Sonoma County History
History of Sonoma County : including its geology, topography, mountains, 
valleys, and streams (1880) San Francisco : Alley, Bowen & Co., Illustrated

Transcribed by Peggy Hooper, Oct 2009

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Pisciculture. � The culture of fish has been for some years occupying the 
attention of the prominent residents in certain portions of this county. The 
carp and the brook trout have been those which have found the most favor 
in the eyes of the pisciculturists. The carp does not resemble any fish found 
in California waters, though in the East the buffalo fish is said to bear some 
resemblance to it. 

The tench, likewise an Eastern fish, is also said to be similar to it in 
many respects. Doubtless our readers have had an opportunity of examining 
the carp, and are acquainted with its general appearance. For the 
benefit of those who have not seen it, we give a description, taken from a 
paper lately written by Mr. Rudolph Hessel, which may be found in the 
Commissioners' Report to the U. S. Fish Commission, 1878: 

"The carp," says Mr. Hessel, "has a toothless mouth, thick lips, and four 
barbels on the upper jaw. In place of the usual teeth of the mouth, there 
are a number of stout teeth on the pharyngeal bones, which are arranged in 
three rows. It has one singular dorsal, which is larger than the anal. Both 
these fins have their origin on the anterior edge, a strong ray, which is ser- 
rated in a downward direction. The caudal is of semi-circular shape, and 
the natatory bladder is divided into two sections, with connecting air 
passage. The scales have an entire edge, and the body is compressed on the 
the sides. The general color .of the sides and back is a dark olive-brown, the 
abdomen of a whitish yellow or orange tint. The coloring depends, as with 
all fish, partly upon the age and season, partly upon the water, the soil, and 
also upon the food of the fish." 

The food of the carp consists principally of the fungus and other vegetable 
matter usually found at the bottom of ponds. When the fish are to be 
fed (which is necessary in order to insure great size, etc.) there is no 
particular diet provided, for the carp is proverbial for being the most easily satisfied 
fish with respect to diet that can be found. It eats greedily beans, peas, 
blood, curd, grain, and in fact almost anything else. It thrives most rapidly 
in ponds which have still water and muddy bottoms. Many things could 
be said about their habits and characteristics, the methods used in bringing 
them to market in Europe, and finally in the preparation and construction 
of artificial ponds for their proper accomodation, but our space will prevent 
us from entering upon these subjects. 

Carp Ponds of J. A. Poppe. � Mr. Poppe's ranch is favorably located near 
the foot of a mountain, and is supplied with several never failing springs of 
pure water. He has constructed, at great expense, six large ponds, with a 
fall of several feet between each one, so that the water passes through the 
first, goes to the next, and so on down, until it finally passes down the small 
rivulet necessary to carry the water to Sonoma creek. Weeds, grass and 
willows grow abundantly around these ponds, which afford sufficient shade 
from the sun, and shelter from the winds. Consequently the carp thrive 
and grow very large, and are apparently as much at home as in their own 
native waters in Europe. 

Mr. Poppe brought the carp from Rhinefelt, Germany, in August, 1871. 
Of the eighty-three started with, only five, puny, sickly fish, were brought 
safely to Sonoma. The hot weather in New York harbor, and the want of 
ice on the ocean steamer, being the cause of the great mortality. The five 
brought to Sonoma increased in size, in the following May, from five inches 
to sixteen inches, and the number increased to three thousand. Since that 
time many have been sold, and the number in the ponds is still very large. 
Sonoma county is well stocked with this European stranger. Among others 
who are now successfully engaged in the propagation of this fish in the 
county, may be mentioned A. V. LaMotte, Sonoma; J. A. Kleiser, Clover- 
dale; Wm. Stephens, Sebastopol; H. P. Holmes, Santa Rosa; Levi Davis, 
Forrestville; Sylvester Scott, Cloverdale; and Mr. Field, Petaluma. Outside 
of Sonoma county the culture of carp is also carried on successfully. Quite 
recently shipments have been made to the Sandwich Islands, Nevada, and 
Central America. 

