
the water enters the pond. It is there-
fore necessary to protect the inlet with
fine wire gauze, to prevent their escape
and also to protect the young fish
against enemies that may lie in waiting
at that same place. This pond, like the
former,is also covered with wire netting.

When about one inch in length, the
color of the young fry is bright orange
and the tops of the heads still black.
At this age we take them from the
hatching pond and plant them at the
rate of one hundred fish to a rearing
pond measuring about ten feet one way
and twenty feet the other, with eighteen
inches water depth. In handling these
young fish, care must be taken to have
the buckets which convey them covered,
as they are great leapers. At an age
of six months they will have attained a
length of from four to six inches; the
back, including the head, has become
deep orange in color, more or less dot-
ted with little spots of intense black,
while the abdomen is silvery white.
In the third year, if circumstances are
favorable, the fish will measure twelve
inches and over, and at that age will
begin to spawn.

It may be in place to state, also, that
eggs which were not cared for as above
described never came to anything. The
parent fish devour their own eggs, and
are the greatest enemies of their own

young.
N.

W. Spawning Bed. E.

S. |

Rearing Pond.

4 THE AQUARIUM, OCTOBER, 1892.

GLIMPSES BENEATH THE
WATER.

This past summer the Paradise fish
reigned, and this intelligent little beauty,
which so quickly becomes the pet of all
who have the opportunity to watch it,
should wear the crown. But of course
where there is much light, there is
shade too, and so has the Paradise fish
faults as well as other fishes have theirs.
‘I refer to the haughty temper of some
of the males, in fact of all the males,
for they all treat their mates sooner or
later ‘‘ really-cruel.” What can be the
cause of this? Ihave one pair which
had twelve different broods this sum-
mer. Their home is a good sized
aquarium, so arranged that it can be
divided into four different apartments.
When they had the second brood this
spring the male acted rather cross for
a couple of days; he bit the female,
even tore several scales off her side.
She remained in a corner a few days
after that, to heal her wound, and then
came forward again. Both ‘‘ made
up” again, and after that had ten
broods. Everything during that period
went on charmingly. They both got
along together finely; her wounded side
had all healed again, and they were the

prettiest pair of fish ] had in the house.
You can imagine my surprise when one
morning, not many days ago, I found
the female all bit up in a corner of the
tank. The male looked at her with
angry eyes even when I removed her to.
a different compartment, where she is
now rapidly recovering.

What could the quarrel have been
about? These little creatures are very
interesting in many ways.

The young Paradise fish one has
raised himself in an aquarium are
naturally great pets. They measure
now all the way from one-eighth of an
inch to one and one-half inch, the lat-
ter showing already the beautiful colors
of their parents, and the young males.
may be seen fighting with each other,
especially after meal times, like young
roosters in a poultry yard. A small
tank, say of two and a half or three
gallons capacity, will accommodate
about fifty of such little fellows; they
should be fed twice a day, however, or
even oftener, and besides that a sunny
location of the tank is necessary in
order to stimulate the growth of the
plants, which under favorable condi-
tions also supply no small ‘amount of
healthful fish food.

But although the Paradise fish has
claimed much attention this year, the
old favorite, the Goldfish, has been by
no means neglected. Many amateurs
have bred these too, and in a few cases —
beautiful cross breeds have been made.
Large finned Comets and Fringe-tails are
as much in demand as ever, and one
cannot have too many of these varie-
ties, provided that one aims to get dif-
ferently marked specimens. ‘The Fan-
tails of last Spring’s importation turned
out to be a healthy lot of fish. I hope
that the lots which are now nearing
San Francisco may prove equally as

THE AQUARIUM, OCTOBER, 1892. 5

good. Telescope fish are as scarce as
ever, and the beautiful and odd ‘‘Rams-
nose,” a sub-variety of the Nymph, are
principally in the hands of private
parties.

A comparatively new fish for our
aquariums is the Gold Tench (Tinca
auratus.) This fish was certainly not
sufficiently known when it was said
that ‘‘ it hides all the time under rocks
and plants, and once or twice in a year
you get a peep of it. The onlvy satis-
faction one has, is, that he knows that
he put a Gold Tench into his aquarium.
If he wants a visitor to see it he will
have to stir it up with a stick.” Ihave
found this fish very easy to domesticate ;
it required but a few days to teach
them to come to the surface of the
water to take food out of my hand.
They are a much livelier fish than the
goldfish ; very playful, just as attract-
“ive in color as the latter and always in
view, intelligently following the spec-
tator around the sides of the tank in
expectation of some dainties,

