36 PRACTICAL CARP CULTURE. 



more. But usually it is done in the latter part of March and first part of 

 April. 



The number of fish to be planted to the acre in these ponds, if not 

 artificially fed, will depend largely upon the size of the fish. The plant 

 can better be determined by weight than by numbers. The rule that has 

 obtained in Europe is to plant from 800 to 1000 -fish that would weigh less 

 than one-half pound each, to the acre. It must be remembered, however^ 

 that in Europe the fry the first summer could have only about four 

 months growth, while in many of our Southern States the carp gets seven 

 or eight months growth the first season, and in some of those States even 

 more. In Texas, for instance, they grow nearly if not quite the entire 

 year through. Wlvle these favored sections produce larger fish, nature 

 maintains the balance by supplying a greater abundance of food. Owing 

 to these climatic differences of our country, and the contrast in growth of 

 carp in these extremes as evidenced in the reports of our correspondents 

 for the past four years, we conclude it much safer to establish a rule of 

 weight to the acre in planting both stock and market ponds. The rule 

 then would be to plant your stock ponds with about 600 pounds of carp 

 to the acre. The fish rem'ain in the pond until the following spring unless 

 large enough to market in the fall. 



THE MARKET POND is the main or largest pond of the culturist, and is 

 constructed as described in chapter IV, and will require about 700 pounds 

 of carp to the acre to stock it. The size these fish will attain by fall will 

 depend on their size when planted. They usually increase about one 

 hundred and fifty per centum the third season. 



In a large portion of the United States it will not be good economy to 

 keep carp the third year, and it will be found profitable to use the market 

 pond in connection with the stock pond for second summer carp. In a 

 large section of our country the carp have conditions exactly suited to 

 rapid growth, and grow from seven to ten and even eleven months in the 

 year, and attain a size at eighteen months old much greater than that at- 

 tained in Europe at thirty months of age. It is the size and not the age 

 of the carp that makes it marketable. When carp weigh three pounds 

 and upwards each they are fit for market. Much time and thought and 

 labor has been and is now given to reach market one year earlier with 

 warm blooded stock, the sole purpose being to realize their money value 

 earlier; the same philosophy is applicable to carp. When they are ready 

 for market do not keep them another year, but realize on them. In at- 

 taining this the second year the market pond will accomplish a good 

 purpose; in transferring the one summer carp from the hatching pond 

 select the largest ones and place them in the market pond, and the 

 smaller ones in the stock pond. If you have the full quota per acre for 

 the market pond a little food supplied regularly will greatly add to the 

 prospects of a marketable crop in the fall. 



In this system of ponds the hatching pond is the only one in which it 

 in designed to raise any young carp, the others are feeding, growing and 

 fattening ponds. But in this country carp frequently spawn the second 

 summer, arid if the quota of the pond is already full, and the spawn is allowed 



