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aquatic lilt 



Carp Culture in Japan 



We are pleased to submit the follow- 

 ing information from the Imperial Fish- 

 eries Bureau, Tokyo, Japan, on carp cul- 

 ture, which we believe will be of interest 

 to the many readers of "Aquatic Life" : 



The propagation of carp, Cyprinus 

 carpio, has been practiced from ancient 

 times, and the business is at present 

 established in nearly all parts of Japan, 

 but the most important districts are the 

 warmer parts of Nagano, Gifu, Aichi 

 and Shizuoka. German carp was first 

 introduced in 1904, and the fry have been 

 distributed among the districts, but so far 

 this species is not welcomed in the mar- 

 ket. The fish are raised in all parts in 

 freshwater bodies, ranging from large 

 lakes having an area of several hundred 

 thousand acres down to swamps, moats, 

 marshes, ponds, open sewages and rice 

 fields of even several square yards. The 

 water-depth is generally three to four 

 feet, and standing water and streams are 

 equally suitable. In the mountainous 

 regions, such as Nagano, Gifu, Yamana- 

 shi and Yamagata, running water is used 

 for the ponds or moats. 



Two methods of propagation are prac- 

 ticed, the "natural" and the "contracted" 

 plans. In the former the seed fish, or 

 fry, are liberated in natural lakes. This 

 is practiced in the lakes of Biwa, Kasu- 

 migaura and Kitaura. Since 1908 eight 

 million young carp have been freed in 

 Lake Biwa. The Ibaragi Fishery Ex- 

 perimental Station has a plan to here- 

 after place two million fish a year in 

 Lakes Kasumigaura and Kitaura. 



In the contracted or compact plan, the 

 waters are of small area, such as arti- 

 ficial ponds, moats and rice-field ditches. 

 The system naturally divides into three 

 periods, known as first, second and third- 

 year growing. During the first year the 

 chief objective is to raise seed-fish or fry. 

 From a pond of a thousand tsubo (about 



one and one-half acres), 240,000 fish, 

 weighing a momme (3.7 grams), or 5400 

 or 10 momme (37 grams) each, can be 

 harvested. In the second year five to six 

 fish are raised per tsubo (six square feet) 

 of pond, and should weigh a pound and 

 a quarter at the end of the period. In 

 the final period two or three fish, weigh- 

 ing two and one-half pounds each, are 

 yielded per tsubo. 



When rice-fields are used the fry are 

 liberated in the spring, when the rice is 

 planted in the watered field, and caught 

 at harvest time in autumn. The fish are 

 fed on silkworms, rice bran, rice flour, 

 wheat flour, bean cake and various other 

 vegetables. — Alvin Burmeister, Mana- 

 ager, Pacific Goldfish Company. 



The true naturalist is not limited to 

 any one branch of nature-study. Though 

 he may make a specialty of some partic- 

 ular branch, if he follows it closely and 

 persistently, he will find that he must 

 inform himself on some other line 

 closely connected with it, in order that 

 he may better understand the one of his 

 choice. 



I have received a lot of replies and 

 orders for Enchytrae worms and recently 

 made a shipment to England, all result- 

 ing from my advertisements in Aquatic 

 Life. — Charles B. Jenne. 



I inclose one dollar to renew my sub- 

 scription to Aquatic Life. It sure has 

 life, gives life and saves lives. — N. Ol- 

 GER HELGESEN. 



In the United States alone, the Carp 

 family numbers upwards of two hundred 

 species. 



The whole scheme of things, both in 

 nature and man creations is efficiency, 

 and its reward is certain. 