Now, while the time is at hand to
clean and re-arrange the aquarium for
the colder season, a new supply of
aquatic plants is often wanted, for even
the best of us will meet with an acci-
dent sometimes and lose a valuable
plant, while others, for the sake of
variety, wish to try some different kind.
Fortunately for us all, the number of
species and varieties of aquatic plants
which answer our purpose is steadily
increasing. Sagittaria ‘New Era,’a seed-
ling of the good old Sagittaria natans, is
a good novelty, being more robust in
growth than its parent. Still larger
than the preceding is the Sag. ‘ Fran-
cis M.,’ a hybrid between New Era and
Sag. lanciolata. Its immersed leaves are
gracefully curved, while those growing
out of the water are decidedly lance-

shaped. In either stage they are very
decorative. The different varieties of
Cabomba especially the C. rosaefolia
look well with Sagittarias as a back-
ground, while Ludwigia Mulerttii is the
plant par excellence for a conspicuous
open space in the tank, the beautiful
shapes and colors of its leaves having
then a chance to develop to perfection.

A very interesting plant of recent
introduction is the Parrot’s feather
(Myriophyllum proserpinacoides). It
is a near relative to our American
Millfoil (M. spicatum). It grows
best if allowed to float about on the
surface of the water. If permitted
to overhang the aquarium frame
it adds greatly to the appearance of the
whole collection.

The Water Hyacinth (Hichhornia
crassipes) is a curious and pretty float-
ing plant. Its large feathery roots are
no less attractive than the odd shaped
leaf-stems. If the aquarium is favor-
ably located and large enough, a large
blue flower-spike will frequently make
its appearance.

The smaller floaters, such as Trianea
bogotensis, Salvinia amazonica and
Azolla palustris should not be forgotten
when restocking the aquarium for the
winter. Floating plants impart to the
aquarium that peculiarly charming ap-
pearance which is so much admired
along the shores of small lakes. An
aquarium is nothing more nor less than
a miniature lake ; then why not copy
the lake in all its details ? AQUARIUS.

The Chinese umbrella plant.(Cyperus
alternifolia) is an excellent aquarium
plant, but only for ornamental purposes.
For the purpose of aerating the water,
one must have plants that grow below
the surface of the water.

6 THE AQUARIUM, OCTOBER, 1892.

THE CADDIS OR CASE-FLY.
(Phryganea.)

Although the larvae of the caddis
flies (the caddis worms) are very de-
structive to aquarium plants, which
they attack at the tender tops to obtain
building material for the enlargement
of their houses, they are also very
amusing, if kept in a jar with aquatic
plants by themselves. We see them
busy at the bottom, adding fragments
of plants, pebbles, minute shells, even
if the snails within them are alive and
any small debris that their fingers can
seize hold of. Last season the writer
had amongst a large number of cads,
one that had his case nearly destroyed
by accidentally falling from the table.
I removed from him what remained of
his case, and threw him into a jar with
a water soldier (Stratioides aloides) and
a few snails(Lymnea). He set to work
to repair his tabernacle, and _ the
snails helped him, for they nib-
bled a leaf of the Stratioides into
shreds. ‘These shreds the cad gathered

and every day he added a fresh piece, so
that, in about ten days he appeared in
a suit of green, his clothes bulged out.
to an enormous size, and everywhere
studded with points and corners, the
most comical sight that could be imag-
ined. Since he could find nothing of a
small neat pattern, he took what he
could, and became a perfect Jack in the
green, nearly ar inch and a half in
length, and thicker than a carpenter’s.
lead pencil.

The movements of these creatures.
are as comical as their specimens of
tailoring. We see them mounting a.
stem or leaf with great gravity, when
suddenly up goes the tail, the legs hold
tight, and the case turns completely
over, as if on the first of May Jack-in-
the-green were to dance on his head.
When the creature is hidden, and the
case sways to and fro like a buoy attach-
ed by too short a rope, the sight is very
curious.

The perfect insect bears resemblances.
to the two families which stand on
either side of it—the Lepidoptera or
true butterflies, and the Neuroptera,
of which the dragon flies and other
membranaceous winged insects are
members. As soon as he enters the
world, he begins to show his skill in tail-
oring, and by means of silken threads.
and gluten constructs his case of bits of
stick, straw, pieces of leaves, or shells,
in fact, whatever he can get, and as.
long as he retains the worm like form.
the case is his castle, and he can defy
the world, The case outside is gener-
ally a rough affair, but if you draw out.
the cad you will see that inside it is.
perfectly cylindrical, smooth, and
polished, and around the doorway,.
through which the larvae makes ac-
quaintance with the world, it is neatly
finished with a very circular rim.

