Mat 12, 1881. J 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



291 



■ 



EIO -I. oltoss-shdl UiN ijF <;*.!• I'-I'OND, FIG 8. 





,; ■'■'■■7^i^^^. 



FIG 0. — PL AW OF ARTIFICIAL OABP-POND. 



FIG. 2. — B A OROaa-SKOTIOW OF POND THROUGH TlKBEDlNcl-PLAOB, 



'"1 J,£ !'3 T -,---_-'"-*fC---'" --' -r^l'r- -XI;'," ^ 



FIG 3. — PLAN OF A NATURAL IBP POND. 



into the market-ponda. The pikes, which have reached an almost 

 equal weight, are put into pike-ponds. It requires often two or 

 three days to weigh the fiance, ponds of 1,000 or 2,000 acres area 

 containing on an average 200 tons of carp and twenty tons of pike, 

 tench and other fishes not included. 



T assisted once at the fishing-out of one of these ponds, which 

 took place in tfee neighborhood of the town of Gupen Flietz, prov- 

 ince of Brandenburg" Germany. The pond was the property of a 

 eourpotcnt cultnriet and valued friend, Mr. Thomas Berger, of 

 Georgenhof, near Cottbnss-Peitis. The ponds in which thf 



FIG 6. — Pl.AU OF ARTIFICIAL HARP-PONDS. 



a.li.o 



man 



acres. The pond which 

 but a small one, not n 

 prise I found that the gj 

 mens of about three pounds w 

 Becond vear, having weighed 

 months before, (tbe lisbicig-ou 

 tober,) and they had attaiue 

 tively very limited space of ti 



ixceed ttce extent of ti.OOO Prusi 

 fished out at the time I speak of 

 than 200 acres in size, yet to my i 

 r number of the fishes were fine BJf 

 H eight, though they were but 



their 

 i than 1 1, pounds five short 

 k place at the beginning of Oe- 

 this great weight in a compara- 

 . Several establishments of this 

 kind are located in that district, and they commonly belong to 

 some large princely domain, (crown property). They are, like all 

 largo fisheries, admirably managed and the results are most satis- 

 factory. 



6. — MIXED OABr-OTJLTUBE. 



We have so far spoken of carp-culture, according to tho different 



age of the.ii; tum. o ..pedal pomls h;--oeiioe-. 1" ee'liiv ami '.ere 

 pondt), termed "ekms-eultur 



"mixed ponds," 

 8 to 10 years, 

 od, as 'there arc- 

 ed, which, howev 



'• LKjUKtil 



jpeak of another method, pursued in e 

 which there are fish of all ages, from 1 



Not much can be said regarding th 

 hatching and broeding-ponds, but only 

 must combine all the characteristics of 

 thereforo, have shallow places, overg 



plants (Feslvco fuil,vis and PlitlhiHdrniin ], tor tne apawuers ano 

 the young fish, and also places, 8-ta 10 feet deep, for the larger 

 fish. If such a pond is to yield some profit, it must also be partic- 

 ularly rich in food. ATnatural pond may be used, or. if such a one 

 is not found, it mav lie artificial! 1 ,- constructed. It is indispensable, 

 however, that snob ». ooi.d should ba\ e the same depth of water all 

 the vear round, and it should be so arranged that even the last drop 

 of water can be. let off. as occasionaUy even the smallest fish, iue.ii- 

 uriicg only 2 to S inches in leugth. must be taken out. Such 

 "mixed ponds" must likewise have "collectors" and "collector^ 

 ditches." It will also be found very useful to construct a sort of 

 hatching -place, on some flat and sunny place, near the bank, i. c, 

 a so-called cut in the bank, measuring' 40 to 100 feet in length and 

 30 to 50 feet in breadth, and baling a depth of 5 iuches to V/, feet. 

 This cut should be thickly planted with the above-mentioned 

 aquatic plants, and ought, so to speak, to be the ouly place in the 

 pond where carp can ascend from the depth in order to doposit 

 then- eggs conveniently and engage in the spawning process. 



As soon as this has taken place, the entrance to this cut is closed 

 with a net, so tbe eggs cannot be eaten by the fish. This net may 

 be removod when the young fish have come out of the eggs, but it 

 is preferable to leave'it in its place for some days, that the young 

 fish may be able to feed for some time undisturbedly. 



Explanation of Diagram.— A is the pond, B the cut, which, 

 though directly connected with the pond, is in reality nothing but 

 a hatching-pond, such as has been described above. In order to 

 have a complete system of ponds, nothing would be required but a 

 "breeding-pond." 



In Europe this method was generally adopted by beginners in 

 oarp-culturc, commencing with a mixed pond, and gradually pro- 

 ceeding to the small "hatching-pond," and finally to the "breed- 

 ing-pond, as the great advantage of separate ponds for the differ- 

 ent ages of fish over the "mixed-pond" system soon became evi- 

 dent 



In such a "mixed-pond" no pike must be kept for regulating the 

 stock, as may be done in a elass-pond, for all the small iish would 

 then soon be devoured. It must be m 

 the exception of the tench (Oyprinu 

 fish, however harmless, is allowed in tl 

 lated to the carp, but it spawns 4 to 5 y 

 no danger of cross-breeds. 



