211 
followed flash, and peal followed peal in quick succession, the 
rain coming thicker and thicker, and the murkiness of the 
atmosphere growing deeper and deeper, until at last we were 
forced to draw rein from inability to distinguish the road. 
Our horses, even, were affected by the scene and kept snort- 
ing and prancing in terror. Suddenly a flash of bluish- 
colored fire was seen U start from the top of a tree not ten 
yards distant, and run in a spiral course to the ground, where 
it disappeared in the earth. At the same instant a heavier 
peal than had yet been heard reverberated through the woods, 
and a disagreeable smell, resembling burning brimstone, 
reached our nostrils, as if to render the scene still more hellish. 
The rain ceased, or only dripped from the soaking leaves above, 
the skv cleared, and in less than half an hour from the first 
sign of storm, the sun was shiuing brightly on a soaked but 
b^ewelcd forest, bis glinting rays as they played among the 
leaves lighting the pearly rain drops until the leafy panoply 
seemed resplendently sprinkled with diamonds. 
As soon as the sky cleared we resumed our journey, first 
stopping to examine the tree which had been so suddenly 
smitten. It was a tall oak, about sixty feet in height, and 
from top to bottom, following spirally around the trunk, was 
a charred brand, s>me eight inches in width. We saw many 
trees afterward in that same forest bearing similar death 
marks. . ,. 
This storm promised to render our night's camping disagree- 
able, for it was only a short time to sunset, and we were not 
sufficiently skilled in woodcraft to evoke a fire out of soaking 
timber. However, there was no help for it. Less than an 
hour after the cessation of the storm the approach of night 
warned us to look out for a camping -place. 
There was not much choice as to location, and coming to a 
spot where there was a slight rise in the ground, we rode off 
for some way to the side of the road and made a halt. 
How well I remember my first camp in the woods! It was 
years ago and far away from where I now write. It was on 
the bank of a crystal lake, in that portion of the Adirondack 
wilderness known as " John Brown's Tract.” A dark back- 
ground of evergreen trees, in the shadow of which was a pic- 
turesque bark hut, with a blazing fire in front and couches of 
hemlock twigs within. A string of trout lying on the sand 
undergoing the cleaning process, and a noble buck hanging 
horns downward from a branch near by. I shall never forget 
that scene however thickly similar scenes may be impressed 
on my memory. There was little resemblance between our 
present camp and that long gone first one I could not help re- 
calling. The evergreens, the hut, the fire, the trout, the 
buck were all absent. The twig couches we could still pro- 
vide, but instead of hemlock, we were constrained to content 
ourselves with the scraggly tips of oak underwood, the leaves 
still soaking with rain. However, we were too tired to be 
very fastidious, and after arranging our blankets and consum- 
ing a pailful of half ripe blackberries we bad pidked on the 
route, we were not slow to betake ourselves to rest. 
Ah ! my reader, did you ever try to sleep under such cir- 
cumstances? If so, you may remember that no sooner had 
you assumed a quiescent position than you felt somethin'’ 
crawling over vour skin. At all events we felt it, and foum 
it impossible to sleep until we had divested ourselves of our 
clothing and picked some scores of ticks from our cuticles. 1 
suppose all who are interested in wild sports are acquainted 
■with the wood-tick. He makes the acquaintance of every 
one who passes an hour in the woods of the bouthwest, and 
always leaves some souvenir by which he can and will be re- 
membered. I have fought the black flies of the Adirondacks 
and have feasted the chigas of Texas, but I never met any- 
thing so disagreeable, to my notion, as the wood-tick, lheir 
size makes them easily felt as they crawl over the skin, and 
the wound they leave behind them is often intolerable in its 
“ itchiness.” , , . , , 
Having annihilated the last tick we could find, and seen 
that our rifles were ready for any emergency, we again lay 
down and were soon in the arms of the drowsy god. Urea 
nature’s sweet restorer, balmy sleep," needs no better wooer 
than a loDg forest ride. Limbs that have for ten hours 
crossed a saddle, and eyes which have -scrutinized the chang- 
ing scenes of thirty miles of wilderness, soon overcome the 
most nervous wakefulness. The chirpiDg of the tree toads 
and the mingling voices of myriads of night-loving insects, 
the lonely cry of the whippoorwill, the occasional boot of an 
owl, and the noise of our ponies cropping grass, could not 
hinder the eyes from closing and the mind from sinking into 
forgetfulness. In less than ten minutes we were fast asleep. 
6 Gut Rivers, 
[to be continued ] 
FO REST AND STREAM. 
quired after the folks in the home office, and expressed his 
gratification at the healthy and prosperous condition of 
Fobkbt and Stream, which he always reads with care. 
