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CAEP-CULTURE IN THE UNITED STATES. 859 



The bottom is muddy. Water ia conveyed across a hill from a large bold spring abont 



'200 yards distant from the jjoud. 



Plants. — Grass grows on the banks, but none in the pond. 



Enemies. — The pond is inhabited by many bull-frogs, small frogs, and turtles, but no 

 other fish than carp. 



Food. — I feed the carp twice a week on corn-bread and cracked com, and sometimes 

 on wheat, rye, &c. The carp seem to relish raised flour-bread most. 



Geowth. — In the summer of 1882 I caught with a hook and line 3 carp, weighing, 

 respectively, 3 J, 20, and 2\ jwunds. Before receiving your instruc-tions, I constructed my 

 pond in such a manner as to be unable to drain it. 



Repboduction. — I am at a loas to know what I am to do with the innumerable young 

 that are in my pond. They are from 4 to 10 inches long. 



Difficulties. — I fear that the severe wind storm that blew a quantity of the water 

 out of the pond this spring caused the carp to bury themselves to such an irrecoverable 

 depth in the mud as not to have spawned this spring. 



919. Statement of G. F. Simpson, Midway Mills, Nelson Co., Va., Nov. 16, 1882. 



Growth. — The carp received last tall are now from 10 to 12 inches in length, and are 

 doing splendidly. 



920. Statement of W. H. Bndgeforth, Belief onte, Nottoway Co., Va., Aug. 23, 1881. 



Disposition of caep eecetved. — To insure the safety of the 15 carp received in No- 

 vember, 1880, I removed from the pond every other kind offish. Only for a .short time 

 after placing them in the jjond was I able to discover any trace of them, and had there- 

 fore concluded, the winter being a very severe one, that they had been killed out by the 

 cold. 



Growth. — Upon draining my pond a few weeks since I found 8 beautiful carp, weigh- 

 ing from 1 te 2J pounds each. They were not more than 3 inches long when received. 



Edible qualities. — A more palatable dish of fi.sh would be hard to find. 



921. Statement of C. D. Epes, Nottoway C. H., Nottoway Co., Va., July 24, 1883. 



Disposition of carp eeceived. — I received a lot of carp in 1880, and subsequently 

 another. My pond is \ acre, supplied with water from 2 springs, and has a depth of 

 from 4 to 5 ieet. 



Plants. — Plants that are indigenous here grow in the pond. Nothing that destroys 

 the carp inhabits it. 



Growth. — The carp weigh from 3 to 4 pounds each. 



922. Statement of David M. Som^rville, Nottoway C. U., Nottoway Co., Va., Aug. 10, 1883. 



Disposition of carp received. — About 3 years ago I received 45 carp. I put them 

 into a pond which covers about f of an acre and is supplied with an abundance of water 

 from a .spring \ mile distant. A freshet carried ofi" all the carp. Last fall I learn that 

 very large unknown fish were .seen in Deep Creek, a tributary of Appomattox, and into 

 which my pond empties. I think they are the carp that escaped from my pond. They 

 were in a deep place, and would not bite a hook. 



923. Statement of H. C. Baker, Gordmsvitte, Orange Co., Va., Feb. 4, 1881. 



Growth. — The 17 carp which were received in the fall of 1879 are doing remarkably 

 well. In October last I caught 4 of them to see what growth they had made. They 

 weighed from 2| to nearly 4 pounds, the largest one only lacking about 2 or 3 ounces of 

 attaining the latter weight. I am satisfied that they are just the fish for the waters of 

 Virginia, and I am sure it is the only fish suited te our ponds. 



924. Statement of Jos. G. Field, Gordonsville, Orange Co., Va., July 25,1883. 



Disposition of caep received. — I received 16 scale carp, 3 inches long, in October, 

 1879, and subsequently 3 lots, one of 14, and two of 25 each. The first lot 1 put in a miU- 

 pond, but after^vards transferred the remaining? to a ^-acre pond which I built especially 

 for carp. A constant stream of cool water from a small spring supplied the pond. It 

 has a muddy bottom, with very little sand. The water is from \^ U> h feet deep. 



Plants and enemies. — Very few plants grow in the pond, but grasses common here 