THE AQUARIUM, OCTOBER, 1892. 7

When you have removed a cad from his
case, if you throw him into an aqua-
rium tank you will learn in an instant
what is the use of his case, for his soft
nakedness is no sooner exposed, than
the minnows finish him, and find the
flavor excellent. But to seeacad in his
proper uniform molested is a very rare
sight indeed. When he feels the numb-
ness of death creeping over him, the
cad draws in his six legs, and sets to
work inside to weave a winding sheet
and to shut the shutter, for he knows
that his time is come, and there is no
one to do such melancholy offices for
him. All alone in his solitary cell, the
hermit works day and night, and
hourly his fingers grow more feeble.
We look and find the shutters closed,
and by this time the larvae has changed
into a pupa.

The mode in which the worm closes
its cell is curious enough. Over its
entrance it weaves a grating of silk,
which hardens in water and remains
insoluble. It may be seen very plainly
by the naked eye, but under a good
lens increases in interest. The grating
is placed a little inside the margin of
the opening, and fits exactly within it,
and its object is to protect the pupa
from invasion, and at the same time to
admit water for respiration.

But the escape of the pupa when
about to undergo its last metamorpho-
sis is as interesting as the fact of
closing the shutters to announce its
own death. Itis provided witha pair of
hooked mandibles, with which to gnaw
through the grating, and no sooner
have these accomplished their purpose
than they fall off, and the pupa takes
its last shape of a four-winged fly, as
represented in the cut.

S: o.

THE FANWORT. (Caboméa.)

Fourteen years ago we received in a
letter from one of our correspondents
in the State of Louisiana, a sprig of a
green water plant. In the letter the
writer stated that in his rambles about
the wild swamps he ran across a little
pool in which he found this plant grow-
ing. Ashe had an aquarium at home
he gathered some of it to plant in his
tank. Here it was much admired, but
nobody seemed to have ever seen this
variety of water plant before and he
therefore concluded to send it to us in
order to find out its name.

As it was in winter season, the plant,
or rather the sprig of it, was not in
bloom and we were not able to analyze
it to a certainty. We, however, sup-
posed it to be a variety of Ranunculus
aquatilis. (See illustration. )

The sprig in question received its
proper care, and with the approach of
the warmer weather it formed flower
buds, then differently shaped leaves,
and finally it bloomed. We recognized
it now as a member of the water-
shield family—Cabombacea ( (ray).
An English work on botany which we
consulted had a very correct illustration
of it and gave Brazil as its home, but
nothing else was said about it.

The plant proved a valuable acquisi-
tion to our collection of aquarium
plants. Everybody who saw it wanted
to buy it. As a matter of course we
wrote to our correspondent in the South
for more, but he was unable to find the
pool again from which he had obtained
it, and had even lost all that he had had
in his own aquarium. We then wrote
to different parts of the South, but for
a long while without success. In the
meanwhile, we propagated our stock
from cuttings.

8 THE AQUARIUM, OCTOBER, 1892.

varieties. They grew side by side and
received the same treatment, but each
developed its respective characteristics.
The Louisiana variety in the more
regular shape of the fan-shaped leaves
and a brilliant, glossy, light green color
on the upper. surface, while the under
surface was covered with a silvery lus-
HUGO MULERTT, Publisher, | tre; the Florida variety showed the
Brooklyn, N. Y. same habit of growth, but the stemsand
leaves were in the different tints of

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RANUNCULUS AQUATILIS.

At last we received an assorted lot
of water plants from Florida, among
which were some Cabombas, but not of
that brilliant green color which dis-
tinguished our Cabomba from all other
water plants. The color of this Florida
lot was rather dull, being a kind of
brownish green. But this, we pre-
sumed, could have been caused by a dif-
ference in locality or quality of soil
and water, and believed it to be the
same variety.

For the sake of acclimating these
plants we planted them in several of
our shallow open-air ponds and here we
discovered that we had two distinct

carmine ; the new leaves as they ap-
peared being of salmon color, deepen-
ing as they became stronger to a brilli-
ant pink, then a dark carmine until
they were of a brownish violet when
oldest.

The leaves sit opposite each other,
they are cut in a systematical manner
into a great many fine shreds, which
altogether spread in such a way as to
form a regular little open fan.

The flowers of both varietiesare alike.
They are of a trumpet shape, some-
what similar to a single Geranium
flower, silvery white with a yellow cen-
tre, six petaled, and are half an inch in

THE AQUARIUM, OCTOBER, 1892.

diameter. ‘Together with the flower
buds there appear several small arrow-
shaped leaves; these float upon the sur-
face in support of the flowers. The
latter are borne about two inches above
the water, opening about 9 or 10
o'clock in the morning to close again
about 3 o’clock in the afternoon, very
much like the flowers of the white
pond lilies.

