CARP. 71 



It is found by experience most convenient to 

 liave three kinds of ponds for Carp ; the first is 

 called the spawning pond, the second the nursery, 

 and the third, or largest, the main pond. There 

 are two methods of stocking the ponds with Carp ; 

 either to buy a few old fish, and put them into the 

 spawning pond; or to purchase a good quantity of 

 one-year old fry, for the nursery. A pond intended 

 for spawning must be well cleared of all other kinds 

 offish, especially such as are of a rapacious nature, viz. 

 Pike, Perch, Trout, and Eels ; and also of all lizards 

 and water-beetles, which frequently destroy quan- 

 tities of fry, to the great loss of the owner. A 

 pond of the size of about one acre, requires three or 

 four male Carp, and six or eight females. The best 

 for breeders are five, six, or seven years old, in good 

 health, full scale, and without any blemish or wound. 

 Such as are sickly have spots, as if they had the 

 small pox, have lost their scales, or have them 

 sticking loosely to their bodies ; and such whose 

 eyes lie deep in their heads, and are short and lean, 

 will never produce a good breed. Eeing provided 

 with a set of Carp sufficient to stock a pond with, 

 it is best to put them, on a fine calm day, into the 

 spawning pond at the latter end of March, or begin- 

 ning of April. Great care must be taken during 

 the spawning season, to prevent the approach of all 



