34 PRACTICAL CARP CULTURE. 



hatching pond is a paradise quite for the enemies of the carp, (see chapter 

 on enemies of* carp) and must be jealously guarded against them. In 

 this connection we desire to say that it is not wise to have hatching ponds 

 cover much more than an acre of territory each. If greater space is nec- 

 essary it will be wiser and better to build other hatching ponds. First, 

 because the larger the body of water the more attractions it presents for 

 the large army of water fowls that prey on the young carp. Again, the 

 larger the body of water the greater the opportunity for damage by waves 

 formed on the pond by wind, that frequently wash the eggs from their 

 lodgment, carry them on to the shore and on retiring leave them there 

 to dry up. The newly hatched fry will even be carried out in this way by 

 the waves. 



In the selection of spawners great care must be exercised to secure 

 the healthiest and largest of their age, and truest to their variety. Fish 

 affected by fungus growth, polyp or any other disease should never be 

 used for spawners, and the best thing to do with them is to kill them, or 

 put them in a small pond by themselves. 



The general rule in Europe for the stocking of hatching ponds is two 

 males to three females to each acre contained in the pond. This number 

 is, however, frequently doubled. Some of the culturists of Germany and 

 a great many of the culturists in America make quite a change in the 

 proportion of the sexes, and put two males to each female and with very 

 satisfactory results. We are not well enough established in carp culture 

 in America to talk experimentally of it by the acre, and 'acre hatching 

 ponds in America are yet scarce, as are also the men who make a special 

 business of carp raising. Either rule will operate satisfactorily. With 

 one more female than male it is certain that some eggs will either not be 

 deposited or go unfertilized. With two males to one female there is 

 greater activity and better possibilities of fertilizing the eggs. The fe- 

 males are very prolific, and will deposit about 100,000 eggs for every pound 

 of weight. Those that are not fertilized, and many of those that are 

 fertilized never come to life, and many of those that come to life die very 

 young or are destroyed by enemies. So that at the drawing of the pond 

 in the fall or spring the average to each spawner will not exceed from 1000 

 to 1500. It requires water rich in natural fish food to supply the wants 

 of 5000 young fry the first summer to each acre. If, however, artificial 

 feeding is resorted too when the spawners first begin their work of repro- 

 duction and continued carefully until they are through spawning and the 

 spawners are then removed, and the young fish are carefully and regu- 

 larly fed, and the water supply is good, then much better results will be 

 attained, and the number of spawners to each acre even may be greatly 

 increased and the number of young correspondingly increased. The one 

 difficulty to be guarded against is too much stock for the water and food; 

 when the former occurs the fish come to the surface with open mouths in 

 search of oxygen ; when they have not food enough they stop growing 

 and the bones begin to harden, and if left long in this way they never 

 overcome it and are always very small for their age. With plenty of 

 food and water the young fry of April and May hatch should measure in 

 November from five to nine inches long. If the water is overstocked 



