Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1880-05-26
CULTIVATING FISH.
RESULTS OF THE NEW HATCH
ING PROCESS.
A VISIT TO THE CARP PoNDs-soME HIS
TORIcAL REMARKS ABOUT. THE CARP
FAMILY-EQUALIZGNG SALT AND
FRESH WATER FISH.

TORIoAL REMARKS ABOUT. THE CARP
FAMILY-EQUALIZGN SALT AND
FRESH WATER FISH,
Ever since the appointment, in 1871,
of Prof Spencer +. Baird as commits
sloner of fish and fisheries, "fsh cul.
ture' in the United States has been a
matter of growing interest and impor-
tance. The fish commission began by
making inquiry into the decrease Of
the food fishes of this country, and its
constant labor for the past two years
has been the propagation Of food fishes
in the waters Of the United States.
Shad and salmon, instead of being left
TO wander at their own sweet will
through certain exclusive rivers, travel
about the United States by express at
the public expense, and are systemat.
ieally colonized IN all waters where
they can be successfully propagated.
They go by steamer to the four quar-.
ters of the earth, and the annual re.
ports Of the commissioner are enliven.
ed by graphic accounts of how 10000
salmon ova were "planted" in the
southern rivers Of New Zealand. Car
ried to that country by mail steamer,
the salmon eggs make triumpbal pro.
gress inland, packed in manufactured
ice, resting on elastic cushions of tropi.
cal fern and shaded by clusters of the
same, The anew era, as Prof. Baird
calls the period since the steam.hatch-
ing process has been in use, is produc.
tive Of marvellous results. Not only
have the fresh and salt waters been re.
peopled by the native fish, which were
rapidly disappearing, but valuable food
fish have been imported, naturalized
and acclimated in American waters.
Among the most interesting OF these
strangers within the gates is the carp,
which was first brought TO this coun-
try about three years ago and has
since been extensively propagated 1t
makes its headquarters here at the
Capital, occupying the carp ponds near
the Washington monument grounds,
and there, few days ago, Post re.
porter found the carp in 20 calls, and
absorbed considerable information in
regard TO the haunts, habits and moral
character Of this new citizen. The
carp ponds are bounded on the north
by the White lot and the White House
grounds and on the south by the river,
and when some immense carp, in sheer
ecstasy of well being, leaps up for one
shining minute into the sunshine, he
sees,thc new State Department and the
Treasury, the sombre towers of the
Smithsonian and the more sensational
rotunda Of the new National museum.
And in the water, or out of the water,
he is always aware of the Washington
monument. The carp ponds are two
in number, and they vary in size from
the Matching pond, which is 50x3O
feet, to the great south pond, which
covers three acres and contains 5000
large fish. They are pretty ponds,
regularly laid out, with water plants
and an occasional treegrowlng in them,
and full to the solid, grassy brim Of the
warm, shallow, cloudy water that the
carp particularly likes. A rustic gate
opens the grounds to the Matching
ponds. On the island in tho centre,
which is approached by rustic bridge
and walk built like the levee, are
two tiny picturesque little houses, in
one of which the eggs are hatched by
steam. In the other the Post repor-
ter found DIR. Hessel, who has charge
OF the ponds, and who, like the critic
with the white owl, has made the carp
his study for years Dr. Hessel is at
work on diagram OF the ponds, beau
tifully finished in color, which is going
TO the Berlin fish exhibition next
April. He takes a little dip-net and
goes out to do the honoIs Of the carp
ponds. A dip into the water brings
up nothing but bull-frogs-green and
said, and exceedingly uninteresting
He dips great many times with the
same result. At last the net brings
up single, shining carp--a little gilt
tering creature about an inch and q
half long, with symptoms of black
scales along the upper part Of the
back, and warm gold low down on
the sides. This is the Matching pond.
This fish was hatohed in October in
this pond are several thousand just
like him.
The carp has family record. 1t is
one of the most ancient and dignified
of fishes and came originally from
Central Asia, and was brought to Eu.
rope centuries ago. In Bohemia, Aus
tria and Germany it has been domes-
ticated, and in Austria especially,
where are the most extensive carp
fisheries in Europe, its culture can be
traced as lar back as the year 1927,
The carp has had royal patronage.
Tho Emperor Charles ~. OF Germany
granted special privileges to carp
ponds. The Lords Of Rosenberg built
carp ponds that are still the admira-
ton Of visitors, though the race of Ro-
senbeigs has long since passed away.
Indeed, the carp has no reason to com
plain of its reception in Europe The
monks were greatly interested in il,
and enlivened their monotonOus lives
by cultivating it in ponds. 1t is q
grateful fish, gives little trouble, and
rewards the owner Of the pond by in
creasiDg in n sort of geometrical pro
grcssion which is very profitable. II
is a pretty fish, well proportioned
with bright, decided tints OF olive,
brown and wbitsh.yellow or orange.
, Not a fish of prey, 10 consideration Of
the fact that in place of the usual
teeth in the mouth II has three rows
Of stout teeth in the throat In the
|, climate of Central Europe it has q
habit of sleeping through the cold sea
son, like a bear. When Pisces gets
!. ready to parody Ursa Major in this
respect, a group of carp numbering
; fifty or a hundred make cavity in
the muddy ground, which is called O
"kettle." Then they literally put theil
: heads together, and huddled In circles
with their heads in the mud and the
posterior. part of the body raised aud
held immovably, they pass the Win
, ! ter eating nothing and scarcely breath
= ing. They take no food at all from
! October to March, and in some cold
climates even later than that. The
= carp does all its growing in warm
! weather, May, June, July and An
I, gust. II is an indolent fish, liking
J best stagnant or slowly running wa
Z ter, and il likes tho water muddy
with aquatic plants, around the roots
, of which it nestles. ltis.not very par
y ticular about its food, all being gris
apparently that comes TO its mill