[5] FOOD AND SPAWNING OF CARP. 1147 



the younger and better fed the individual fish, the smaller will be the 

 head, and the larger, broader, and fuller the body of the fish, without 

 being shapeless. Thus, from large-headed carp, which are small for 

 their age, a correct conclusion may be drawn as to bad management, a 

 poor breed, and also poor ponds. Thus, in Prussia, on a large pond 

 farm, which might easily have occupied a front rank among the German 

 fish-cultural establishments, in spite of the fine and naturally favorable 

 ponds, which, owing to the ignorance of the managers, had been sadly 

 neglected, I found lean, small, thick-bellied fish, which even at the age 

 of six or eight years hardly weighed one-half kilogram [1 poundj, and 

 of these only one-fourth of the number which, with proper management, 

 the pond area might have produced. 



In Bohemia I visited a pond farm which was otherwise well managed, 

 but where the new method was not employed, and where the young- 

 fry, produced according to the old method, were in their raising ponds, 

 i. e., in their second year, favored so much by placing only a compara- 

 tively small number of fish in each pond, that, with unusually ample 

 food, these fish developed very well, and in one year made up for lost 

 time. The pond area used for this purpose, however, was too large, so 

 that finally the fish intended for the market had less area than the fish 

 which were still passing through the raising process, while the reverse 

 should have been the case. It is evident that this way of managing, 

 although momentarily having a good effect, is nevertheless very ex- 

 pensive. Better results, and in a cheaper way, are reached by the new 

 method, which is characterized by safety in the production of the fry, 

 by its excellent quality, and by a great saving of time. 



From time immemorial it has naturally been the object to favor the 

 growth of fish, especially those intended for the table, by supplying 

 them with plenty of food outside of that found in the ponds, and it was 

 recommended to throw in the ponds the excrements of cattle, malt, boiled 

 potatoes, turnips, meat, ground meat, &c. Thus, about fifteen years ago, 

 on a pond farm belonging to Archduke Albrecht, of Austria, a large horse 

 slaughter-house was established, where cheap horse flesh was chopped 

 fine by machinery, and in that condition ed to the fish. In the begin- 

 ning the fish ate a little of it, but fin Uy refused it altogether ; the 

 water became putrid and injurious to the fish, and it was soon found 

 an urgent necessity to return to the natural food contained in the ponds, 

 which, of course, was not so abundant, but much more wholesome. Of 

 late years, also, fish-culturists, especially Carl Mcklas, have taken great 

 pains to prove the advantage of the artificial feeding offish in ponds, 

 and have proposed different mixtures of food. 



Although these suggestions are well-meant, I cannot agree with them, 

 because as a rule it is erroneous from an economical point of view to 

 give to fish articles of food which might be used otherwise, especially 

 when it is very questionable whether the results of employing such food 

 will correspond to its cost. In my opinion, nothing but refuse and ar- 