After returning my thanks I spoke of the national carp hatch- 
ing establishment, now being prepared on the monument 
grounds just south of the Executive Mansion, in this city, 
knowing it would be of interest to your many readers in all 
parts of the countr / to have a description of that establish- 
ment, and the purposes of the government commissioner in 
regard thereto. I do not thiuk I could do better than to tell 
the story in the language of Prof. Baird : 
“ Well,” said the Professor, in reply to my question as to 
what progress was being made with the work, “ Congress a 
short time ago gave us an appropriation, as you will see here . 
(handing me a copy of the “ Deficiency Appropriation Bill, 
in which I read the following) : 
[FROM OUR REGULAR CORRESPONDENT.] 
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER. 
An Interview with Prof. Baird— Cultivation of Carp 
The National Carp Hatching Estarlishment— Some 
Facts about their Habits, Culture, Value, eto. 
Washington, D. C., April 23, 1878. 
P ROF. SPENCER F. BAIRD, the U. S. Commissioner 
of Fish and Fisheries, received your correspondent, in 
his office at the Smithsonian Institution, with that courtesy 
and hearty welcome which characterizes his daily intercourse 
with men in every condition of life. His office on the second 
floor of the building, just beneath the main tower, is a com- 
fortable room, plainly furnished, but on the walls, tables and 
shelves are evidences of the valuable work performed by Prof. 
Baird and his energetic assistants in the propagation of food 
fishes. Life-size plaster casts of salmon, mackerel, -carp, 
shad, bass, and almost every fish found in our rivers or along 
our coast, adorn the walls of this and the adjoining rooms. 
Models and drawings of various improved apparatus, used in 
the hatching establishments, are scaltored about, and a few 
volumes, composing what may be called a working library, 
occupy a neat case in one corner of the room. Prof. Baird 
himself is a pleasant gentlemen, large in frame as well as in- 
tellect. He is a man of great personal magnetism, always 
polite, and gifted with a ready command of language, as well 
as an agreeable tone of voice. He is about fifty-five years of 
age, of light complexion, and a close-cut beard, just tinged 
with gray, covers his face. Inviting your correspondent to a 
seat assigned to visitors at the end of his table, he kindly in- 
“For adapting the ponds in Monument Lot, m the city of 
Washington, to the culture of carp for distribution throughout 
the United States (the use of which lot, for the purpose m 
question, being hereby granted to the U. 8. Fish Commis- 
sion) the work to be done by the engineer in charge of public 
buildings and grounds, according to the plans of the U. S. 
Fish Commission, $5,000 to be available immediately. 
Continuing his answer, he said: “Of course i we itcok ad- 
vantage of favorable weather, and have pushed the work 
forward so that we hope to have the ponds ready for the carp 
by the first of April, and will begin the Agitation ° f gjfjj 
next fall Should we be as fortunate as we hope to be, there 
will be several thousand for distribulion at that time. 
ans oahp 
is particularly adapted to warm and sluggish waters of the 
United States, and the warmer the water the better the fish 
ihrive9. Among the fish living on plants, it is the most de- 
sirable on account of its rapid growth and its great value for 
the table. In northern ponds and streams they hibernate 
through the winter, and during that time gain nothing in size 
or weight ; but in warmer waters of the South they do not 
hibernate, and consequently are growing all the time. They 
thrive however, in all waters, from deep cool lakes and rapid 
streams to the merest puddles and ditches. They usually at- 
tain a weight of about three or four pounds in as many years^ 
aSd are safd to attain an average weight of from five to ten 
pounds, and even more, according to the waters inhabited. 
There is no other specie^ of fish that promises so great a return 
in limited waters. Being a vegetable footer . 
upon aquatic vegetation alone, and is especially fond of water 
cresses and similtr succulent plants. Its diet is varied, how- 
ivtr and it devours worms and . insect larv* voraciously. 
Among the qualities which make it desirable to the pisicul 
turist are the following : It is very easy to produce from them 
a great many young ; the fish is very hardy and has but few 
wants ■ and, finally, there is scarcely a fish with whose con- 
ditions and mode of living we are so well acquainted, as it has 
been raised for centuries, aud has almost become domesticated. 
It grows very tame after a time, and may be taught to eat 
from the hand, to come to the side of the pond the culturist 
desires and to follow him along its edge. The m , tb ® 
fish kingdom represents the cattle, sheep, deer and harmle^ 
herbivereus animals of the animal kingdom, while the black 
bass, pike aud trout represent the lions, tigers, wild cats and 
voracious carnivorous members of the latter kingdom. 
