Castrated fish prepared for the table at Wingerworth Hall
Castrated fish in mention in an article in An encyclopædia of agriculture …31 Fourth edition By John Claudius Loudon Longman, Orme, Brown, Green & Longmans 1839 – 1378 pages it includes an article on the bizarre treatment of fish for the table.
The article states –
“Fish. Certain ponds in Sir Thomas Windsor Hunlocke’s Park, in Wingerworth, are appropriated to the feeding of castrated male carp and tench, which are found very superior in size and flavour to other fish; the late Sir Windsor Hunlocke saw this practised in Italy, many years ago, and had one of his servants, who was with him, instructed in performing the operation; which is less difficult or dangerous than might be supposed, and in consequence of which, not more than one in fourteen or fifteen of the fish die.”
There is another mention to this in the same book –
7588. The castration of fish has been successfully practised both in this and other countries, and both with the male and female. Castrated fish attain to a larger size, and are in season at any period of the year. The mode of performing the operation is described in Ree’s Cyclopedia,32 art. Fish, Castration of; and in the Philosophical Transactions, vol 48. part ii. p106.
more of this source can be found at Google books.