According to their habit, we would

=
—

xf

grown together in a fountain basin
with their branches intermingled, and
seen from above then, one imagines see-
ing a submerged bed of pink and light
green roses.

This distinction in color led us to
name them accordingly (. viridifolia
and ©. rosefolia. Both are ornamental
water plants of the very highest order.
They are of easy culture, but north
of Virginia they are not hardy. Asan

CABOMBA ROSAEFOLIA AND SINGLE LEAF OF C. VIRIDIFOLIA.

call the Cabombas ‘‘ creepers,” as it is
their nature to creep along the bottom
and strike roots near every joint where
a shoot formsa fork. New shoots or
sprouts have an upright tendency un-
til too heavy. These shoots tend to
make the plants wonderful in their
effect upon an observer. When the
whorls of leaves appear about four to
six inches below the surface of the
water, sometimes three inches in diame-
ter, they resemble a Hermosa rose in
full bloom, a mystery to most specta-
tors, especially when both varieties are

additional point of interest it is to be
stated that the Cabombas sleep after
dark. In this condition they close
their leaves and lay them in an upright
position close to the stems.

A third variety, Cabomba Carolinen-
sis, iS very pretty, too, but without a
decisive character neither one way nor
the other, it being of the ordinary com-
mon green observed on other plants.
This is of very easy culture and very
abundant in ponds and creeks in Mary-
land and Virginia, where it was intro-
duced by carp culturists.

10 THE AQUARIUM, OCTOBER, 1892.

CULTURE OF THE HYACINTH
IN GLASSES.

The Hyacinth is one of the most suit-
able for this elegant, though somewhat
unnatural system of culture ; and here
we would just remark that failures
may be more generally traced to mista-
ken kindness than neglect. _Its roots,
like those of other plants, shun the
light with instinctive care; therefore,
dark-colored glass should be selected.
Place the bulbs in the glasses and fill
with rain-water or drip water of the
ice-box, so that it barely touches the
bottom of the bulbs, and set them in a
dark, cool, dry cellar or closet. When
the bulb rests in the water at once,
there is slight danger of moldiness en-
suing. Examine them occasionally,
and remove gently any scales that may
be decaying, but be very careful not to
injure the young roots. When the
glasses are moderately filled with roots,
which will be the case in three or four
weeks, place them where they will re-
ceive a moderate light; and as soon as
the plants assume a healthy green color,
remove to the lightest possible situation,
and where they can have abundance of
fresh air. A close, heated atmosphere
is very unfavorable to the development
of handsome spikes of bloom.

When in actual growth sprinkle them
freely, keep them as near the window
as convenient, and turn them occasion-
ally to prevent long, weakly, ill-shaped
stems ; the water should be changed at
least every three weeks, using pure
rain water of about the same tempera-
ture as that in which the bulbs are
growing. The flowers will receive a
check if you do not attend to this, A
small piece of charcoal or a small pinch

of salt in each glass will keep the water
sweet longer.

When the roots have nearly reached
the bottom of the glass, there some-
times collects at the extremity of each
a pellicle or covering of mucous matter.
This soon stops up the mouths of the
roots, by which the food of the plant is
conveyed to the leaves. To prevent
this the roots should be drawn care-
fully out of the glasses, and a wide ves-
sel should be placed handy, filled with
clean water from which the chill has been
taken off and to which a little table salt
has been added; in this immerse the
roots of the bulb and draw the mass.
carefully through the hand, pressing
them gently. Do this two or three
times, until the roots are white and
clean. Whilst one person is doing this,
let another be washing out the glass
and wiping it quite clean and dry.
Then gradually work the clean washed
roots into the glass before putting in
any water. To get them in when
numerous it will be found necessary to
twist them around until they reach
their old quarters, and the bulb rests
upon the neck of the glass, then fill
with clear rain or soft water and replace
itin the window. A ‘‘double’’ Hyacinth
glass, lately introduced, is very handy
in this respect. One washing will
generally be sufficient. After this no
more care will be necessary, except
occasionally changing the water. The
single Hyacinth is best adapted for
water culture.

For giving vigor to the plants and
color to the flowers, we know of no
better means than to dissolve into a
quart of rain water an ounce of guano,
and to pour one teaspoonful of that
into each glass once in a fortnight after
the flowers begin to appear.

THE AQUARIUM,

REPOTTING PLANTS.

When repotting plants see that the
soil you use is in proper condition,
neither too wet nor too dry. If too
wet, it will clump together and the
roots can not penetrate it. A good
compost, suitable for nearly all kinds
of house plants, is wood mold and
sandy loam, equal parts, mixed with
one-third its bulk of rotten cow manure.
This is worked over until it is reduced
to a fine, evenly grained compost.

