CULTURE OF THE CARP. 555 



ter of secondary importance, for although carp may acquire a moldy fla- 

 vor in ponds with marshy and turfy bottoms, this unpleasant quality often 

 disappears a few days after they are placed in pure water, so that when 

 carp of very fine flavor are desired by the writer, he places them in the 

 basin of his fountain for two to three weeks. In case there are several 

 ponds, therefore, the worst should contain the fry, and the better ones 

 the marketable fish. With a liberal supply of food, carp, three years 

 old, will have a weight of three to four pounds, and they are then in the 

 best condition for the table, since old carp are tough and fibrous, and 

 those under three pounds are generally too full of small bones. For this 

 reason the ponds should never be overstocked. From 15 to 24 dozen of 

 eggs should be allowed to the acre, because of considerable loss, and 45 

 young fish, and, only where there is great abundance of food, double this 

 number. In this way a clear return of 10 to 25 pounds per hundred 

 square yards will be obtained, and even more if no accident prevents. 



If old carp-culturists are disposed to smile at this brief account, and 

 to find nothing new in it, they are earnestly requested to communicate 

 their experience, as it was admitted in the beginning that skill and ex- 

 perience have both been lost, and everything must be learned anew. 

 The losses experienced, too, have been too great to permit the business 

 to get fairly under way ; in fact a large company failed for want of the 

 necessary experience. Since, however, there is no intention of abandon- 

 ing the enterprise until fine, fat carp, from East Prussia, appear as del- 

 icacies on the tables of Berlin, further information is desired. 



C— CARP-PONDS.* 



The value of a fish-pond depends upon an adequate supply of water, 

 and the amount of food for fish it affords. The latter condition is 

 affected, to a great degree, by the character of the soil and the depth 

 of the pond. Thus a sandy soil yields but little food, but of excellent 

 quality, while loamy and peaty soils are good, and a loamy mold excel- 

 lent indeed ; but those of tenacious meager clay, as well as stony soils, 

 are very inferior. These statements are especially true in regard to 

 ponds for carp. The first consideration in laying out new ponds is the 

 power to regulate perfectly the supply and discharge of the water. A 

 pond is seldom formed by excavating the earth, but generally by con- 

 structing an embankment across the lowest part of an uneven piece of 

 ground. By employing the earth adjoining for this purpose the fish-pit 

 is generally formed at the same time. The best material for the dam is 

 loam and clay. When the soil is sandy a foundation of loam must be 

 prepared in order to retain the water, wben a supply of the latter is not 

 at command. A new soil yields the largest return, which is diminished 

 by reedy growths and muddy sediment. A pipe for draining the pond, 

 which can be opened or closed on the water-side at pleasure, is laid 



* Laudwirtbscbaft; uud Industrie, Berlin, Dec. 1, 1875, i?0. Translated by Prof. C. 

 1'. Hirnes. 