Lenni Fish Propagating Company. � The vineyard of Alfred V. La Motte 
lies seven and a half miles north-west of the town of Sonoma, at the 
junction of the Graham canon and Sonoma creek, both of these creeks run 
for several miles through cafions and timbered land before entering 
the valley proper, thus keeping the water cool and engendering an 
abundant growth of mosses and water plants which propagate great 
quantities of insect life upon which the finny denizens of the streams sub- 
sist. These conditions have made them famous trout streams, and they 
have long been known as such to the lovers of the sport. Some years back 
great numbers of the spotted beauties could be taken, but as time advanced 
fishermen increased, and, as a natural consequence, the fish commenced 
rapidly decreasing in number. Mr. La Motte being a lover of the sport saw 
with regret the rapid and sure destruction of his favorite amusement, and 
commenced investigations tending to a remedy. After several years study 
on the subject of artificial propagation he became convinced it could be made, 
with due care, a profitable industry. Joined by a few personal friends 
they formed a company, styled the "Lenni Fish Propagating Company," 
incorporated May 15, 1878: Henry L. Davis, President; George Leviston, 
Secretary; Henry C. Campbell, Treasurer; Alfred V. La Motte, Superintendent, 
who, together with S. S. Murfey, constitute the Board of Directors, with a 
capital stock of thirty thousand dollars, in one hundred shares. Mr. La 
Motte commenced work at once; constructed a dam in the Graham canon, 
twenty-six feet by eight feet high, of heavy squared timbers, and from 
thence conducted the water to the reservoir in a flume, sixteen inches 
square, of one and one-half inch lumber, each section being set together 
with a band of heavy galvanized sheet-iron, driven into the ends with a 
sledge, and then battened with a frame of three by four scantling, making a 
most substantial job. The flume is eighteen hundred feet long. The buildings 
of the company consist of a hatching house, twenty -five by fifty; a 
filter house, carpenter shop, butcher shop, workmen's house, and office. The 
water on arriving at the works passes through a flume, sixteen inches 
square and eighty-five feet long, filled with screened gravel; thence into the 
filter house where it passes through ten flannel screens of eighteen by thirty- 
two inches; thence into a case, ten feet long, filled with fine washed gravel, 
and from here into the hatching house, where it passes over the eggs. 
These are stripped from the fish in the spawning season, and placed in wire 
baskets, made to fit the hatching troughs, and about two feet long, where 
the water is run over them to the depth of about one inch, with a gentle 
current, until hatched, which takes place in from forty to sixty days, in 
accordance with the temperature, the warmer the water the more rapid the 
incubation, and vice versa. When hatched, the young fish is provided by 
nature with a lunch-basket, in the way of an umbilical sac which contains 
nourishment for a month or six weeks. As this is gradually absorbed the 
young fish grows rapidly, and by the time it has disappeared can swim 
about and seek for food; they are then fed on curdled milk, hard-boiled 
eggs, and fine minced liver. From the hatching troughs they are next 
transferred to the rearing boxes or nurseries, where they can get a greater 
depth of water and more room to sport about and play. Attaining the age 
of two months, they are transferred to open-air ponds. The company have 
already constructed five ponds; one of two acres in extent, with an average 
depth of six feet, exclusively for carp, with which fish it is already stocked. 
There are four trout ponds finished, from one hundred to one hundred and 
twenty-five feet long, and varying from two to six feet in depth, with an 
average width of twelve feet. The young fish are first placed in the 
shallowest ponds, and as they increase in size are transferred to deeper water. Mr. 
La Motte considers that to secure success, constant care and watchfulness are 
indispensible: for instance, all eggs put in the baskets to hatch are estimated 
and recorded; every egg as well as every fish that dies is set down; careful 
minutes are kept of the temperature three times a day, and every thirty days 
the mean is taken and recorded. As the company proposes investing considerable 
capital in the enterprise, with a view to making it an extensive 
establishment, Mr. La Motte intends that there shall be "no loose ends." In 
the shallow ponds adjoining the hatching house they have now seventy 
thousand fine young trout, who dispose of two heaping pans of minced liver 
daily with great apparent relish. The company are now making preparations 
to throw a dam across Sonoma creek next Spring, which will give them 
an unlimited supply of water for their business, as also cheap power to drive 
the meat-mincing and other machines necessary. They propose in two years 
more to commence the sale of their fish, from which time on they hope to be 
able to keep up a steady supply in accordance with their facilities, which are 
extensive.