[123] CARP-CULTURE IN THE tJNlTED STATES. 781 



551. Statement of S. P BlankensUp, Pineville, MecMeniurg Co., N. C. 188H. 



Food. -I have received in all 60 carp. I feed them on boiled rice, wheat, peas, and 

 scraps from the table. > f > «•"" 



Reproduction.— I cannot count tlie young, but they are very numerous I expect 

 to have au abundance of fish for my table another year, even in my small pond. 



552. Statement of David Farlow, Level Plains, Randolph Co., N. C, July 30, 1883. 



Disposition of carp received.— I received about 20 carp in March 1881 Mv 

 pond covers about i acre, and has an average depth of about 2 feet, and a muddv 

 bottom. A strong spring branch supplies the pond with water. 



Plants and enemies. — Weeds and a coarse grass grow in the pond. Bull-frogs 

 and branch minnows, but no other fish inhabit it. 



Food. — Irregularly, I feed the carp on bread. 



Growth.— There are from 3 to 4 old carp remaining, and these average 16 inches in 

 leugth, and from 2 to 3 pounds in weight. 



Reproduction.— There are perhaps 1,000 of last year's young in the pond, and these 

 are from 8 to 10 inches long, and weigh from ^ to i pound. 



Difficulties. — Poachers visit the pond. 



553. Statement of P. N. Slanback, Little^a Mills, Richmond Co., N. C, Oct. 2, 1883. 



Disposition of carp received.— I received 80 carp in November and December, 

 1879, and 14 in February, 1883. My pond is 45 by 70 feet, of muddy bottom, and 7 

 feet deep. It is amply supplied with spring water at all seasons. It never gets hot. 



Plants. — There is a fringe of grass, rushes, &c., around the border. 



Enemies. — There are a few perch, a few frogs, but no turtles. 



Food. — I feed them two or three times a week on cooked bread. They became very 

 gentle last summer, and would come readily to their food. 



Growth. — Those that have not been fished out by thieves are about 12 to 14 inches 

 long. 



Reproduction. — There are a few young which are 4 or 5 inches long. 



Difficulties. — The only difficulty has arisen from the very^thievish negroes, who 

 could doubtless inform you about their edible qualities. I cannot eat any because 

 1 have beeii too eager to propagate them. 



Miscellaneous. — I have prepared 3 ponds, with an aggregate length of 320 feet, 

 50 feet width, and inclosed with a paling 7 feet high. I surmounted it by a strand ol: 

 barbed wire. I stocked the first poud with perch and redhorse, which did finely but 

 lor tbe negroes. Some of them had attained the weight of from 6 to 9 pounds, but I 

 lost them all in one day. The carp grew finely as I fed them bountifully with bread 

 every day, so that from December to June they had attained a size of from 10 to 12 

 iuches, and came regularly to their feeding-place. This pleased me so much that I 

 showed them to many friends, and one day a few negroes were admitted to see the 

 sight. Shortly afterward the carp failed to be seen basking in the shade of the bridge 

 over the poud. I have raised the barbed-wire fence, and am going to try it again. 



554. Statement of W. R. Fraleij, Salisiury, Rowan Co., N. C, Sept. 8, 1882. 



Growth. — I leceived on the 8th of December last, 20 mirror carp about 3 inches 

 long, which would have weighed probably about i ounce each. Since then I have 

 weighed and measured them at various times, with tbe following results, to wit : 



Length. Width. Weight. 



1882. May 20 9| inches. 3^ inches. 1 pound. 



June 20 12 J iuches 4^ inches. 2 pounds. 



July 20 14i inches. 4f inches. 2J pounds. 



August 15 IG^ iuches. 5 inches. 3 pounds. 



555. Statement of W. F. Watson, Salisbury, Rowan Co., K. C, Aug. 10, 1882. 



Growth.— On April 1, I received a lot of carp measuring from 2^ to 3 inches in 

 leugth and weighing about i ounce each. On August 3 one of these fish measured 

 exactly 12f inches in length, 4^ inches in width, and weighed 1^ pounds. The fish 

 ^as fine and fat and very active. 



556. Siaiement of Samuel H. Hand, Reid.wiUe, Rockingham Co., N. C, Jug. 29, 1883. 



Disposition of carp received. — The 25 scale carp received in March, 1881, I put 

 in a pond 25 by 00 yards, with a depth varying from 2 to 7 feet. The water that 

 flows into the pond is temperate and clear. 