But other precautions are necessary,
besides having a suitable compost, to be
successful in raising and keeping house
plants. When they are first potted
(taken in from the garden) it is import-
ant that they gradually become accus-
tomed to their changed mode of life.
They should be taken up from the
ground while there is yet growing
weather, carefully pressed into the pot,
pruned to diminish the evaporating
surface, and shaded a few days till they
recover. When the plants are taken
indoors, it is best to keep them in a
room without a fire, and where they
can have plenty of air on mild days.
October is a good month for potting
most flowers for the winter.

Let the pots be new if possible ; if
you use old ones have them well washed
inside and outside, and dried again be-
fore use.

All pots in which plants are to be
grown must have at least one hole in
the bottom, so thesurplus water may run
off ; if it remains, the plants will soon
die. Pots should be also of porous
material; such as the common tlower
pots are made of is best. Never
paint your pots, therefore! Ornamen-
tal china pots are intended merely as a
cover of a common pot.

Regarding the size of pots, it may
here be stated that, as a rule, ama-

OCTOBER, 1892. iz

teurs use too large pots for their plants.
Always bear in mind that not the quan-
tity but the proper quality of the soil is:
what grows the plant, if otherwise
properly cared for, to perfection.

i

A CHEAP EXPERIMENT.

How AN INGENIOUS PROFESSOR MADE
A ONE HunpDRED DOLLAR FEE.

Before the Fish Commissioners de-
cided to stock the streams of the State
with that much despised but powerful
fish, the German carp, they were greatly
concerned as to whether the species:
would live in certain waters, says the
San Francisco Hxaminer.

They debated the questions through
several meetings, grew red in the face
over it, and to save heat and a possible
disruption of the board, determined to
submit the question to Professor Hoch-
stadter, the eminent pisciculturist, for
decision.

Numerous samples of the water were
obtained and turned over to the profes-
sor, who in a very brief space submit-
ted a report and a bill for $100. The
bill was paid and the devastating carp
turned loose to disorder the rivers.

It was not until the other day, how-
ever, when Judge Henshaw and Pro-
fessor Hochstadter were straining their
imaginations over fishing experiences
while crossing on the Piedmont, that
the truth about the great scientist’s
experiments with that water came out.
He chuckled so much over telling about
his bill for $100 that Henshaw asked :

“But how did you ascertain that.
carp would live in the water submitted
to you?”

‘‘Why, I bought a carp for ten cents
and put it into the water. It lived.”
— FHachange.

12 THE AQUARIUM, OCTOBER, 1892.

THE CHINESE PRIMROSE.

The Primula chinensis is the gem of
the collection of window plants. None
surpass it in beauty; and for continu-
ous bloom, certainly none can be found
more desirable. It is one of the best
of all plants for the decoration of the
drawing-room or dining table, and al-
ways at home in the conservatory or
greenhouse. For nine months out of
twelve they may be made to yield flow-
ers, though more profusely’ from No-
vember to May, and with their colors
of red, white, crimson, purple and pink,
they form objects of curious ornaments.

They are objects of easy care, requir-
ing attention only in watering. The
soil should not be allowed to get dry,
and yet the roots are so tenacious of life
they will cling closely till the last mo-
ment around any particle of moisture
in the earth. Keep the soil moderately
moist, but not over saturated. If evap-
oration or drainage is slow, and the cir-
culation through the pot impeded, the
plants will turn sickly and die off. We
do not advise manure water; plain warm
water is the best. The best varieties for
window gardens are the double white
primroses and Rubra plena, a double
red variety, indescribably charming.
The single-fringed varieties are very
fine, but the above are now the most
popular. One great advantage which
the Primrose possesses over most winter
flowering plants is that it is rarely ever
infested with greenfly or other trouble-
some pests. Primroses are propagated
mainly by cuttings and seeds. Cut-
tings taken from the side shoots in
April will make vigorous plants by
autumn. From June to October they
should be kept from the hot sun ina
shady location, with but little water.
The soil should be largely composed of
leaf mould.

The single varieties are largely grown
from seed, which should be sown in
April or May, under a square of glass.
When four or five leaves are developed,
plant in small thumb pots, and shade
for two or three days. During the
summer keep the pots in a shady loca-
tion, but in the winter the nearer they
are to the glass the better and brighter
will they flower.

If any unusually fine flowers reward
your care, they can be increased by cut-
tings. The Primrose is a perennial ;
the seed is usually sold in mixed colors,
but they can be recognized nearly as soon
as the leaves appear, by the color of
the stems. No plant flowers more
profusely, and sometimes five hundred
florets are gathered from one plant.—
Williams’ Window Gardening.

