114 PRACTICAL CARP CULTURE. 



carp that I put in for breeders. One weighed 5 pounds and the other 6, 

 and three diflerent sizes too numerous to mention, and ail were in tine 

 condition. My pond was overstocked, I think. After three years my 

 pond had enough carp from 1 to 6 inches to stock three ponds of one- 

 quarter of an acre each. A. J. DENNIS. 



A SIMPLE METHOD SUCCEEDS. 



PlNCKNEYVILLE, 111., July 9, 1887. 



My carp raising is done on the simplest and rudest principles. In 

 1882 I put twenty in a stock pond. In the fall of 1884 I caught twelve of 

 them out and placed them in another pond, built the same fall, in another 

 pasture near my house. Last season my new pond of an acre literally 

 swarmed with young fish. To-day when we feed them I see some of the 

 original ones, over thirty inches long, also some that I received from the 

 government in the fall of 1884 former at least thirty inches long, latter 

 from, twenty to twenty-four inches; then thousands of last year's hathcing 

 from 4 to 12 inches in length. I tell our farmers they need not be experts 

 to raise them. Build a good strong dam covering from one to as many 

 acres as they desire, put a dozen carp in it, and inside of five years they 

 will have all the fish of the finest quality that they want. When they 

 doubt my word I take them to my plain country pond, covering an acre 

 or so, call up the fish, throw in a few chunks of bread, and then let them 

 stand speechless with amazement and gaze at the thousands of fish, from 

 20 inches in length down to the young ones, scrambling over each other 

 for food. I then pick up some nice yearlings five to twelve inches long 

 and show them what was hatched a year ago. Then they are convinced, 

 but, like the doubting apostle, nothing but seeing and feeling will drive 

 away their unbelief. They look at my pond with its grasses, lilies and 

 shade trees around it; they can make one as good as mine, snd they leave 

 determined to have a pond as soon as they can build it, and they want to 

 know if 1 can let them have some fish this fall that will lay eggs next 

 spring. They haven't time for them to grow; they mui have spawners, 

 they want fish. I assure you that when a new industry is so convincing 

 to the average farmer on first presentation under so rude and simple cir- 

 cumstances, it is a success. E. H. LEMEN. 



XENIA. Ind., July 15, 1887. 



My fish are doing well. On the 14th day of last August I put in my 

 pond 500 fish, averaging \%_ inches long. I seined my pond this week; 

 they measure from five to eight inches in length. 



D. M. DARBY. 



SPALDING, Iowa, February 7, 1887. 



I got my first carp August 22, 1885, 71 in number, the larger about four 

 inches long. They spawned some last year. They have done better and 



