(i78 REPORT OP' COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [20] 



black belli f>s, of wbicb tbey are very fond. They are also very fond of grits, cow 

 peas, and Irish potatoes cooked. I have fed them irregularly, perhaps three times a 

 Avcek. 



Gkowth. — Of the Jirst lot I lost all but one. This leather carp, by actual measure- 

 ment, was 22^ inches in length and 14|; inches in circumference, April 1, 1882. I 

 repla(fed it in a pond witli a yonngt;r lot. I saw a nnnihcr of my scab; carj) on April 

 y, 1882, that a])])eared to Ix; from 12 to 18 indues in length, as they wer(>lloating upon 

 the surface of the water. TJiey are lively and beautiful. The s(>coud lot have all 

 lived, and are doing well. Yesterday I weighed 2 of them whicb wer(> from 20 to 21 

 inches in h'ngth and from 12 (o 14 inches in circuniference ; Ihey weighed *.?.l and l.J 

 ])ounds, respectively. 



RkI'KODUCTIO.V. — The second lol i»rodnced several hundred young last year. These 

 arc^ now from 8 to 10 inches long, and weigh from J of a pound to 14 ]>ounds ea(di. 

 There are no young this year, and I can attribute it to uo other cause but tlu; frogs 

 eating the spawn. 



I drew otf the water from (he second pond last year and took out 200 of the young, 

 then from 4 to ,'"> inches long, and placed them in a pond (number 3) which covers 

 about h;ilf an acre and from 15 to 14 feet deep, with a muddy bottom. 



EDI13I.K Qualities. — I hav'c also oaten a lew fried, boiled, and dressed with egg 

 and butter s;iuce and parsley. The boiled w-ere the best, their llavor being hue and 

 next to shad. They are probably more like our red-horse. As table fish, they are 

 good. 



DIFFICULTIKS. — There have been no difficulties except with the minnows and frogs. 

 There has never been a sick or a dead t)ne found. From some unknown cause this 

 year I lost nine large ones out of pond number 2, where I had placed 2.5 select ones 

 for breeders. 



MiscELLANKOtis. — I am delighted at the i)rospect, especially as I find thnt within 

 ',i years 1 can raise leather carp of the large size of the one I now havt>. 



8.5. Statemoif of W. Jl. Chapmun, Macon, Jlihh Co., Ca., ./h/^ 23, 1883. 



Disposition of cakp kkckivei>. — I received 1)0 car]) in January, 1881, and some 

 since then. The pond in which they were i)laccd covers ^ of an acre. It is 4 feet 

 dee]) and muddy. The w;iter quite cold, .and is sn]>])lied from 2 cold springs. I 

 Inn e had sonu' trouble to kec]) the dam from breaking. 



I'l-ANTS. — There are willows growing around the ])oud and also some swamp-grasses. 



Enk:mifs. — There are no frogs nor turtles in it ; and no other fish except a few min- 

 nows. 



Food. — I feed the carp twice a week with bre;id. 



(jHOWTII and ukproduction. — I caught one 2 weeks ago that weighed .5 pounds 

 and saw some that were larger. Tliey have had several thousand young ones which 

 are about as large as your linger. 



Stkk.vm sTOCivKi). — I have i>nt some of the young in Stone Creek, near me. 



80. Slatnuciit of H. B. Duvh, Macon, Bihb Co., Git., Jug. 2, 1883. 



Disposition ok oaup ukckivkd. — Four years ago last February I receiv<(l fiom 12 

 to 20 car)), and a few subseiiuently. Some were scale carp and .some leather cai]>. 

 The ]>onds are from 3 inches <o 3 feet dticp, and are 8U])])lied with 2 gallons per 

 minute of cold, clear si)ring water. 



I eonsf lucled my first lish-iiond in February, 1879. For this ])ur]>ose I drained a 

 valley ludow a s])iing of water, clear as cry.stal, and which llowed into a sirmll creek. 

 I left a ])ortion of the undergrowth for shade and feeding-ground. I ])ut the first 

 ca:']) into this jtond. Sulise(|uently I built two jionds on the small stream, both fed 

 from a cold clear si)ring; Ihe u]iper was a small dee]) one, and the lower ]iond covers 

 a considerable si)ace, though very shallow, not averaging more than 15 inches in 

 d(^l)th. The bottoms of th.ese ]ionds arc partly sand on the edges and in the center 

 bliick mud, or swam]) )nmk. Both these ponds, as in the case of the first, are only 

 l»iir(ly (dcarcd of Iree;^ and bushes. 



In the latter ]iart of February, 1882, I constructed a fourth ]iond some distance from 

 tlu^ others, which were near my house. It covered more s])a(;e than any of the others, 

 but was very shallov,-, not over (J inches deep in the deei)est jiart. I transferred six 

 < ar]) from one of the old ])oiuls to this new pond, and in addition ])ut in 1(50 bream. 



Plants. — The ponds contain numerous kinds of plants and grasses, of which I do 

 not know the names. 



Enemies. — There are no other fish, but a few frogs and a few small turtles. I have 

 had much trouble with snakes, turtles, and terrapins. 



Food. — The fish in the small, dee]) ])ond were fed last year, while those in the pond 

 below, where the fish grew to more than twice the .size, had not been fed. 



