50 



FISHERIES OF THE UNITED STATES, 1908. 



In the fall of 1879 a systematic distribution of 

 young carp was begun, which was continued up to 

 1896. During that time nearly every state in the 

 Union tried to cultivate this fish, and the attempt 

 met with success in many states. The purpose of 

 the Fish Commission, more especially, was to dis- 

 tribute this fish, which was believed to be a good 

 food fish and which was hardy, easily and cheaply 

 raised, and of great fecundity, in sections where con- 

 ditions were not conducive to the growth of fish, the 

 expectation being that natural ponds not suitable for 

 other fish would be used or that artificial ponds would 

 be constructed for its propagation. Although origi- 

 nally introduced therefore into private or restricted 

 streams and waters, it was not long before the public 

 waters began to be stocked — in some cases acciden- 

 tally, by the overflowing of a carp pond or stream, and 

 in other cases through the intentional introduction of 

 the species, as in certain rivers in Illinois and Ohio. 



The German carp product in 1908 amounted to 

 42,763,000 pounds, valued at $1,135,000, and con- 

 stituted 2 per cent of the total quantity and of the 

 total value of all fishery products. Of 38 states 

 having fisheries of a commercial nature in 1908, 31 

 reported German carp. The following tabular state- 

 ment gives the statistics of the carp product, by states 

 ranked according to the value of the product, together 

 with the per cent distribution of both the quantity 

 and the value of the catch: 



i Less than 1 per cent. 



2 Includes Connecticut, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oregon, South Dakota, 

 Texas, and West Virginia. 



The carp product of Illinois, most of which was 

 from the Illinois River, exceeded that of all other 



states combined. Ohio ranked second, with a prod- 

 uct of 7,158,000 pounds, while Michigan, Missouri, 

 Wisconsin, Iowa, and Minnesota each reported over 

 1,000,000 pounds. The total German-carp product of 

 these seven states amounted to nearly 20,000 tons, 

 valued at $979,000, and represented 91 per cent of the 

 quantity and 86 per cent of the value of the German- 

 carp product of the United States. 



The distribution of the German-carp product in 

 1908, by groups of states, was as follows: 



^ess than 1 per cent. 



As early as 1883 carp were taken in the waters of the 

 Mississippi River and its tributaries and in the Great 

 Lakes, but they were not handled by the fish dealers 

 until some years later and had no extensive market 

 until about 1895. In the report of the United States 

 Fish Commission on the Great Lakes fisheries for 1892, 

 carp is not mentioned as a distinct species and, if 

 caught and sold commercially at this time, was prob- 

 ably included under "Other fish." For 1893-94, 

 however, the Bureau of Fisheries reported a consider- 

 able amount of this fish, and succeeding reports show 

 a steadily increasing product, as the following com- 

 parative summary indicates: 



Although this product is caught to some extent 

 throughout the year, the largest part of the fishing is 

 done in the spring and summer. A variety of appa- 

 ratus is used in taking carp, but the bulk of the catch 

 is made with seines, fyke and hoop nets, and trammel 

 nets. The statistics of the catch by the various forms 

 of apparatus are given in the following tabular 

 statement : 



