CHAPTER V. 



CLAS1ES OF CARP PONDS AND THEIR PURPOSES. 



There are but few persons that engage in ctrp culture as a mere mat- 

 ter of pastime or pleasure, and to whom the ulterior motive of profit does 

 not present itself. The culture, happily, combines in an eminent degree 

 these much desired ends, pleasure and profit. Even while we write, the 

 incentive to systematic and extensive culture grows stronger day by day. 

 Following the lead of Germany, arrangements are now being made to 

 place live carp for table use on the market in this country. A stock com- 

 pany ha been chartered in Illinois to so supply the Chicago market. 

 This is a matter of no surprise to us, because we expected just such 

 things. The young industry is moving rapidly forward, and in a few 

 more years will occupy its legitimate place as one of the leading and 

 most profitable branches of agriculture. Chicago has but taken the lead. 

 Whenever the stock on hand warrants it, other cities will follow with 

 live fish markets. The people once educated to the difference between a 

 fish that dies of suffocation, as do all the dead fish offered for sale in 

 our markets, and the flesh of which is therefore not fi4 to eat, and a fish 

 taken alive from the water and killed immediately and dressed for the 

 table; then carp, as the one fish, .that can be supplied alive in sufficient 

 quantities for the market, will command a price that will make their 

 culture exceedingly profitable. The political complexion of our national 

 legislature will not affect this industry. The difficulty of importing live 

 fish places it beyond the need of a tariff protection. 



The line between extensive and systematic carp culture and simple 

 carp culture will lie between those who push it as a business enterprise 

 and those who engage in it as a home pleasure that will add a luxury to 

 their table. For the former a number of ponds are necessary, a single 

 pond will answer for the latter. Tjje conditions not being the same the 

 ponds must be differently constructed. In describing those suited to each 

 purpose we will begin with a series of ponds intended for the systematic 

 pursuit of carp culture. 



SYSTEMATIC CARP PONDS. 



In France, England and Germany they have different classifications 

 and names for these ponds. In this country they should be styled ac- 

 cording to the ends they serve. 



1. The hatching pond. 



2. The stock pond. 



3. The market pond. 



The size of these ponds should be in keeping one with the other; the 