We have now in the ponds of the Maryland F.sh Commi* 
sion in Druid Hill Park, near Baltimore, three varieties of 
this fish, all from the Danube and its vicinity. First, there is 
an improved variety of the ordinary scaled carp (Cypnnut 
carpio), the flesh of which is firm and flaky. The second is 
known as the mirror carp (Cyprinu* rex-cypriiu>rum), almost 
entirely destitute of scales, having only a lateral line of them 
down each side of the body. The third is the leather carp 
(Oyprinui nudua) or naked carp, entirely destitute of sca es, 
the skin being as soft as the finest velvet. The two last 
named are the best varieties, the leather carp especially which 
mTks in Germany with the brook trout in tins (wintry, and 
S for a sum eqJal to about twenty-four cents of our money 
per pound The scaled carp is raised in Mecklenburg. Holstein, 
Bohemia and Silesia, the mirror carp in South Germany, and 
the leather carp principally in North Germany. It is believed 
that the fish was introduced into Europe from temperate 
Asi and has spread from the Danube over the whole o 
Middle and part of Southern Europe. In its domesticated 
TOnffitton the* carp has developed very many varieties some- 
of which are improvements in quality over the original typ , 
mhitp the contrary is true of others. 
The following is a recapitulation of the good qualities of the 
carp- Fecundity and adaptability to the processes of am. 
ficial propagation ; living largely on a vegetable diet ; hardi- 
ness in all stages of growth ; adaptability to conditions unfa- 
vorable to any equally palatable American fish, and to very 
varied clima^es ; rapid growth ; harmlessness in its relations 
to other fishes ; ability to populate waters to their greatest 
extent- and finally its good table qualities. . 1Q , A 
A circular of the Deutsche Fishera \ erein, issued in 1876, 
shows that in Northern Silesia, on the estate of Baron von 
Rothschild, puddles two or three feet deep in the villages are 
used for raising two year old carp for stocking distant waters. 
From this resource a single estate realized what would amount 
to about fc55 per American acre of pond surface. 
l ° Corespondent — I have noticed. Professor, that some ama- 
teur fishculturists seem inclined to disapprove of carp culture, 
and declare it is not a desirable food fish. 
Prof Baird— Yes, there are some who have probably never 
seen a genuine carp, who declare it is a fish of no value. As 
an illustration, I may mention that I recently received wbat is 
calleda carp, taken in the Hudson River, but it was nothing 
more than a goldfish escaped from some pond and reverted 
toita first condition. Other specimens of what are called 
Sro in various parts of the United States, were only suckers, 
Sub . Jdlhe like, of no value whatever. The genuine carp 
has a little barb or feeler extending from each side of the 
mouth, while our so-called carp have not, and there ifl as 
much difference between the flesh of the two as there is be- 
tween that of an ordinary Biicker and brook trout. Even the 
Fnuhsh carp is a poor kind of fish, and it is only within the 
nMtfewvears that England has given attention to the propa- 
gation of the finer varieties from the Danube, such as we now 
have in Droid Hill Park. Our first importation of carp 
pre?ed to be of a poor variety, and they were not propagated 
Jt all • but subsequent importations were of the more valu- 
able species and it is from them we have raised several hun- 
dred ^You see if we can put into a muddy pond food fish 
which will thrive and grow rapidly there is so much clear 
Prof. Baird— It affords no sport whatever to the angler that 
I am aware of, but its flesh is delicious. 
THE HATCHING ESTABLISHMENT 
in this city is composed of two ponds, each covering an area 
of about six acres in the monument lot, and within a few 
hundred yards of the Potomac River. One of the most valu- 
able considerations is the power to regulate perfectly the sup- 
ply and discharge of the water. The ponds or lakes were 
constructed out of a portion of the old canal and a neighbor- 
ing declivity in the monument grounds by Gen. O. E. Bab- 
cock when he held the position of Commissioner of Public 
Buildings and Grounds under President Grant. The natural 
formation of the ground rendered tlieir construction so easy 
and easy and inexpensive that they were made n9 an ornament 
to that part of our public grounds under the name of “ Bab- 
cock Lake ” The body of water is divided into two equal 
parts by Meridian aveuue, which extends from the Executive 
Mansion to the botanical gardens near the capitol, through 
the President’s, Monument, Agricultural, Smithsonian and 
Prof. Rudolph Heesel, no extent to 
Prof. Baird, who has had much experience in the cultivation 
of carp in Germany, noticed that these ponds were admirably 
adapted to the propagation of the fish, and Unit they could be 
converted into a first-class hatching establishment without 
any great expense. If they had been constructed for the pur- 
pose they could not have answered it better, with a little addi- 
tional labor rendered necessavy to grade the bottoms, so that 
the. water can be drawn off from either at will aud the fish 
secured for distribution. 
gam 
Corretpondent-Ho * does it rank as a game fiffi ? 
