[77] POND CULTURE. 543 



will i)lacc in one and tlie same pond iisli greatlj- diiferinj;- in age or 

 weight. A difference of one year in tlie age of the spawning earp may 

 possibly not do much harm; but if greater, this difference will surely 

 make itself felt by a dirainislied quantity of young fry. It should, there- 

 fore, be considered an inviolable rule to place in one and the same spawn- 

 ing i)ond only milters and spawners of the same age, and if possible of 

 tlie same weight. 



Spawning carp should not be used for propagating purposes more than 

 once, but should be sold, after they have fulfilled their mission ; for old 

 spawning carp become indolent, remain too long in deep water, and 

 spawn too late, thus preventing the young fry from reaching their i)roper 

 development during the short remaining part of summer. 



There is great ditierence of opinion as to what number of spawning- 

 parties (each composed of three fish) should be placed in a pond, or 

 rather wdiat relation that number should hold to its area. The same 

 difference of opinion prevails as to the relative number of milters and 

 spawners. The number of spawning-parties does not appear of great 

 importance as long as a certain limit has not been exceeded ; the rela- 

 tive number of milters and si)awners, however, may to a great extent 

 intiuence the result of spawning. Delius counts one milter and two 

 spawners to every 25 ares.* These three carp compose what is techni- 

 cally termed a "spawning-party." Horak says: " It is important to fix 

 the relative number of male and female fish. Pond culturists diifer in 

 their opinion on this point, and the proportion of female and male fish 

 varies considerably in the different countries. Many years ago it was 

 the practice in Southern Bohemia to count one milter to every two 

 spawners ; and it is alleged that among the young fry the female pre- 

 dominated, so much so that buyers began to grumble at the excessive 

 number of female fish. Since that time it has been the custoin to count 

 two milters to three spawners, to which was generally added one 

 'driver,' or 'entieer' — always one *enticer' to three milters. These 

 so-called 'drivers' are three-year old fish (weighing about 70 to <S0 

 pounds per hundred), which are not used for spawning, but simi)ly to 

 diive or entice the other fish to that process, and which should always 

 be milters." t 



As regards the number of milters for a given pond area there is like- 

 wise great difference of opinion and practice. Von dem Borne counts, 

 per hectare, O.fl spawners, C.4 milters, 3.2 "drivers." Dr. Krafft counts, 

 per hectare, 6.12 spawners, 4.8 milters, and to every three milters one 

 "driver"; Horak, 5.21 spawners, 3.47 milters; Von Keider, per 34.07 

 ares, two spawning-parties, each composed of one milter and two spawn- 

 ers, or per hectare, about jn liters and 12 sjjawneis.t 



As long as there is so much difference of opinion, it will be best to 

 take the average of these figures, and therefore place in poor spawning 



* Delius, TcicJimrthschaft, p. 58. 



t Vou Reidcr, Dan Gunze tier Fischerci, 1825 



t Horak. Teichmrthachaft, 1860. 



