PBACTICAL CARP CULTUBB. 



39 



before mentioned, water plantain, water cress, etc., taking the best water 

 plants of the section in which the pond is located. The plants best 

 adapted for spawning purposes being those of upright close growth 

 beneath the surface, and whose leaves float on the surface of the water. 

 The spawning carp will find this hatching bed and when they have 

 deposited their eggs close the neck with a seine or slatted grating, shutting 

 the large fish out from the bed for a few weeks, allowing the eggs a chance 

 to hatch unmolested and the young an opportunity to develop somewhat 

 and learn to bunt their own food. 



The diagram designed by Rudolph Hessel represents such an annex or 

 hatching bed, A is the pond, B the annex or hatching pond, leaving 

 nothing wanted to complete a system of ponds but the stock pond. 



In artificially constructed ponds for mixed carp culture, though to be 

 commended, such an annex is not a necessity. Shallow water about 

 the margins with the proper vegetable growth will afford spawning 

 beds for the carp. If, however, there is not plenty of food for the larger 

 carp many of the eggs and young fry will be devoured by them. Usually, 

 however, enough will escape, owing to -the number of spawners and the 

 great number of eggs and young to satisfy the culturist. 



, By mixed carp culture is meant the raising of carp of all ages and 

 sizes in the same pond; not the raising of all varieties in the same pond. 

 We cannot impress too deeply on the minds of carp culturists the neces- 

 sity of keeping the varieties separated. In the start out do not plant a 

 mixed variety of carp in the same pond, and if in their progeny they run 

 to other varieties than themselves, weed out such strangers, if large en- 

 ough eat them, if not turn them loose in some stream. If you have or 

 want more than one of the varieties, prepare separate ponds for them. The 

 closer rhey are kept to themselves, not allowed to mingle even when small, 

 the better and sharper defined will the characteristics of the varieties 

 show. 



The objections to mixed carp culture are that you can never tell how 

 many carp there are in a pond until you draw it off, and that all do not 

 get their proportion of food owing to difference in size and age. But with 

 many it is the starting point in the culture, and soon becoming interested 

 they get into it more largely and have a system of ponds adapted to their 