>

CROSSES AND CROSSING OF
PLANTS.

This was the subject of a paper read
at a late meeting of the Massachusetts
State Board of Agriculture by Pro-
fessor L. H. Bailey, of Cornell Univer-
sity.

Speaking of ‘‘crossing strengthen-
ing existing types,” the Professor said :
‘‘The improvement of existing varie-
ties by crossing is a more important
office than the summary production of
new varieties. This is the chief use
which nature makes of crossing — to
strengthen the type. Think, for in-
stance, of the great rarity of hybrids
or pronounced crosses in nature! No -
doubt all the authentic cases on record
could be entered in one or two volumes,
but a list of all the individual plants
of the world could not be compressed
into ten thousand volumes. There are
a few genera, in which the species are
not well defined or in which some char-

THE AQUARIUM, OCTOBER, 1892. 13:

acter of inflorescence favors promiscu-
ous crossing, in which hybrids are con-
spicuous ; but even here the number
of individual hybrids is very small in
comparison to the whole number of
individuals. That is, the hybrids are
rare, while the parents may be common.

‘* Darwin was the first to show that
crossing within the limitsof the species
or variety results in aconstant revitaliz-
ing of the offspring, and that this is
the particular ultimate function of the
operation. Darwin’s results are, con-
cisely, these : self-fertilization tends to
weaken the offspring ; crossing between
different plants of the same variety
gives stronger and more productive off-
spring than arises from self-fertiliza-
tion ; crossing between stocks of the
same variety grown in different places,
or under different conditions, gives bet-
ter offspring than crossing between dif-
ferent plants grown in the same place
or under similar conditions ; and his
researches have also shown that, as a
rule, flowers are so constructed as to
favor cross fertilization. In short, he
found, as he expressed it, that ‘nature
abhors perpetual self - fertilization.’
Darwin’s well-known experiments show
that crosses between fresh stock of the
same variety were nearly thirty per
cent. more vigorous than crosses be-
tween plants grown side by side for
some time, and over forty-four per
cent. more vigorous than plants from
self fertilized seeds. On the other
hand, experiments showed that crosses
between different flowers upon the same
plant gave actually poorer results than
offspring of self-fertilized flowers. It
is evident, from all his experiments,
that nature desires crosses between
plants, and, if possible, between plants
grown under somewhat different con-
ditions.”

On the subject of ‘‘ producing new
plants” Professor Bailey says: ‘‘ The
second result of crossing, the summary
production of new varieties, is the sub-
ject which is almost universally asso-
ciated with crossing in the popular
mind, and even among horticulturists
themselves. It is the commonest no-
tion that the desirable characters of
given parents can be definitely com-
bined in a pronounced cross or hybrid.
There are two or three philosophical
reasons which somewhat oppose this
doctrine, and which we will do well to
consider at the outset. In the first
place, nature is opposed to hybrids, for
species have been bred away from each
other in the ability to cross. If, there-
fore, there is no advantage for nature
to hybridize, we may suppose that
there would be none for man; and
there would be no advantage for man
did he not place the plant under con-
ditions different from nature or desire
a different set of characters. We can
overcome the refusal to cross in many
cases by bringing the plant under cul-
tivation where new conditions ‘over-
power its former antipathies. Yet it is
doubtful if such a plant will ever ac-
quire a complete willingness to cross.
In like manner we can overcome in a
measure the comparative seedlessness
of hybrids, but it is very doubtful if
we can ever make such hybrids com-
pletely fruitful. It would appear,
therefore, that with plants in which
fruits or seeds are the parts sought, no
good can be expected, as a rule, from
hybridization,- and this seems to be
affirmed by facts. It is evident that
species which have been bred away from
each other in a given locality will have
more opposed qualities than similar
species which have arisen quite inde-
pendently in places remote from each

14 THE AQUARIUM, OCTOBER, 1892.

other. In the one case the species have
struggled with each other until each
one has attained to a degree of diver-
gence which allows it to persist, while
in the other case there has been no
struggle between the species, but simi-
lar conditions have brought about simi-
lar results. These similar species which
appear independently of each other in
different places are called representa-
tive species. Islands remote from each
other, but similarly situated with ref-
erence to climate, very often contain
such species, and the same may be
said of other regions much like each
other. Now it follows that if rep-
resentative species are less opposed
than others, they are more likely to
hybridize with good results; and this
fact is well illustrated in the Kieffer
and allied pears, which are hybrids be-
tween representative species of Europe
and Japan. We will also recall that
the hybrid grapes which have so far
proved most valuable are those obtained
by Rogers between the American Vitis
labrusca and the European wine grapes
and that the attempts of Haskell and
others to hybridize associated species of
native grapes have given, at best, only
indifferent results.”

