796 EEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [138] 



them of the Fish Commission. I put the fry in one of the two ponds which are already 

 completed. They are each 100 by 175 feet, with respective depths of from 1 to 12, and 

 1 to 8 feet, and bottoms of loam and clay, the combination of which is evidently favor- 

 able to the propagation of the carji. The inner edges of both are walled for a space with 

 stone, as is also the outer wall of the deeper of the two. They are side by side, separated 

 by a narrow embankment, and well protected from any considerable inflow of surface 

 water. Several springs and water flowing from the drains, of a limestone character, feed 

 the ponds. Below these will be comi>leted the hatching ponds, 30 by 200 feet, and from 6 

 inches to 3 feet in depth. The carp pond proper, the area of which will be about 2.} 

 acres, and the depth all the way up to 20 feet, will be formed by the construction of an 

 embankment about 25 feet in height, with a base of not less than 40 feet. All of these 

 ponds will be provided with proper drainage pipes, screens, collectors, &c. 



Enemies. — There have been no other fish in the pond since its construction. 



Food. — The carp have been fed with small grain C[uite regularly. Hereafter they will 

 be fed as regularly as the stock on my place. 



Growth. — The old carp are now 18 or more inches in length, and weigh from 3 to 4 

 or more pounds each. They are healthy in appearance and have grown rapidly, but, as 

 the result of the food I intend to give them in the future, I expect that the growth 

 will be even greater than it has thus tar been. 



Reproduction. — Little attention was paid to the carp until the following summer 

 after they were received, when it was discovered that the pond contained large numbers 

 of young fry (1882). They are now from 12 to 15 inches in length, and weigh irom 1 

 pound to 2 or more pounds each. The carp spawned again this summer, and the large 

 numbers of fry average from 4 to 5 inches in length. 



Miscellaneous. — In addition to the 2 ponds that I have completed and the one now 

 in cou.rse of construction, I intend to build a small one to be used for experimental pur- 

 poses. A number of carp will be selected, carefully weighed, regularly fed, and the 

 quantity of Ibod noted. At the end of t he season the carp will be weighed again to de- 

 termine the increase in weisiht, thereby a.^certaining the income to be derived from the 

 capital invested. Hundreds of young as large as the hand were seen in the pond No- 

 vember, 1882. 



622. Statement of W. H. Carpenter, Springhor on gh, Warren Co., Ohio, Sept. 9, 1882. 



Disposition of carp received. — The carp received on December 31, 1881, were 

 placed immediately in a pond, circular in shape and 80 feet in diameter. The water is 

 supplied from a spring and is from 1 foot to 4 feet deeiJ. The bottom is composed of 

 yellow sand and black mud. It is situated on a high piece of land with a gentle slope 

 to the south. 



Plants. — Grass and cress grow around the edges of the pond. 



Food. — In 5Iarch we saw two or three of the carp and fed them occasionally, but dis- 

 continued because they disappeared. 



Growth. — One of the dead carp was 15 inches long and the other two about 14 inches 

 each. The 3 together weighed 7] jjounds. In 2 days after the dead carp were found we 

 saw 3 more about the same size. 



Mortality.— On August 29, 1882, I found 3 dead carp that had floated to the edge. 

 Two of them looked as if they might be alive, being -without a mark, and the other 

 looked as if it had been dead longer and was somewhat eaten, one fin being gone and 

 the mouth being somewhat torn. 



623. Statement of Frank Knowles, Little HocJcing, Wasliington Co., Ohio, Oct. 15, 1883. 



Disposition of carp received. — I received 20 carp in the fall of 1881. 



Food. — They come to their regular feeding place ever}'- evening for their daily bread. 



Growth. — May 1, 1882, the largest were 6 inches long. Some of them now measure 

 20 inches and will weigh from 3 to 3V pounds each. 



Miscellaneous. — 1 exhibited a pair of them at our county fair, Avhere they attracted 

 much attention. They failed to spawn this season. I have changed them into another 

 pond with plenty of water, hoping that they will spawn there. 



624. Stateiuent of John Hall, Marietta, Washington Co., Ohio, July 27, 1883. 



Disposition of carp received. — I put the 12 carp received on December 15, 1880,^ 

 in a pond under the assurance of the owner that there was always a sufficient supply of 

 v/ater. It, however, soon dried uj), and I lost them. 



