844 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [186] 



through my pond to find out if it contained catfish, we brought out 2 carp that measured 

 lirom 18 to 24 inches. The pond is ali\ e with young, and it will be necessary for me to 

 enlarge it for their accommodation. ' ' 



843. Statement of L. W. Crawford, Fort Worth, Tarrant Co., Tex., A,ug. 3, 1883. 



Disposition of caep eeceived. — I received 14 live carp in February, 1881. My 

 l)Oud is 100 yards long by 15 wide, 2j feet deep, and has a muddy bottom. It is fed by 

 a 1-inch stream of water from an artesian well," the temperature of which is irom 30° 

 to 60°. 



Plants. — ^It contains a long water-grass common in Texas swamps, and water-cress 

 common in all parts of the country. 



Enemies.— It contains no other fish except some minnows, f of an inch long. There 

 are no frogs nor turtles. 



Food. — I have given them bread, turnips, lettuce, cabbage, and dough made of one 

 part flour and 3 parts meal. They love lettuce better than any other kind of vegeta- 

 tion. They will eat turnips, mustard, and cabbage when young, also boiled Irish and 

 sweet potatoes. They will eat tender ears of corn verj^ readily. The dough, one part 

 flour and 2 parts meal, is the best food lor them. 



Growth. — The 14 still live and would weigh from 8 to 10 pounds. I never saw any- 

 thing grow as they do. The first year's growth was about 3 pounds. They were about 

 2j inches long when I got them, and at the end of the first year were 12 inches long. 

 They are now from 18 to 20 inches long. They have produced no young yet. 



Miscellaneous. — I should like to make carp-growing a business, as this is a good 

 fish market. 



844. Statement of William Brueggerhoff, Austin, Travis Co., Tex., July 30, 1883. 



Disposition of carp received. — I received 20 carp in July, 1880, and put them in 

 a fountain about 8 or 10 feet in diameter, and 1^ feet deep. The cement bottom has a 

 covering of about 3 inches of slime and mud. There is a continuous flow of water 

 through the fountain. 



Plants. — It contains ferns of all descriptions, which grow on artificial mounds. 



Enemies. — It contains perch, green frogs, and minnows, a small fish about ^ an inch 

 in length. 



Food. — Two or three times a week I feed them with light bread and scalded meal, 

 ^ flour and f corn-meal. 



Growth. — The 4 that remain weigh about a pound each and are about 10 inches 

 long. We gave away some of them. 



Reproduction. — They produced about 100 young. We still have 7, which are from 

 6 to 8 inches long, and weigh perhaps 4 ounces. The remainder of the young were dis- 

 tributed among our friends to put in public fountains, &c. 



Difficulties. — There have been no difficulties at all in managing them. 



845. Statement of J. H. Dinkins, Texas Fish Com'r, Austin, Travis Co., Tex., Oct. 4. 1880. 



Growth and reproduction. — A day or two ago I saw one of the carp received last 

 winter (these fish were the young of 1879, and about 3 or 4 inches long when received), 

 which measured 20 inches in length. I am inclined to think they spawned last summer 

 for the reason that the pond is now filled with small fry, unknown before in the pond. 



846. Statement of editor of Texas Farm and Ranch, Austin, Travis Co., Tex., May 1, 1884. 



Disposition of carp received. — The State fish-ponds at Austin, Tex., are now in 

 a most flourishing condition, and much taste has been displaj'^ed in decorating the walks 

 with flowers and shrubs, and other attractive improvements. The ponds are situated 

 close to Barton's Creek (a])out 2 miles from Austin), from which they are supplied 

 with cold spring water. There are 4 of these ponds, 3 of which are fully stocked with 

 carp of different ages. They are connected with sluices by which they can be dried, and 

 fish may be easily taken or transferred, as required. 



Food. — At the tap of the bell the finny boarders dart forward to the refectory with a 

 sound like a distant waterfall, and a ripple on the surface of the water like that produced 

 by a heavy driving rain. Scraps of bread and vegetables are then devoured, while the 

 water is flecked with gold and silver from the sides and bellies of the feeding fish. ' ' Do 

 the young fish in the adjoining pond also answer to the bell?" we asked. "Oh, no," 

 was the reply, "it takes about six months' training to educate them up to that point; 



