58 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



This is contiuuecl till October, at whicli time tbe carp do not take any 

 more food. Xow, tbe pond is drained, and tlie fisli are taken out. A 

 raising pond worked in this way will in autumn reward us for our care 

 and trouble by carp weighing half a pound each. The carp are then 

 taken to the so-called winter pond, and in spring distributed among 

 the stock ponds, which have been prepared and treated in the same 

 manner as the raising ponds. For providing further food for the car]>, 

 a dead sheep, cow, &c., which has been skinned, may be thrown into 

 the pond, leaving it whole, so that when the pond is drained, the entire 

 skeleton can easily be removed. 



I urgently recommend the feeding of the carp, because this will amply 

 pay. If we feed the fish, we can place double the number in the same 

 water, and they will increase rapidly in weight. I am in the habit of 

 putting the vegetable food destined for the carp on a very simple ap- 

 paratus, forming a sort of table, which has a raised edge on three sides, 

 and a ledge in the middle. The food placed on this apparatus "will ac- 

 cumulate along the middle and lower ledge, which of course must be 

 under water, and from which the fish take their food as from a crib. 

 The food may consist of potatoes, peas, husks, carrots, pumpkius, and 

 even refuse from the kitchen may be used. There is also another cheap 

 food for carp. Oat straw is chopped very fine, then put into a hole in 

 the ground, measuring 2 to 3 square meters, and 30 centimeters [about 

 1 foot] deep, whose walls are lined with brick ; blood is poured over the 

 straw; and enormous numbers of maggots will form, which are taken 

 ui) with a shovel aud thrown into the pond. This should not be done, 

 however, until the maggots are of a dark color, aud are therefore fully 

 grown. The hole should be covered with a board. 



Carp taken from this stock pond during October of tbe first year will 

 weigh from 1^ to 2 kilograms [about 3 pounds]. 



Although tbe carp when brought to our markets are still too dear, it 

 is not difficult to sell them favorably. The fish-dealers know how to 

 take advantage of our situation at tbe time when the pond is drained. 

 To prevent this a special pond is needed, to which tbe fish may be re- 

 moved from the stock pond. This pond may be considered as a store- 

 house for fish, from which the necessary quantity of fish is taken to 

 suit the demands of the fish-dealers, lu this pond are also kept the 

 fish-boxes, always containing a few hundredweights of fish for tbe 

 retail trade and for home consumption. This "store pond" need not 

 be very large, but it should be at least 2^ meters deep [about 8 feet], 

 and be fed by a strong current of constantly running water. During 

 winter the carp in this pond need not be fed, because all fish of the 

 Cyprinus kind, like the carp, tench, crucians, «S:c., do not take any food 

 in winter. The fish-box greatly facilities the retailing of fish, which I 

 would highly recommend, as a much higher price can tlius be obtained 

 than what the fish-dealers pay. 



In transporting fish they should be packeil in damp moss which has 



