THE CARP AND ITS CULTURE. 889 



their spawn. It can be produced in masses and then be transferred 

 into the waters destined for its reception. This can be done either by 

 artificial impregnation and hatching, or in the way of natural increase. 



For each of these methods two ways of action are open : (1,) the spawn 

 can be transferred into open water as soon as it is free from the egg ; 

 or, (2,) the young fishes may be kept in ponds for a season until 

 they liave had time to grow — that is, for one summer. In the latter case, 

 the rule, that fishes which are destined for open waters must not be 

 artificially fed, is to be strictly adhered to. Carp which have been 

 used to feeding in that manner will not be so apt to find the food for 

 themselves which, until then, had been supplied to them. Tormented 

 by hunger, they will lose the fear of their enemies and the consequent 

 cautiousness, falling an easy prey to them before many weeks will have 

 elapsed. 



If artificial feeding is not intended, the ponds for the reception of the 

 small fishes must be proportionately larger, so that they may find food in 

 sufficient quantities in a natural way. Both methods have their advan- 

 tages. If the young fry is transferred into open water five or six days 

 after hatching there will be no necessity for the establishing of large 

 ponds. A great number of eggs must, however, be hatched in this 

 case, for the small fishes will be destroyed in vast numbers by their 

 enemies. 



The better method of the two is certainly this : to keep the young fishes 

 in large ponds until the fall, when they will have reached the age of 

 five or six months. During this time they will have had the opportu- 

 nity to learn how to find their food by their own efforts, such ponds 

 producing it profusely to satisfy all their wants, and thus they will be 

 prepared for their stay in open waters. To carry through the latter 

 method, a larger extent of water is required, nature itself having indi- 

 cated precisely the conditions under which and the limits in which the 

 natural and unimpaired growth of the young fishes may be expected. 



They do not require as extensive a pond during the first months of 

 their development and growth as those which have reached a more ad- 

 vanced age. For this reason it will be more advantageous to choose 

 the middle way by retaining the young fishes in the ponds for about one 

 or two months and then to give them their liberty instead of transfer- 

 ring them immediately after the hatching or keeping them for five or 

 six months. By acting upon this suggestion, the incalculable advantage 

 will be gained that the fishes profit by the rich food of the open waters 

 during the season and will have grown strong enough to fight more suc- 

 cessfully for their existence. For this purpose, establishments for arti- 

 ficial breeding, constructed with a regard to the demands of climate, are 

 essentially needful in these open waters, so that the greatest possible 

 number of eggs may be hatched. 



In Europe the subject of stocking open waters with carp has been 

 discussed, because there, in its native country, its excellent adaptation 

 for this purpose has been recognized. 



