896 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



the pond, the carp will get more exercise and will seek natural feediug- 

 places, whither ou account of its innate sluggishness it would never have 

 gone. 



Pond-carp are accustomed to other food than the river-carp. The former 

 confine themselves to worms, larvae, and plants, while those living in 

 streams find all sorts of animal and vegetable refuse ; these latter can also 

 stand a greater amount of food, as the current naturally makes them take 

 more exercise thus increasing their appetite. It is difi'erent with the 

 l)ond-carp ; if you give it too much food, it will not take any more than 

 is necessary to satisfy its hunger ; the remnants will remain at the bot- 

 tom, and if their quantity be considerable, they will spoil the water. 

 If these remnants are chiefly animal refuse, as flesh or blood, fungi 

 will grow on them, and will then produce, as with the salmon and trout, 

 diseases of the skin, the gills, and in the case of the carp, sometimes 

 internal diseases. 



The writer once had the following experience : During his absence 

 a number of large carp were fed ou coagulated blood which had begun 

 to putrefy ; the fish devoured it eagerly, got sick, and most of them died 

 in a few days from an inflammation of the intestines. Spoilt food should 

 never be given to fish. If slaughter-house or kitchen refuse can be had, 

 give these, chopped up small about the size of peas. Never give so 

 much that remnants remain for any length of time in the water and 

 begin to putrefy. Let no one be induced by the circumstance that the 

 carps like to eat the dung of hogs, sheep, and cows, to feed them on any 

 putrefying matter. There are instances on record that thereby epidem- 

 ics, particularly diseases of the scales have originated. 



The carp likes above everything else vegetable matter such as cab- 

 bage, lettuce, boiled potatoes, corn, turnips, j)umpkins, melons, &c. 

 The refuse of malt from breweries and distilleries, is also very good 

 food for carp; and wherever such refuse can be had, it should be given 

 to the fish. 



The small pisciculturist, having a pond of perhaps 1-2 acres near his 

 house, will often be able to feed his fish on refuse, as he will always have 

 it fresh from the kitchen and stable. 



In conclusion, I earnestly recommend the culture of the carp to all 

 pisciculturists. If the value of the carp for table use has once been 

 recognized, it will become a highly esteemed fish, especially in the 

 neighborhood of large and populous cities, and its culture will yield a 

 larger and more certain profit, than the expensive trout. 



8. — EXTENT OF CAEP-CULTURE IN EUROPE. 



In Europe many thousand acres of artificial waters are to be found. 

 In these enormous quantities of carp are bred. Some of these ponds, 

 or rather lakes, have an extent of about 1,000 to 2,000 acres. They are 

 provided with gigantic dams, many of them 60 feet high. By these the 

 water is closed in into broad valleys, containing no other fishes than 

 carps from 4 to 5 pounds in weight. If we consider the size of these 



