[99] CARP-CULTURE IN THE UNITED STATES. 757 



a small leak from an adioinino- -nonrl sfnpL-p<i n/iti, ,^;i- i ^ 

 and mim,ows-tbe led -"smSrfs'irs^icT/^^Ln^^^^^ 



when the water was drawn, to my utter surprise, we took from 77,^^^ 0,U>Wr lus 

 pike and cattish, a vast number of mullets, ibout ^reeH -uf^veral b Sn oT?'" n 

 try, consisting of sun-lish, roach," and minnows, with aiK mrmtif v of Si . '^}^ 

 ponds were sadly infestecl wit^ ^napping-turtles, small L?er,i'dJ;i?Jr Of tt. 

 tormer my men caught 48 m the early part of the season, and o eriOO of the second 

 The shotgun has made snakes and large frogs scarce. I have ex-nnTin,.?! ti.„ cf i 

 oi two large frogs and found one to colitain^a May b;etle amlX o the 1 k uXfa 

 grasshopper, and a land beetle. So I conclude thlt they do no harm to earn ^' 



FoOD.-Having taught my carp to come to a certain place for fom t ct n ade their 

 appearance on April 3 last, and continued to come whenever their favor e food- 

 cracker crumbs^was thrown to them, till December 9, when they wennnto wTnt^ 

 quarters This gives them a long season in which to grow. I h^xve fed them but 

 little, but enough to ascerta n that they give a decided preference to cookell tbo lover 

 uncooked. They seemed to have no taste for raw food thrown to them, such as clove? 

 and cabbage, but ate greedily of boiled sweet potatoes, squash, and cracked Jm-n Of 

 bread and particularly of crackers, they seemed specially fond, but cared litfe for 

 boiled white potatoes Their lavorite natural food in my ponds is the water i. rslane 

 Ludwrgiapalustris. Of this they tear up vast quantities, which floats about nS 

 masses, throwing out roots, and continuing its growth in the water 



Growth -On October 4 last I drew the water from the large pond and found mv 

 26 fash m the collector On weighing some of them I found them to have attainl 1 1 

 weight of trom 4^ to 5 pounds. This certainly was a satisfactory growth, and w at 

 much beyond my expectations. A tish-hawk was seen to capture one of the carp in 

 the small pond last spring, but all the rest were found on drawing the water in Octo- 

 ber. The largest m this pond weighed 5 pounds. 



Reproduction.— I noticed movements which indicate spawning as early as May 18 

 I found lo young carp in the small pond varying from 6 to IH inches in length, and 

 the largest weighing VU ounces. My carp were too young to have wuide inuch in- 

 crease, being only 2 years old at spawning time. In October last I killed a carp weigh- 

 ing 4^ pounds by severing the chief blood vessel with the small blade of a pock^et- 

 knife It proved to be a female with a well-developed roe, weighing a little over one 

 pound. ' r> o 



Edible qualities.— It was cooked, as fish usually are, by frying. We found it fat 

 succulent, flaky, and entirely free from troublesome bones. In solidity and fiakiness 

 It remmded one of the salmon. All who partouk of it pronounced it a first-class fresh- 

 water fish. And while not considering it equal to a six-pound Delaware shad, it is 

 certainly a fair substitute for that most excellent fish during the five or six months 

 preceding its advent in our waters. I think I detected a little of the mullet taste 



Hibernation.— My fish are still about, as two days ago they came up after cracker 

 crumbs. 



447, Statement of John H. Brakeley, Bordenlown, Burlington Co., JSf. J., Oct. 13, 1884. 



Growth and reproduction.— Three years ago this fall I received a few carp from 

 the Commission, and I have just stocked a 5-acre pond witli 2,500 young carp, hatched 

 this year, which vary from 2 to 9 inches in length; most of them beino- from 3 to .5 

 inches long. I weighed 15 of my large fish and found they weighed 92 pounds, or an 

 average of (j| pounds each. The heaviest weighed 7^ pounds. 



448. Statement of P. Lorillard, Jolstown, Burlington Co., N. J., July 25, 1883. 



Disposition of carp received.— My 50 carp came in November, 1879. The pond 

 in which they have been kept covers about 3 acres, has a muddy bottom, and is about 

 12 feet deep in the middle. The water is pumped from a brook and from an artesian 

 well, the water of which is strongly impregnated with iron. 



Plants. — It contains water-grasses, pond-lilies, and a little wild rice. 



Enemies.— We have in the pond frogs big enough to eat small ducks,' thousands of 

 turtles, and also roach. We have put in some pike to thin the carp out. 

 _ Food. — The carp are fed with bread crumbs, boiled corn meal, and refuse vegetable 

 tops from the garden. 



Growth. — I caught one last fall weighing 20 pounds. I think there are some now 

 thflt would weigh over 25 pounds. 



Reproduction.— They have produced thousands of young. The pond is full of 

 carp of all sizes ; the number cannot be estimated. 



Edible qualities. — I do not think they are worth raising as a food-fish; they are 

 hardly as good as the sucker. I wish we had stocked our pond with white perch. 



[The trouble was that he ate his carp in the siiawning season. In a subsequent 

 letter his agent informs us that small carj) eaten at a different time were pronounced 

 " very fair." — Editor.] 



How to catch carp.— We calch the smaller ones with worms. 



