THE CARP AND ITS CULTURE. S87 



autumn of the same year, when the fishes are taken out for the market, 

 they will weigh in a good pond 2| to 3 pounds each, or about 1,200 to 2,000 

 pounds in the aggregate. In some localities only 200 carp are taken 

 to one acre of American square measure ; in other places more. 



Pike* are frequently put into carp-ponds in Europe without redu- 

 cing the number of the carp, one pike being added to 25 or 30 of the 

 former. This is an old practice, which has been proved of great use by 

 experience, assisting through the effects exercised in the improvement 

 of culture — that is, the favorable progress of the fishes. The carp is a 

 very indolent fish, which frequently remains for many hours in the same 

 place at the most favorable period for feeding, namely in summer. It is 

 aware of the pike's voracity and remains always cautiously at a distance 

 from it. The introduction of the pike is practiced for two reasons : (1.) 

 That the carp may not constantly remain in the same feeding-place, but, 

 frightened away by the pike, may visit others also ; (2) it is done, and 

 principally so, to prevent the more mature carp from spawning ; should 

 the spawning occur, as is the case occasionally, the young fry will be 

 devoured by the pikes, which otherwise would have deprived the 

 large carps of their food. The pike will also destroy those fishes and 

 their spawn which had succeeded in getting into the ponds without 

 the knowledge or through the inability of the culturist to prevent it. 

 Great care is required in the introduction of the pike; specimens of 

 minor sizes than that of the carp must be selected. The growth of the 

 pike being much more rapid than that of the carp (300 per cent, per 

 annum), the former should be younger by one year at least than the 

 latter, so that it may not prove dangerous to the carj>. If this precau- 

 tion is taken in the introduction of the pike, it will be an actual boon 

 to the carp-colonies, for it will not only exterminate by degrees all 

 those parasitical fishes which intrude themselves into the ponds, but it 

 will devour frogs or the smaller kinds of its own species as well as 

 water-snakes and tritons. 



Should the pike suffer from want of food after having cleared the 

 pond of all these animals it must be supplied with it ; small spoiled 

 fishes, or such as have been stunted in their growth, will answer 

 the purpose. If this is neglected the hungry pike will attack its com- 

 panions, the carp, and though it may not devour them, it will mortally 

 wound them with its teeth. 



I have so far given the principal traits of natural carp culture, and 

 will speak more explicitly of the artificial impregnation and hatching of 

 the carp's eggs in my next report. So far as I know, this latter method 

 has been little, if at all, employed in Europe, although it offers much 

 greater advantages for the production of vast quantities of spawn. My 

 own experiments were rewarded by the best results. I' intend contin- 

 uing them this summer in Baltimore, and hope to communicate the 

 results hereafter. 



'Males are selected for this purpose. 



