Oneida Lake Fishes },2j 



nieiils to \t\v ^ nrk in .-|)ccial cars. The next imjKiriant center is the western 

 end of Lake Krie, in tJhio and Michigan, where large special i)onds have been 

 constructed and a peculiar form of cultivation has sprung up. Other important 

 carp States are Colorado, Delaware, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey. 

 New York, Tennessee. Utah, and Wisconsin." At Monroe. Michigan, many Carp 

 are taken and shipped to Xew York City. From here and from the Illinois River 

 they arc sent alive. They live well in transit provided the gills are kept moist 

 by melting ice ^ F"orlx's and Richardson, 'og, p. io6). Surber {'20, p. 41) says 

 these fish are ship[>ed alive from Minnesota to Chicago and Xew York. When 

 sent to these distant parts they are fed grain for three or four weeks in ad\'ance 

 (Leach, '19, p. 191. According to Canfield ('iS, p. 6) the Carp, so shipped, are 

 especially desired by the Jewish people who require fish in very fresh condition. 

 The ease with which the Carp is put on the market in a perfectly fresh condition 

 has made these distant fisheries possible. At present an important Carp fishery 

 has developed at Oneida Lake and many Carp are l)eing shipped from there to 

 Xew York City. 



The Carp fisheries of the Great I^kes, according to Koelz ('26 I, are princi- 

 pally at Green Bay. Wisconsin (p. 567), where 742,000 pounds were marketed in 

 1922: in .Saginaw Hay of I^ke Huron (p. 585). where 1. 145. 250 pounds were 

 taken in 1917; and in Lake Krie (pp. 592 and 59S). where 5.89<>.ooo pounds were 

 taken in 1922. In Oneida I^kc, Carp have apparently only receinly liecome of 

 commercial imi)ortance. We obtained no evidence that they were very abundant 

 in the lake while our field investigations were l>eing carried on in 191 5 and 1916. 

 and they seemed to \\c conspicuous then only when concentrated at breeding 

 grounds. No young were taken in our extensive seining operations, although 

 Ilankinson has caught yoimg Carj) by similar methods in similar situations about 

 Cayuga I^ke. Our extensive observations on fishes on the many shallows about 

 Oneida I -ike brought \cry little evidence of the presence of Carp in \<)i(^. .\t 

 pre.sent ( ni2y) Carp are abundant in the lake. W. .\. Dence has learned from 

 Carp fishennrn that 44 to 43 tons of large Carp, individuals averaging nearly eight 

 poinids in weight, were taken from Oneida I-ake in 1927. 



In Lurope the Carp has l)een a v.iluable sixvies ( ."seeley. '86. \\. t)8). and 

 Smith (07. p. 107) mentions it as an item of commercial importance in a dozen 

 countries. Xash ("08. y. 48) says it is \-alucd in jmrts of Europe where good 

 fish are scarce, but that there is no place for it in .\mcrica where he considers 

 its intrf«luction a 1,'reat mistake. 



That more and Utter vise of the Carp might Ijc ma»ie in this country is evident, 

 and this might In- accomplixhefl by enlightening people as to its possibilities as a 

 fixxl fish. Leach ('19. p. 17) advocates its projKigation in waters »ms»iite<l for 

 other njore valuable fish, but also states that it should Ih" useil for UvrA only during 

 the cold months of the year, for its flesh is tmi>alatable when caught from warm 

 waters. It should Ik prej>ared in ajtproved ways (Taylor. '17. pp. 4-7; Leach, 

 '10. P- i<>^. .Smoked Carp is highly j>alatable and can l»e pre|vire<l in acconlance 

 with directions given by Leach (I.e. p. 19). Smiley ('83, p. 303) investigated 

 the palatability of the Carp by sending questionnaires to persons who luid used it 

 for fixxl. He gives the results of (too replies. Smiley concludes that tmfavorable 