Touching on hybridization the
essayist says:—‘‘among the various
characters of hybrid offspring, the
most prejudicial one is their instability;
it is difficult to fix any particular form
which we may secure in the first gen-
eration of hybrids; and, therefore, we
find that the great majority of the
best hybrids in cultivation are increased
by bud propagation, as cuttings. layers,
suckers, buds or grafts. In fact, there
are few instances of undoubted hybrids
which are propagated with practical
certainty by means of seeds.

This simply means that it is difficult

to fix hybrids so that they will come
true to seed, and makes apparent the |
fact that if we desire hybrids we must
expect to propagate them by means of
buds.”

Professor Bailey sums up his able
paper in the following words: ‘ En-
courage in every way crosses within the
limits of the variety and in connection
with change of stock, expecting in-
crease in vigor and _ productiveness.
Hybridize, if you are curious to know
what nature will do about it, but do it
carefully, honestly, thoroughly, and do
not expect too much, Extend Darwin’s
famous proposition to read like this :
Nature abhors both perpetual self-fer-
tilization and hybridization.”’— Florists’
Hachange.

BAMBOO.

Among the foreign plants which
have been tried to be naturalized in
France, one of the most useful is that
‘¢treasure of China,” the bamboo M.
Amiral Auilio has sent to the Garden
of Acclimatization a particular variety
of bamboo, which, it seems, will very
easily acclimatize, as well as two other
kinds from M. Simon, French Consul
in China. These latter, cultivated in
the South, in the environs of Nimes,
have answered all the hopes formed of
them, and are used in the industry of
light fancy furniture, tables. chairs,
stools and etageres. These bamboos,
now become French, are already the
object of a commerce of export to Eng-
land. ‘This grass is most hardy, and
little susceptible in its nature ; for it is
found in regions where there are fifty
degrees of heat to support, as well as in
countries where the winters are rigor-

THE AQUARIUM,

OCTOBER, 1892. 15

ous. It also grows very rapidly, attains
a height of thirty yards, and multiplies
infinitely. Bamboo is truly the Provi-
dence of China ; in the Celestial Empire
no village is without one or many shops
of bamboos, assorted according to the
thickness and length. In every farm
there can be seen behind the house
a bamboo plantation for the daily
wants. ‘This is a piece of ground sur-
rounded by a large ditch filled with
water, and especially destined for the
culture of the plant, whose massive
leaves serve as a refuge to innumerable
turtle doves. Bamboo is an indispen-
sable element for the Chinese ; they
make bridges of it, water pipes, houses,
fences, mats, paper, tinder, umbrellas,
hats, summer clothes, pillows, mat-
tresses, ladders, furniture, brushes,
string, arms, musical instruments,
screens, fans, baskets, etc. Lastly, the
young shoots of the plant are eaten,
sometimes in the guise of asparagus
or salad, and sometimes as a seasoning
instead of mushrooms. Fish grated
over with bamboo is a much sought
after dish. It is also used in the form
of a whistle to drive away the wicked
spirits, which, according to Chinese
belief, haunt the habitations of man.
This whistle, pierced in a certain way,
is furnished with paper wings and
thrown into the air at the end of a
piece of string, in the same manner asa
kite. The air in passing in the instru-
ment causes sounds like those of an
engine whistle, which has the property
of not only driving the bad spirits
away, but also of frightening the birds
of prey which abound in China. The
proprietors of pigeons, in order to pro-
tect their birds against their rapacious
enemies, attach a similar whistle to the
feathers of the tail, which whistles
immediately the bird takes flight.

We cheerfully answer, at once, all
queries made in regard to Aquariums
or Window Gardening if return postage
is enclosed, and publish only such an-
swers in this column as may be of gen-
eral interest.

Mrs. H. K.—J. An aquarium should
be constructed on such principles, that
it will be, to a great extent, a world in
miniature, being self-supporting, self-
renovating, and in fact, nature on a
small scale removed into our parlor,
In order to obtain this perfection of
managemeut some practice is necessary,
and though we may fail once or twice
in the attainment of our object, let us
remember that every slight mishap is
to be ascribed to a fault of our own, to
some point, however seemingly insig-
nificant, yet essential, which we have
failed to take into consideration. Each
such failure leads us to a vast amount
of useful facts, not to be obtained
otherwise, and which it is our own
fault if we do not take advantage of.
The thing can be done by you, as it
has been done by others, so never de-
spair.

Mrs. J. K., in Memphis, Tenn.—
To find the capacity in gallons of a
square tank, multiply the length,
width and height together, and then
divide by 231.

