568 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [102] 



for fisli, ;iii<l of such j^lauts as are iiiliabitod by acjiiatic insects, &c. Tho 

 Potamoijcton, Glyceria, SjycctabiliSj Banuncitlus aquaiica, Trapa natans, 

 &c., are geuerally covered with these insects. The planting* of reeds in 

 bare jilaces will also render the pond better suited for fish and improve 

 its general condition. 



Feeding carp artijicially. — The .sowingof the ponds may be considered 

 as a means of ])roviding artificial food, but in a narrower sense we un- 

 derstand by artilicial feeding the introdu(;tion of food which the i)ond 

 cannot produce. Artificial feeding" will be ditiicult if the pond farm is 

 very extensive; and if all the ])onds are very large it will be impossible. 

 There are, however, many medium and small pond farms which, besides 

 large ponds, possess also a number of suiall ponds, in which the system 

 of artificial feeding may be introduced. It is the object of artificial feed- 

 ing to increase the weight of the entire stock of carp, or a portion of it, 

 in the sliortest possible time, or at any late sooner than would be the 

 case if the fish lived only on natural food. Jt nniy become possible by 

 artificial feeding to determine beforehand what weight the carj) will 

 reach within a certain given time. A second object of artificial feeding is 

 to enable the stocking of a pond with a larger number of fish than if 

 could otherwise support. 



liy artificial feeding the caip cultivator may derive extraordinary ad- 

 vantages, as it will, to a certain degree, make him independent of the 

 nature of his ])onds, make the yield of poor ])ouds equal to that of the 

 best, so that he can stock them with any number of fish; of course mak- 

 ing this proportionate to the size of the pond and to the (piantity of 

 water. Even if only introduced in one or two ponds, artificial feeding 

 will prove advantageous; and the same ai)plies to ])eriodical feedii)g, 

 say during the months of May, Se])tember, and October, when the 

 quantity of natural food is smallest. In spite of all these advantages, 

 however, it will be a problem whether — and, if so, by what method oi' 

 feeding — tlie ]>ond cultivator will be repaid for his trouble. AVe intend 

 to discuss this problem at some length. 



The first question will be whether a system of artificial feeding will 

 pay; that is, whether the nndoubted increase of weight attained thereby 

 will compensate for the expense and labor connected with it, so as not 

 only to cover the expense, but also to leave a considerable net revenue. 

 In order to answer this question we must first endeavor to get a satisfac 

 tory answer to the questions : What food is to be used, and in what quan- 

 tity"? Before endeavoring to answer these questions from the iireseiit 

 stand-point regarding the general principles of sustaining animal life, 

 we will hear what old and exi)erienced pond cultivators have to say on 

 the sul)ject. I consider their ex})erieiice as very important aiul in 

 many respects of practical use, even in our days. Their methods of 

 preparing fish-food may at any rate give valuable hints how to ))reserve 

 the food from spoiling, in ca.se it is not eaten by the carp as soon as it 

 is thrown into the i)ond. 



