12 



than English. In ] 833 these carp had increased in size, the 

 male to 52 Ibs. Saxon, the female to 55 Ibs.: such my friend 

 stated to be the weight when I last saw him in 1835. It is 

 a rule to weigh the breeders at every draught. In the same 

 year I was present at the draught of my friend's second 

 largest pond, which is seventeen acres ; the produce ex- 

 ceeded 4000 Ibs. weight of carp, besides tench and jack. 

 In this pond he had left, for four previous draughts, seve- 

 ral carp for breeding, five of which in the scale drew 103 

 Ibs. Saxon, the largest of the five, a Spiegel carp, drew alone 

 31^ Ibs. English, the age of these was sixteen years, but 

 that of the two in the largest pond could not be correctly 

 stated, as they were on the estate when he purchased it 

 some fifty years since : these fish they treat as prize fish, 

 and consider them infinitely better for spawn than younger 

 ones. As carp get older they do not increase in bodily 

 weight in proportion, for the roe and milt increasing with 

 each year, take too much out of them ; this will account for 

 the difference of the rapid increase of the young carp com- 

 pared with those more advanced in years ; and it does ap- 

 pear to me that the most luxuriant growth of the carp takes 

 place only up to its twentieth year ; after which, from the 

 cause before named, it becomes slower. 



Brood carp well fed, or more properly not overstocked 

 in the ponds, and taken in the autumn of the third year 

 following, will generally weigh from 3 Ibs. to 4 Ibs. ; in six 



