The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1881-01-22
Carp and water Farm.
TPhiIadclphia Lsdger.I

Among the best of recent emigranti
who havecome over here to stay, il tha
new and thriving family, the carp I
has given the Ledger great satisfaction
on previous occasions, to commend tht
work Of the United States Fish Com
mission. Professor Baird's annual re
ports arc about as interesting reading
as can be found anywherc--a good
deal more SO than many novels--wit
ness the story of the Menhaden-
and furnishes one Of tho finest speci
mems Of applied science in all the Gov
crnment's work. What the Agricul-
tural Bureau might be, with business
man with broad knowledge at its head,
is shown by the usefulness Of ono de-.
partment, that makes itself felt already
all over the country. Take the case Of
the newcomers, the carp. Less than
| four years ago, about $50 European
carp, Bohemian and others, were
brought over to this countrysaliye, and
| given 4 home in tho Commission
! ponds In Washington. It was desired
to natnralize the carp, because it was
a vegetable feeder, unlike many native
American fish, that prey upon each
others young--a serious disadvantage
in stocking the American rivers. Pick
crel and black bass are pirates Of the
waters, but tho carp belongs to the
Peace Society. Tho hundred and thirty
have got ont their naturalization pa
pers for 10000 of their descendants.
In this short time the original families
have grown to that number. Now The
young fish are being distributed over
the country to those who apply for
them.
The business of water farming has
already its rules and ts profits. 1t
makes an old farmer stare to be told
that u quarter Of an acre, laid down In
water, will bring him in more profit, In
food raising, than q quarter Of an acre
cultivated in any other way, Also
that corn fed to carp brings in two Or
three times the returns in food, than
the same number Of bushels fed to pigs
or other cattle. The carp is a vegeta-
bic feeder, so that it can support itself
IN the vegetable growtlls and oonferym
of ponds and streams. But it thriyes
and increases enormously when regu-
larIy fed as other stock is fed. It does
its own grazing II It'll let alone; but
it can be fattenod for tho market on
bread crumbs or cabbage leaves. It's
most profitable food, however, is boiled
dry corn, that Is, corn out Of tho corn
crib, dried on the cob and then boiled,
Some 10000 young fish, IN lots of
twenty, have alreadysbeen distributed
throughout New York, Pennsylvania,
Illinois, Ohio, Missouri Minnesota,
Wisconsin, Michigan, Connecticut,
Tennessee, Georgia, Texas and Missis-
sippi, There arc 5000 applicants still
TO be supplied IN turn, An agent Of
The Fish Commission goes into a dis
triet, having previously notified appli-
cants OF the time and place whore lie
will be. Each applicant brings with
him vessel that will hold twenty
young carp, The progeny Of twenty
Ii few years Is sufficient to stock d
fiye-acro pond, bnt the quarter acre
ponds are sufficient TO begin with and
to work for market and table supplies,
Milton 7. Pierce, Assistant United
Fish Commissioner at Wenonah, New
Jersey, has Young carp for free distri
button through Eastern Pennsylvania
and Southern Jersey. Application by
letter 10 him will elicit information as
10 the means and terms for getting the
young fish. The carp breed At two or
three years Of age, and their growth Is
as rapid rs their fecundity is great.
The.fourgearoldsu IN the Government
ponds weigh from ten totfteen pounds.
Carp is the chicken of the water as to
its flesh, and we have given these de-
tails some prominence for onr farm
readers, because Of The ease with which |
this qlarter-acre crop il raised, and
because whatever makes food abundant |
and profitable 70 raise on small plots
of ground II Of interest 70 all readers,
JolD EmPay bad no desire q live
after the death of biz wife, ~ III,
George, Utah, but he did not wish ta
cheat his creditors by committing suirll
eide before bis debts were paid, There
fore he ,nade d careful calculation, bg
which, with lard work, DO could settle
every claim III three weeks At The Il
end pf that time, owing nobody d dolr |
|ar, be put Bis dead vife's portrait to