768 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [110] 



494. Statement of Edward E. Wilbur, Ncic York City, N. Y., Aug. 29, 1883. 



Disposition of carp received. — The 10 carp received on Maj' 28, 1880, and the 10 

 received in 1881 I put in a pond 1,500 feet long, and from 6 to 50 feet wide, with a 

 depth varj'ing from 2 to 4 feet, and a soft bottom. It is fed by springs, and as the 

 dam is raised above the head of the spring the water filters through the spongy banks. 



Grasses. — Grasses grow in the pond, and roots in the banks. 



Enemies. — Frogs, speckle tortoise, and painted turtles, but no other fish than carp 

 inhabit the pond. 



Food. — I give the carp stale bread, potato parings, and oat meal, and they come 

 to the surface for bread, cabbage, lettuce, &c. They dig iiito the banks for roots. 



Growth. — There are about half of the original carp remaining. A year ago 1 meas- 

 ured 22 inches in length, and I should judge that they now average from 24 to 2G 

 inches long, and weigh from 4 to 6 pounds. They are quite large, strong, and active. 



Reproduction. — I am unable to state the number of young in the pond. 



Difficulties. — Soon after the carp were placed in the pond I found 6 of them dead 

 and j)artially eaten. I find it almost impossible to catch them even with a net. 



95. Statement of J. T. Watson, secretary KirJcland Fish Society, Clinton, Oneida Co.. 



N.Y.,ihihj 28, 1883. 



Disposition of carp, received. — We received 9 carp in 1880, 215 in 1881, 40 in 

 1882, 160 in January, 1883, and 20 in April, 1883. Tliey were distributed in warm 

 bayous and ponds having plenty of water and muddy bottoms. 



Plants. — Wild plants grow in the ponds and bayous. 



Enemies. — In some waters there are no other fish. Some contain chubs, Califor- 

 nia trout, bass, a few turtles, and many frogs. We give the carp no food. 



Growth. — We have a greater part of the original carp, and they average 2 pounds, 

 and are about 1 foot long. The oldest carp probably spawned this season. 



Difficulties. — Some of the carp of last winter's lot froze during the time occupied 

 in shipping. One was found bitten by some animal, probably a musk-rat. 



496. Statement of Thomas W. Jones, Maynard, Oneida Co., K. Y., Aug. 20, 1883. 



Disposition of carp received. — The 8 carp received on June 19, 1880, and the 

 12 in the fall of 1860, I put in a half-acre pond, with a maximum depth of 5 feet, and 

 a bottom composed of clay and muck. A 2-inch stream of water, at a temperature of 

 from 60 to 70 degrees, flows into it. 



Plants and enemies. — Wild rice and pond-lilies grow in the pond. I cannot free 

 it of turtles. No other fish inhabit it. Minks abound. 



Food. — I gave the carp green corn. 



Difficulties. — Five months after I received the carp, when they were killed by 

 minks, they averaged 2 pounds. In one year I have killed 30 minks and 3 coons. 



497. Statement of Burton G. Foster, Vernon, Oneida Co., N. Y., Aug.^,\8S'd. 



Disposition of carp received. — The 18 carp received in December, 1880, I put 

 in a pond 60 by 300 ieet, with a depth of 5 feet, and a muddy bottom. It is fed by 

 a stream of soft spring water. Until the fall of 1881, the surplus water was discharged 

 through a w:aste-\veir, 18 inches square. 



Plants and enemies. — Trees, grass, and sumac grow around the edges of the 

 pond. Nothing infests the pond except, perhaps, frogs. 



Food. — I gave the carp wheat bran, bread, apples, and pumpkins. 



Reproduction.— In the summer of 1881 there were hundreds of young in the pond. 

 The carp grew and multiplied beyond expectation. 



Difficulties. — In the fall of 1881, the dam broke and caused all the carp to escape, 

 except 2 or 3 which were caught by Oneida Indians, who live but ^ mile distant. 

 These were large, nice fish. If I can get more carp I will rebuild my dam. 



498. Statement of William Watson, Whitestown, Oneida Co., N. Y., Aug. 2, 1882. 



Disposition of carp received. — Three years ago last May I received 10 carp, 8 of 

 which reached home alive. I put them in a small pond on a hillside with southern 

 exposure. The pond covers 350 yards and the lower end is 5 feet deep with a muddy 

 bottom. The third spring I made several new ponds lower down the creek and in one 

 of these ponds I put 3 carp, in the others 5. In June, 1882, I received 10 more and 

 put them in the old pond. 



Plants. — I planted water-lilies, wild rice, «&c., in the ponds that I constructed the 

 third spring. 



