﻿LXXXIV 
  

  

  small 
  ditch, 
  letting 
  the 
  tank 
  water 
  fill 
  it 
  up 
  ; 
  the 
  ditch 
  

   was 
  left 
  open 
  so 
  that 
  the 
  water 
  would 
  not 
  stagnate. 
  We 
  

   put 
  live 
  of 
  them 
  in 
  the 
  tank 
  (or 
  pond), 
  and 
  fed 
  all 
  of 
  

   them 
  on 
  corn 
  bread 
  and 
  vegetables 
  that 
  had 
  seed, 
  such 
  

   as 
  tomatoes, 
  squashes, 
  etc., 
  all 
  of 
  which 
  they 
  ate. 
  They 
  

   seemed 
  to 
  like 
  the 
  squash 
  best 
  and 
  preferred 
  it 
  baked. 
  

   * 
  * 
  * 
  * 
  They 
  are 
  now 
  about 
  four 
  

  

  inches 
  wide 
  and 
  a 
  foot 
  long. 
  Corn 
  bread 
  is 
  their 
  favor- 
  

   ite 
  diet, 
  and 
  by 
  feeding 
  them 
  at 
  the 
  same 
  place 
  every 
  

   day 
  they 
  become 
  accustomed 
  to 
  look 
  for 
  it, 
  and 
  now 
  all 
  

   we 
  have 
  to 
  do 
  when 
  we 
  wish 
  to 
  look 
  at 
  them 
  is 
  to 
  tie 
  a 
  

   piece 
  of 
  stale 
  bread 
  to 
  a 
  string 
  and 
  float 
  it 
  on 
  the 
  water, 
  

   when 
  they 
  come 
  up 
  all 
  around 
  it 
  and 
  scramble 
  for 
  it 
  as 
  

   hogs 
  do 
  for 
  corn. 
  There 
  are 
  numerous 
  parties 
  in 
  this 
  

   neighborhood 
  with 
  good 
  ponds 
  who 
  want 
  to 
  know 
  

   whether 
  they 
  can 
  get 
  any 
  this 
  summer 
  or 
  fall. 
  Please 
  

   let 
  me 
  know 
  at 
  once 
  as 
  flsh 
  in 
  this 
  section 
  are 
  scarce 
  and 
  

   high, 
  and 
  the 
  Carp 
  seems 
  to 
  be 
  the 
  fish. 
  

  

  Yours 
  truly, 
  VOLNEY 
  METCALF. 
  

  

  RixFORD, 
  Fla., 
  Aug. 
  5, 
  1880. 
  

   Dear 
  Sir 
  : 
  — 
  

  

  It 
  will 
  doubtless 
  be 
  a 
  pleasure 
  to 
  you 
  to 
  learn 
  that 
  the 
  

   Carp 
  you 
  furnished 
  me 
  with 
  last 
  November 
  are 
  doing 
  

   flnely. 
  I 
  ascertained 
  on 
  my 
  return 
  from 
  Savannah 
  with 
  

   them, 
  that 
  my 
  pond 
  was 
  not 
  ready 
  for 
  their 
  reception, 
  

   owing 
  to 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  there 
  were 
  many 
  more 
  black-bass 
  

   in 
  it 
  than 
  I 
  had 
  supposed. 
  I 
  accordingly 
  confined 
  the 
  

   Carp 
  in 
  a 
  pen 
  at 
  the 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  jiond, 
  giving 
  them 
  water 
  

   through 
  holes 
  in 
  the 
  side, 
  covered 
  with 
  wire 
  netting. 
  A 
  

   few 
  weeks 
  since 
  I 
  discovered 
  that 
  a 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  netting 
  

   had 
  been 
  displaced 
  and 
  some 
  of 
  them 
  had 
  escaped 
  into 
  

   the 
  pond, 
  and 
  I 
  then 
  concluded 
  to 
  let 
  them 
  all 
  into 
  it, 
  as 
  

   I 
  had 
  nearly 
  all 
  the 
  bass 
  out. 
  Their 
  growth 
  since 
  that 
  

   time 
  has 
  been 
  simply 
  marvelous. 
  

  

  Sincerely 
  yours, 
  GEO. 
  C. 
  RIXFORD. 
  

  

  