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solely to private enterprise, but is encouraged, and materi- 

 ally assisted, by the State, the reports of the Government 

 officers being exhaustive returns of their own work and 

 quotations from all the authorities of Europe ; appropria- 

 tions to the amount of 1,000,000 dollars having been 

 already granted by Congress to develop this great source of 

 natural food. Apart from the culture of their own fine normal 

 species they have imported carp in large quantities from 

 Germany. Hear the Fish Minister (as I call him) on this 

 subject : — " The most noted features for the year ('79) 

 are, first, the commencement of the distribution of young 

 carp to various points in the United States ; and, secondly, 

 the authorisation by Congress of a special steam vessel to 

 serve as a floating station for the hatching of shad and 

 other useful food fishes." Further on, speaking on the 

 general cultivation of fish, " This is carried to perfection 

 as far as the carp is concerned, for not only are its eggs 

 hatched artificially, but it is inirscd and tended like a domestic 

 animal, and even to prosiness." I must add, in the interest of 

 our thousands of natural waters, the quotation, " That it will 

 be of great advantage to permanently stock our lakes and 

 rivers with young carp, as carp raised in lakes and rivers 

 have a much finer flavour than pond carp. The only 

 way to raise those large and beautiful carp, weighing 

 20 to 50 pounds, the beau ideal of carp, the proprietors of 

 lakes, and even those renting lakes, should stock their waters 

 with large masses of young carp." 



From the same source I learn that " France before the 

 war had carried out, on a large scale, the system of 

 artificial impregnation, and have thereby exercised a very 

 beneficial influence on fish culture throughout the whole 

 country. The smallest areas are cultivated, and the 

 best possible use is made of the difierent characters of 