If cisterns are cylindrical their con-
tents may be readily determined by the
following rule: Multiply the square of
the radius (one half of the diameter)
by 3.14159, and this product by the
depth, all dimensions to be in inches.

16 THE AQUARIUM, OCTOBER, 1892.

Then divide by 231, and you have the
number of gallons, since the gallon con-
tains 231 cubic inches. Three gallons
of water weigh twenty-five pounds.

Mrs. J. S.—The _ straight-sided,
square tanks are always preferable.
The dimensions should be twice as long
as wide, and the depth one-fourth
higher than the width. For example:
An aquarium sixteen inches in length,
should be eight inches in breadth and
ten inches in height; one of twenty-four
by twelve, should be fifteen inches high.
The glass should not be set in grooves;
it should be laid against the frame, like
a pane of glass in a winddw. The ce-
ment should be between the glass and
the frame. It is useless to make the
parts against which the glass lays wide,
and to cover the joints from outside
also with cement. If the glass is per-
fectly imbedded in the cement, the pres-
sure of the water will keep it so, in fact
it will steady it.

Mr. 8. G.—The temperature of the
water of an aquarium should not go be-
low fifty degrees Fahrenheit; the best
temperature is from sixty-five to
seventy degrees. The plants will grow
and act on the water; the fish will have
good appetite and thrive.

Miss HK. in Allegheny City.—Yes.
The Sagittaria natans, also Sag. “‘ New
Era” blooms in the aquarium. The
flowers are snowy white, with a yellow
centre, about the size of a dime piece,
and float after the style of the pond
lily flowers on the surface of the water.

One flower stalk has twelve to fifteen
buds; one of these opens at a time and
stays in perfection until the next day,
when anew one opens. A plant will
thus be in bloom for about two weeks.
The flowering season is not bound to a
certain time of the year. We have had
them in bloom nearly all the year round.

4

Miss Etia.—Lizards have to be fed
on live insects or their larvae. Meal
worms, as fed to insectivorous birds,
are excellent for them. ‘They will also
sometimes eat some wheatbread soaked
in fresh milk or the yellow of raw eggs,
You can easily winter them over if you
keep them warm and now and then set
them into the sunshine. They will eat.
but little during the winter.

The best way to winter over turtles.
is by placing them in a wooden box—
a soap box will do, which is half filled
with dead leaves and soil. In this
they will bury themselves, and they
should not be disturbed until spring.

Mrs. N., Nashville.—Tuffstein or

any other rock can be cemented to-

gether with equal parts of silver sand
and best Portland cement. The two
parts should be well mixed before add-
ing the water. Keep mixing only a
little at a time, as it sets quickly. Let
the cemented rocks become dry over
night; then soak for a few hours, and
then, after a good sponging, they are
fit to be placed in an aquarium.

THE CHRISTMAS AQUARIUM.

The next number of ‘‘ The Aqua-
rium” will be issued the first part
of December. It will contain, in
addition to the usual articles on
fish and plants, a detailed and il-
lustrated instruction for the man-
agement of parlor aquariums.
This we know will be desirable
information to those who contem-
plate securing an aquarium for
their homes. For those whose
taste is inclined to the cultivation
of Houseplants it will contain full
instructions for the management
of Ferneries. In sending your
orders for ‘‘ The Aquarium ” please
write your name and Post Office
plainly.

re
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EsTABLISHED 1874. ty

©

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P/> Narcissus (Sacred

Lily), at low rates.

| HUGO MULERTT,

IMPORTER AND EXPORTER OF

- Byeruthing for the Aquarium, -

173 NOSTRAND AV.,

NO STORE! BROOKLYN, N. Y.

MULERTT’S WATERPROOF CEMENT,

In powder form, or mixed ready for use.

MULERTT’S “I. X, L.” FISH FOOD,

New preparation for all kinds of fish. ‘

MULERTT’S PREPARED GOLD FISH FOOD.

- {es A large assortment of electrotypes of fish,

ete., for illustrating catalogues, etc., for sale.

Ye
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Jo Wiser iTS,

MANUFACTURER OF

AQUA RI ea

39 and 41 PARK PLACE, NEW YORK.
AQUARIA STOCK ALWAYS ON HAND.

Gold, Pearl, Silver, Sun,
and Rock Fish, Turtles, etc.
IN THEIR SEASON.

Japanese Gold Fish.

ALSO
Aquaria Plants, all varieties.

Full line of Grottoes,
Arches, Rocks, etc., carried
in stock.

Also Manufacturer of Fountains, Drinking Fountains, Settees, Chairs,
Lamp Posts, Railings, etc.
CATALOGUE FURNISHED GRATIS UPON APPLICATION.

SIFTED McALLISTER’S

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