LXXXIV 



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

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

 put five 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 thoy can get any this summer or fall. Please 

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

 high, and the Carp seems to be the fish. 



Yours truly, VOLIS^EY METCALF. 



RixFOEX), 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 

 finely. 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 pond, 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. 