CONSTRUCTION OF TIIE PONDS. 
In an establishment for the breeding and distribution of fish 
of this character it is, of course, necessary to have it so ar- 
ranged that any number required for stocking particular wa- 
ters may be secured and placed in proper tanks for transpor- 
tation with as little delay as possible, and without the risk of 
iniurin" the fish. To accomplish this purpose, the portion of 
each pond bordering on Meridian avenue, above described, 
has been excavated to a depth of six feet, and at the lowest 
part of each a substantial pier of brick and Ohio stone, laid 
in the best hydraulic cement, has been constructed. From 
these piers a sewer extends some distance connecting with 
one of the large sewers of the city in that locality, through 
which the ponds can be emptied. Surrounding these piers 
and beneath the surface of the water, is a brick wall two feet 
in height, inclosing a space fifteen by twenty-five feet at the 
deepest part of the pond, so that when the water is drawn off 
the fish from all parts of the pond gradually follow it until 
hey collect within the brick mclosure described, and are 
there dipped out with nets. The outlet from the ponds 
through the piers is so arranged by a system of sluice-boards 
placed on top of each other that the flow of the water can be 
controlled by one person, the waste always being from the 
surface instead of from the bottom so the fish cannot es- 
cape The ponds will be so graded at the bottom as to 
remove all depressions from which the water cannot be com- 
pletely drained, they being very objectionable, since a great 
number of fish are lost in them, and the removal of pre- 
daceous fish is prevented. The ponds have an average depth 
of 44 feet, and the wa'er supply for them is through a three- 
inch main from the Washington Aqueduct. By this they 
can he filled to the required depth. Besides, several bounti- 
ful springs exist near the margin of one of the ponds which 
constantly keep a supply of fresh water flowing therein. 
THE BREEDERS. 
In one of the ponds is an island of about half an acre 
upon which an embankment three feet high has been raised 
forming the breeding pond, which will be divided into three 
different sections for the breeders. The young fish will 
also be kept in three different sections until able to take care 
of themselves when they will be placed in the larger ponds to 
a wait the time of their distribution The chief difficulty in 
rearing carp is that a large number of ponds is absolutely 
necessary in order to meet the expense of culture and make 
the time and labor bestowed upon it remunerative In our 
national establishment we will have no such difficulty, as we 
have a complete system of ponds arranged for the breeders, 
voumr carp and mature fish, all so constructed that they can 
be easily emptied, and any voracious black bass, pike or other 
destructive fish removed, the black bass and pike especially 
being the most dangerous enemies of the young carp. 
In the breeding ponds it is not necessary to introduce much 
fresh water during the spawning season, as the water in them 
would thus become too cold aDd retard or even completely frus- 
trate the softwning and hatching process. During the spawn- 
ffig s^on P (f7o m l bout the middle of May till mildle of July) 
the fish delight in warm brackish waters exposed to the sun. 
The females while surrounded by the males paste their eggs to 
water plants, and it is estimated that a medium sized fish will 
produce from 200,000 to 250,000 eggs annually. The ponds 
for the breeders can be kept absolutely clear of the predacious 
fish Besides the breeders there will be placed therein a few 
young carp one or two years old for chasing ; old carp axe 
said to be too inactive about spawning time, and the more the 
water is disturbed the better the eggs will be fertilized. 
Three-year-old carp which have attained a weight of be- 
tween three and four pounds are the most desirable for the 
to prof. Baird now has about 400 superior carp in the ponds 
of the Maryland Fish Commission in Druid Hill Park near 
Baltimore, but it is not his intention to bring them all to 
Washington. More than half of them will be placed injbe 
poSds above described, but the others will be kept .in the -Druid 
flill Park ponds, so that in case of accident by freshet or 
otherwise he will still have a supply to fall back upon. 
SALMON. 
Having obtained the interesting views of Prof Baird in 
regard to the carp I next referred to the California salmon cul- 
ture and inquired w hat progress was being made in that branch 
prof ^Bair^I— I have every reason to believe that the Cali- 
fornia salmon will be the great food fish of People 
of a large portion of the world. Besides having planted them 
Auccessfullv in our own waters we have sent them to the 
Hawaiian Islands, to New Zealand, Australia and other parts 
of the world where they are now thriving, and we have ap- 
plications from Chili, Ecuador and other South American 
countries, and also from many European countries. Of 500,- 
000 eggs sent to New Zealand last year and an equal number 
sent to Australia 05 per cent, hatched successfully , and the 
young fish are now thriving in the waters of those islands. 
SALMON IN THE POTOMAO. 
Prof Baird then spoke of several instances wl ere the Cal i- 
foreia salmon have 'been taken ^ternwaters mwhtch 
they were planted four or five years ago, and in answer to a 
