11 
Henry Ruff, Esq., of Ruff Bros., brewers, took a carp from his 
pond, near the city of Quincy, that weighed over six pounds. He 
had it cooked, and sampled by himself and a number of friends, 
who pronounced it an excellent food fish. 
On the other hand, from time to time have appeared through the 
press statements to the effect that the carp was of inferior quality, 
and almost unfit to eat. We have endeavored to trace these state- 
ments to reliable sources, but failed. We believe that the reason 
for more than half of these unfavorable opinions of the edible quali- 
ties of carp is that they have been eaten during the spawning sea- 
son,—when they are easily taken—at a time when no fish should 
be eaten in order to test its qualities as a food fish. 
Of the reproductive powers of the carp, the best of evidence has 
been given. 
Mr. F. Rioth, of Mt. Sterling, procured some carp through the 
Commission in 1881 and 1882, and now reports his pond literally 
filled with young fish, and the old ones of immense size. His is 
an ordinary farm pond. 
Worthy Frost, Esq., of Fowler, Adams county, placed ten carp in 
his pond in the Fall of 1881. He now has a large number of vear- 
lings, weighing from two to three pounds, and as he expressed it, 
‘the pond is as full as it can hold of fish five to six inches in 
length,” these of this season’s spawning. This, too, is an ordinary 
farm pond. 
In July, of this year, we placed in basin of fountain in Washing- 
ton Park, Quincy, five German carp, two scale, and three mirror 
varieties. ‘hey had been brought here in a tank from Aurora a 
few days before. When the fish were taken out, perhaps two months 
later, we found about 500 young carp. The basin is about 20 feet 
in diameter and 23 feet deep. It contains nothing on which to de- 
posit the spawn save a few rocks about the fountain and four pipes 
used as jets. 
The fish were two years old, weighing about 3} to 5 pounds, and 
did not, when placed in pond, present any signs of being ripe. 
Of the adaptability of the carp to our rivers, etc., we have to offer 
the following facts: 
In the early part of July we received a letter from a firm of 
fishermen at Naples, Ill., on Illinois Kiver, stating that they had 
caught a fish out of the river that was new to them, and giving 
description of it, from which we judged it to be a mirror carp, and 
telegraphed them to save it alive until we could send a tank for it, 
which we did on the following day. ‘The fish, on arrival, proved to 
be a mirror carp, a fine specimen, weighing something over 5 pounds. 
The fish, however, was dead on arrival, the extreme heat making it 
dificult to transport. 
Mayor Cooper, of Pekin, informed us that he had purchased of a 
fisherman at Pekin a mirror carp, caught out of the river, weighing 
about 6 pounds. It, was alive, and placed by him in his pond. 
At Meredosia, also on Illinois River, a carp weighing 8} pounds 
was caught, and is now in our possession, alive. 
