95 



for food of ouly a small percentiio-e of the value of the product, while 

 the accounts of trout ponds in hatcheriea in Great Britain show 

 enormous weights of fish reared in small areas. Of course these 

 large yields are ouly obtained — except in the paddy fields — by artificial 

 feeding, but in the case of carp which seem to be omnivorous, the 

 food is simple and cheap ; in Japan crushed shell-fish, worms^ silk- 

 worm piipa"", various hirva3 and some boiled barley, are fed to the fish 

 which are also supported by the natural food brought in by the river 

 water which feeds the ponds. In Germany ponds of, literally, only a 

 few square yards and two or three feet deep, are utilized for two or 

 three parent fish, and, separately, a number of young ones ; these 

 are fed from any refuse house food, larvae, insects, etc., an;l provide 

 a change of diet and a little money for the owners. 



198. For Madras we have not many data for want of experiments 

 and observers. But Mr. H. fS. Thomas has provided some facts; the 

 classic instance is the (Vallam) pond of 4 or 5 acres, which having 

 been emptied d sec, was refilled and stocked with a few measures 

 of fry, probably labeo and other carp costing him Rs. 2 ; after only 

 18 months at least 4,000 lb. weight of fish were regularly taicen from 

 the pond without affecting its annual production ; in this case there 

 was absolutely no artificial feeding. In another case he mentions a 

 pond (size not stated but evidently small) which was netted early in 

 June " down to the last tadpole " ; it was filled from the river about 

 the 15th idem, and was fished on the 2!)th August or within 75 days ; 

 the yield to a couple of rods in one day was 180 fish averaging A lb. 

 each, and doubtless there were plenty more left in the pond. Ho 

 states elsewhere that carp and labeo were known to increase from a 

 few drachms to one pound (qucere, half a pound) in 70 days, and it is 

 recorded by a Mr. Mitchell that Catia buchcuianl Lave grown from H 

 inches to 11 inches, weighing 12 to 14 ounces, from May to September, 

 and to 5 lb. in two years. The yield of tanks which have water for 

 only a few months is considerable, but this is largely due to the 

 murral which aestivate in the mud ; the nature and size of the other 

 fish have not been ascertained. But from the data available and from 

 the fact that the carp in Europe increases its rati} of growth with the 

 warmth of its environment, it is certain that, givon a proper natural 

 food supply, carp and other indigenous fish will grow with great 

 rapidity ; that fish food is abundant in our inland waters is a certain 

 fact, the larvas of mosquitos alone providing an abundance of food, 

 while other aquatic growths are similarly prolific. We have, then, 

 these certain clear facts: (1) a carp produce of nearly 30O lb. per 

 acre for small ponds, without artificial feeding but probably receiving 

 much natural food, in German farms where, however, there is a cold 

 winter; (2) a very large increase in the size and weight of carp 

 growing, of course without artificial feeding, in Japanese paddy-fields; 

 (3) immense yields of this and other fish when grown in culture ponds 