Great care should be taken that 

 auratns) or bream (brama) get in tho pond, for these fish would 



de 



■j stri 



t rule 



that, w 



th 



tir 



en), i 



o oth 



:X kind 



of 



P 



md, 



i'liet 



uch is 



ro- 



.ski 



later 



so tb 



ere can 



be 



io gold-fish (Cyprinus oarpio 



soon mix with the carp and teud to degenerate the breed. Such 

 fish should therefore be removed or killed at once. The gold-fish, 

 especially tbe milter, swims n spawning-schools like tbe carp, and 

 at the very same season. It thus spoils the egg of the carp, as all 



eggs which ii irn; sp "ill r-'oii :■;■: spotted b.-li, liae, log at let 1 si. 



a silvery streak '., to V, inch long and !„ inch broad between the 

 caudal and th? dorsal tin. Such bastards (the cross-) needs of gold- 

 fish and Vavassiw, also resemble them) do not grow larger than 

 gold-fish, and have as many bones. They are unfit for table use 

 and entirely unsnited for ornament, as they are neither genuine 

 carp nor gold fish, and are disagreeable objects in the eyes of the 

 scientist and connoisseur. If such fish are not removed immedi- 

 ately the consequence will bo another cross-breed during the next 

 spawning-season, for such a hybrid spawns, like the gold-fish, 

 when it is a year old, and the breed of carps would degenerate still 

 more. It i6 best to kill such worthless cross-breeds at once, as they 

 are apt to give great trouble. 



I would embrace this opportunity to imprias upon every carp- 

 culturist who intends to make breeding experiments with any carp 

 procured through the United States Fish Conimisgiop, the irnrort- 

 auce of having, if possible, only one of three abovo-meutioued 

 kinds of carp, unless he. can have every kind in a separate pond, 

 Thus the common carp ( (~!>/prhtiis varpio cromiiuio's- 1 should never 

 be placed in tbe same pond with the mirror carp " or the "leather 

 or naked carp" I Cyprinus car,, in a/c/iijo/iis, ••oriamja iA. uudua). 

 nor should the two last mentioned varieties ever be in the same 

 pond. Cross-breeds would invariably be produced, and in such a 

 manner that one would have neither genuine common carps nor 

 genuine mirror or leather carps, I 

 varieties. Hot even when qiiiti 

 spawning should these varieties 



they are kept strictly separate during the spawning process, the 

 young fish would never have the sh 

 their varietv as regards form and 



to the " mirror-carp " and the "common carp." The carp h 

 striking tendency, when living with other varieties, to approach the 

 primitive form of the common car]), and finally to be merged in it. 

 These beautiful varieties should therefore be kept strictly separate: 

 my other reason should never induee people to 



but 



be 5 , 



i cross-breed of all 

 inngand not vet, 

 ut together, beean 



the t 



iuru 

 shai 



g the 



lily m 



spawning p 

 u-ked charoet 



U "V' .' 



approach i 

 Tbe ear,-, 



lack of ] 

 mix them- 

 If the b 



ixpcriments are to be accompanied by good re- 



ity should be selected, and tbe finest and best 



and Hpawners, showing strongly all the characteristics of 



mould be procured, and the experiments will be 



ed with i 



then 



I must return to the so-called "mixed culture," bv mentioning 

 that it is not to bo recommended. In Central Europe it is never 

 practiced by scientific pisciculturists, but only bv small operators 



mostly in so-called ■■ peasants' ponds." Tim method .toostie.er 

 yield a certain and truly profitable result. 



Fig. 3. — Pond F is a natural body of writer. ' Its exteut is about 

 one hundred and fifty to two hundred acres. It is formed by a 

 dam, D, about seven to eight feet high, 

 thus collecting the water of a rim flowing the. . . 

 deepening, C, the collector. In the dam F> there is an outlet lead- 

 ing to another deepening— tho so-called outlet collector OP. The 

 purpose of this collector is to keep back fishes that, may have pass- 

 ed tbe ontlet when opened. It is provided with a screen or net- 

 ting. CD, upon the bottom of pond P, is the collector ditch. 

 which conducts the fishes to C when the water is let out, and thus 

 prevents them being caught in the mud. It is the run of water 

 which, to prevent overflow, has to be conducted around the pond 

 in a separate ditch, leaving an inlet at I, protected by a aluiee with 



Fig. i. — F, surface of the pond : C, collector ; J), dam ; 0, out- 

 let ; OK, outlet collector ; J, inlet ; if, stream ; D, tbe dam ; Ji, 

 the run or creek. 



Fig. 5. — JJ, stream supplying artificial pond between undulating 

 hills; /, inlet; Ju, inlet dam; 01), collecting ditches; 6', col- 

 lector; OF, outlet dam ; O, outlet; OC, outlet collector ; E, cavi- 

 ties, "kettles," m which the carp collect for the winter; B, canal 

 to let off surplus water in case of freshets. 



