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CARP-CULTURE IN THE UNITED STATES. 815 



Growth. —When the fish were about 8 months old I drew the pond and found about 

 half the number placed therein. I was greatly surprised to find that they had urown 

 from 2 inches to 18 inches in length in 8 months. They were about the same size and 

 weighed over 3 pounds. ' 



707. Statement of Alex. McBee, Greenville C.H., Greenville Co., S. C, Oct. 28, 1881. 



Enemies.— My pond has eels, catfiush, and perch in it; they have destroyed most of 

 the fish. 



Growth. — I received in January last about 20 carp from 1 to 2 inches long. When I 

 drew off my pond I caught 9 carp, 5 scale and 4 mirror, that measured 17 inches each and 

 weighed from 4|^ to 4| pounds. I have them now in a nice pond in which there arc no 

 other fish, and by feeding them I hope to have fish that will weigh from 12 to 15 pounds 

 Why, my dear sir, they will, if well cared for, grow almost as fast as pumpkins. 



708. Statement of H. C. Markley, Greenville, C. E., Greenville Co., S. C, June 16, 1882. 



Growth. — I have some carp 14 months old that average from 10 to 14 inches in 

 length. They are fine for their age. 



709. Statement of John W. Wood, Greenville C. H., Greenville Co., S. C, Jan. 11, 1882. 



Disposition of carp purchased.— The 200 scale carp which I procured last May 

 from Grifiin, Ga., at a cost of $35 per hundred, I placed in 2 ponds on small branches 

 of clear, sweet spring water. The ponds are well located, every part being exposed to 

 the sun and free from all impurities. They are kept free from other fish. 



Food. — The ponds abound in natural food, and I feed the carp on meat scraps, crum- 

 bled crackers, and corn bread. 



Growth. — My carp are growing finely. In May they were 1\ inches long, and now 

 they average from 18 to 20 inches in length. 



710. Statement of W. T. Wood, Greenville G. H., Greenville Co., S. C, Jan. 21, 1883. 



Growth. — The scale carp received on May 29, 1881, were about 1 inch long. The 

 following August they measured from 8 to 10 inches in length, and in July, 1882, they 

 spawned being then 14 months old. In September, 1882, they measured from IS to 

 25 inches in length. 



Miscellaneous. — My scale carp have surpassed in growth the mirror carp of this 

 vicinity. 



711. Statement of Edward M. Boykin, 31. D., Camden, Kershaw Co., S. C, July 23, 1883. 



Disposition of carp received. — I received 16 carp three years ago and put them in 

 a friend's pond, but they were lost. I received 30 more later, and put a jiart of thcui in 

 a fine piece of water 2 acres in exteut, varj'ing from 2 to 8 feet in depth. It is supplied 

 with from 130 to 150 gallons of water per minute from a constant spring. 



Plants. — It is filled with aquatic grasses pecular to southern inland waters. 



Enemies. — The loss of the first lot was attributed to craw-fish that certainly had at- 

 tacked them. 



Food. — We give them bread principally. 



Growth. — Eighteen months after depositing the first lot in my friend's pond it wjis 

 drawn oft', and there was a fine carp found weighing 5 pounds. This was the only one 

 left of the lot, and was given to the agricultural department at Columbia, S. C. The 

 pond was drained and cleared out and 15 or 20 small fish were put in, which are doing 

 well. 



Miscellaneous. — I have just finished a pond at my residence for breeding carp with 

 the intention of giving it special attention. With ordinary attention success is certaiu. 

 Some 25 years ago I paid considerable attention to fish-ponds, dealing with our native 

 varieties. It was very beautiful and very interesting but did not pay. It was all very 

 well while the fish were all the same size, but breeding predaceous fish in clo.se waters 

 is impossible. 



712. Statement of J. A. Wright, Laurens C. H., Laurens Co., S. C, Aug. 16, 1681. 



FooD.~I have not fed the carp more than a dozen times since they were put in the 

 ponds in February last. 



