6Q6 EEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



good if not better than any. In the southern portion of the State, 

 which seems destined to become the principal part thereof, it is already 

 introduced, and, relying on the evidence furnished us by those who are 

 engaged in its culture, tlie business has already become of more than 

 transitory importance. There are hundreds of acres of marsh and waste 

 lands in Cahfornia which by a little labor could be prepared for the cul- 

 ture of the carp. An acre devoted to this puri^ose is the most profita- 

 ble investment a farmer could make. Any one making the experimetit 

 will acknowledge beyond a doubt that the money necessary was never 

 invested to better purpose. Besides supplying the market, there is a 

 delicious dish for home consumption. 



A prominent writer on viticulture in California is devoting his best 

 efforts towards cultivating a taste for the pure native wines of our 

 State, and tearing down, if possible, the barriers which have impeded 

 its introduction in the East and elsewhere. I myself am acquainted 

 with a noted divine who has labored unceasingly to destroy the demand 

 for whisky, by cidtlvating a more refined taste for pure native wine. If 

 he can introduce and establish the use of the latter, in moderation, he 

 will be doing a service to his fellow-man. Similarly, anything that tends 

 to man's comfort should be encouraged. If the consumption of carp is 

 calculated to increase man's happiness, let us encourage it by all means. 

 In addition to all this, I have said nothing concerning the beautifying 

 of our otherwise beautiful landscapes by the establishment of ponds 

 aU over the State. They certainly add a charm and freshness, and 

 make the desert and barren meadow " blossom like the rose." 



