American rislicrics Society. 73 



and only a few carp, and those were all large ones; we could not 

 find any small carp. They said carp were there by the millions, 

 but where had tlie\ giuie? The bass had increased, but there 

 was scarcely a young carp in the can;d. 



Mr. Davis: 1 have no statistics here. Iiut 1 remember in 

 regard to the value of carp caught in Lake Kv'w more than a 

 year ago. Mr. Fred Dewey said that carp were a nuisance, that 

 they caught them in their nets, and couldn't get any p'ice for 

 them ; that the}' carried them out in the fields and buried them, 

 and got rid of them the best the^ coidd. If the}' are worth so 

 much more thr-n black bass and whitefish the fishermen there 

 shoidd be ntitified that they are losing a good deal of mone\'. I 

 saw a while ago a piece in the paper about the carj) driving out 

 the black bass, and I imderstand the State of Minnesota was 

 sued 1)\' somebod\' because the carp got onto soniel)ody's 

 meadow. 



Mr. Dickerson : That was a suit begun against the I'nited 

 States Fish Commission. (Laughter.) 



■ Mr. Ravenel : As far as the carj^ is concerned I would like to 

 say that Mr. Davis can write to Dr. Llartlett and find out their 

 value. 



Mr. Dickerson: I go up to the Lake St. Clair "T-'lats" 

 three or four times a week. In the shallow ba}'s tliere, which 

 are carp feeding grounds, bass have increased very rajMclly in 

 the past three years, and yet about every man I meet says, 

 "Dickerson, I wish you could destroy these carp." Xow the 

 fact is, I think the carp is a benefit to the bass in those waters. 

 Another thing, the carp does not thrive in the clean water that 

 the bass does, and I really believe that th.e carp in a section like 

 that is a benefit to the bass, as the }'oung carp furnish a great 

 deal of fo(3d for the bass. 



Mr. Davis: Isn't it a fact that the carp is a great spawn 

 eater? 



]\Ir. Ravenel: 1 wish I had Dr. ."^mith here. 1 do not be- 

 lieve that the carp is anv wo.-se than man\' other fish in that re- 

 spect : nearlv all fish eat s])uwn. 



