84 



James Hareis, Jr., Princeton, 111., writes : "In roply to your letter vn]\ say that my fish 

 have done well. I received my first carr) from Aurora. <S. P. McDole) 21 in number, l-jth of 

 November, 188:^. In Novi-mlier. l^si. I received l-j more from you. sent from y uin^-y throufch 

 Hon. L. D. WhitinK. 1'lic (irst li-^ii 1 received spawned in May and June. 188.5. In Or-tot)er 

 and November. 188.'>. I took r,.(i(to little ones from my liatching i>ond. I put 3.4iX» in a larger 

 pond and the rest I sold to farmers for their ponds. 



"We have been ca^-iiin« llsli trom our large pond all summer that will weigh 1^4 to 2 

 pounds each. They are one year (dd just. This fall I have taken 4.6"MI small fish from my 

 liatcliing i>ound. ThiTi' were some left in the |)ond when I got through. As to growth, last 

 WiMJiii'sdav. till' liith. I took two of my oldest fish from a small pond where I had them: one 

 I sent to (Uiieago tli'; other we kept and used ourselves. One of them weighed 7 pounds the 

 others pounds. They were nearly three y&a.rs old and I think they are a very nice fish 

 to eat." 



Simon P. Eenneb, of Loran, Stefihenson County, ASTites: "I have two ponds; they are 

 small. I dug them out on level rji-oiind aliout eight years ago. They are 64 f<-et long by 22 

 feet wide, with four feet depth of water fed by springs. I first put in 400 California Salmon 

 wliieh all dii'd in two years. Then I tried 1,300 California Salmon ami a few Speckled Trout; 

 lost all the salmon liu't the trout did very well. Then I tried native fish. I put in about 2i>0 

 Buffalo. 2()(tPi<-kerel. some Black Bass. They hav<' done well. The Pickerel showed from 

 one pound whim idanted to sixteen pounds : Buffalos from one to twelve pounds each, and 

 Bass correspondingly rapid. I did not feed them anything." 



JLexdota, III., Nov. 6,1886. 



Hon. 8. P. Bartlett. State Fish. CorntniRsioner, Quincy, III.: 



StR— In the sumtnor of 18St the C. B. &. Q. R. It. excavate I a large pond of about 

 60 acres just north of Mendota, the purpose of which was to obtain a reservoir of good 

 water for railroad purposes. The pond was from one to eighteen ft. in depth, bottom of clay 

 and loam and free from fish and supplied by surface drainage. It was believed by those 

 interested in the subject that the conditions were very favorable for testing the growth of 

 the German Carp. Upon being advised, you kindly furnished us from time to time with 

 a few. In the fall of 1884, the first supply were put into the pond above described, being at 

 that time what is known as fry. 



In June 188G, nine of said carp were taken out with a seine and were found to average 

 within two ounces of eight pounds each. This growth was all accomplished in less than 

 two years. As astonishing as these statements are they can be relied on as entirely true, as 

 the weights were taken in presence of numerous persons. The specimens taken embraced 

 from appearances the Scale, Mirror and Leather Carp and no difference of consequence" 

 appeared in size and condition. 



Yours, 



L. B. CEOOKER. 



The following letter from Mr. Wm. ^V'^ilkinson. Division Superintendent of the Illinois 

 Central Railroad, will, we think, show the gi'eat growth and increase of native fish and carp 

 in the waters of the State, where protected. The reservoir spoken of is simply a pond 

 supplied by surface water: 



Illinois Central Railroad Company. 

 Office of Division Sup't, 



Springfield, Nov. 11, 1886. 



S. P. Bartlett, Esq.. Fish Commissioner. Quincy, Til: 



Dear Sir— We drew a seine through our Clinton reservoir yesterday, and took out ten 

 (10) litK^ specimens of the (rerman carp, aggregating in weight eighty-foui- (84) pounds, the 

 largest weighing fourteen and one-liaH' (14'ji pounds and the smallest seven (7i pounds, and 

 the three largest weighed thiity-ninc i:;',ii pounds. Also took lifty-seven (57) line black l>ass, 

 aggregating one luindred and ton (.110) poui^ds, the largest weighing four and one-half (4'«>) 

 pounds. 



I think we took only a small portion of the fish, and am of the opinion that the bass pre- 

 dominate in numbers. We found a very few small carp, pt'rhaps not more than three or 

 four, weighing not more than a pound or two apiece. The water in the pond had receded to 

 a depth of about twelve inches, and fearing it would freeze solid. I concluded to save a por- 

 tion of the fish at least. My recollection is that you put in the fish about three years ago. 



(Signed.) "WILLIAH WILKINSON, 



Division Sup't. 



The fish were planted in a reservoir as follows, viz : Bass, ci'oppies, etc., in tlie summer 

 of 1882; the carp tht.- following fall and winter. 