Fig. 6.— I, breeding-pond for spawning fishes and spawn ; II, 

 pond for small fry ; III, pond for large fish ; a, supply of water ; 

 6, inlet ; c, collector ; o, outlet. 



7.— SaSHHKO THE CARP. 



In conclusion I will make some remarks on the feeding of carp in 

 close ponds. It is not every natural pond which is a good pond, 

 having the essentials of a good soil at the bottom and capable of 

 producing sufficient food for the fish, if these conditions are 

 wanting, the fish mu-t be fed This is, as a general rule, only ne- 

 cessary in ponds with sandy bottom without any clay. As I have 

 said before, I are not in favor of feeding fish, as ray standpoint is 

 that of the rational cult mist sharing the opinion with most of tho 

 prominent pisciculturists of the Old World, that carp should find 

 its own food in the ponds. 



If, however, the nature of the bottom demands artificial feeding, 

 or if suitable food can be bad at a remarkably cheap price, the 

 feeding should be done with great caution. Never feed m one and 

 the same place; even if the pond be very large, distribute the foud 

 in different places near the banks. If the food is always put in one 

 place, or even if it is distributed over two places, tho carp will stay 

 in the neighborhood of these places, will become languid, and, in- 

 stead of semiring the other parts of the pond in search of food, 

 will remain at the bottom: It will, even if surrfiunded by the rich- 

 est food, grow fat, but never have any firm flesh ; nor will it ever 

 grow much in length, as the somewhat phlegmatic fish does not 

 get tbe exercise which favors its growth. 



Never give them much food at one time, but by degrees in small 

 quantities, never during the day, but either early in the morning or 

 in the evening. Dining the hot season only feed them late at 

 night, because the carp, if it has eaten sufficiently in the morning, 

 will remain at the bottom all dav, while during the higher temper- 

 ature of the water it is necessary for its health that it should swim 

 round and get a change of water. It is therefore useful to place 

 in ponds containing large carps a limited number of pike, which, 

 however, must be smaller than the carp. The carp fears the pike 

 and Hies from it. If there are pike in the pond tho carp will get 

 more exercise and will seek natural feeding-places, whither, on ac- 

 count of its iim.de sluggishness, it would never have gone. 

 Pcnd-i-nm are accustomed to other food than the river-carp. 

 a.Jves to worms, larva; and plants, while 

 find all sorts of animal and vegetable 

 so stand a greater amount of food, as 

 js them take more exercise, thus mercas- 

 lifferent with the pond carp ; if you give 

 nit fake anymore than is necessary to 

 uiiautr. will remain at the bottom, anil if 

 ble Ms I ivtU spoil the water. If these 

 „;,; refuse, as flesh or bin, id, fungi will 

 hen produce, as with the salmon and 

 of the skin, the gills, and in the case of the carp, 

 sometimes internal diseases. 



The writer once had the following experience : During his ab- 

 sence a number of large carp were fed on coagulated blood which 

 had begun to putrefy ; the fish devoured it eagerly, got sick, and 

 most of thorn died iu a few days from an inflammation of the in- 

 testines. Spoiled food should never bo given to fish. If slaughter- 

 house or kitchen refuse can be had, give these, chopped up small 

 about tho size of peas. Never give so much that remnants re- 

 main for any length of time in the water and begin to putrefy. 

 Bet no one be induced by the eircumstitueo that t'-e carps like to 

 eat the dung of bogs, sheep and cows, to feed them on any putre- 

 1 that thereby epi- 



The Io: 



those 1 



tying 



in s 



tr 



refuse ; 



these 



la ft 





the ciu- 



out u 



tint: 



lb 



ing the 



r app 



tire. 





it too n 



neb 1 



iod, 





satisfy 



ts Im 



igor 





their quantity 



be. 





grower 



theu 





1 



ro.i . 



ISfSrt 



sot 



tt 



dcDiic- 



The 



, particularly 

 p likes abo 



of the 



tale. 



•Uhii 



ha- 



ul ted. 



■rotable 



i, turnips, pumpkins, melons, 

 penes and distilleries is also 

 >r such refuse can be- bad it 



cabbage, lettuce, boiled potatoes, ei 

 etc. The refuse of malt from t« 

 very good food for carp, and when 

 Should be given to the fish. 



The small pisciculturist, having a uoiid of perhaps one to two 

 acres near his house, will often be able to feed his fish on refuse, 

 as he will ftlw&j a have it fresh from the kitchen and stable. 



In conclusion, 1 earnestly recommend the culture of the carp to 

 all pisciculturists. If the value of the carp for table use has once 

 been recognized it will become a highly esteemed fish, especially 

 in the neighborhood of large and populffUH dtue Bad itB cnlttl 

 will yield a larger and more certain profit than the expensive front. 



8.— EXTENT OF UAHI-lTLTUBi: IN ICTltoPX. 



In Europe many thousand acres of artificial waters are to he 

 found. In these enormous quantities of carp are bred. Some of 



