Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1882-02-16
From tho Atlanta Constitution. I
THE GERMAN CARP.


GRIFFIN, Ca, Fcbruory l, 1882.
"llclo! What arc you doing up thcrc?"
Saving of these broken limbs, don't
you scc?'
This answer to my question came from
MIR. Abel Wright, whom | saw up among
The thick branches of weeping willow tree
in the. middle of lis pond saving away
with all his might, clearing the place Of
The debris caused by the great freeze Of
last Monday night. There were few trees
in this section that did not succumb to the
weight Of the ice, and these beautiful wills
lows that formed the summers shade for
game aud swarthy carp, bending morc than
they were wont, broke ind dislgurcd their
usual graceful appearance.
"Wcll, hurry up und como down." l
suid when / grew littlo impatient at last
''lt's cold down here aud want to ask
you some questions about your pond and
those countless fish they say you have in
there" When he had flushed another
liub that almost took him overheard as it
sunk down, he descended and said he was
ready for my probe.
II simply want to hear your story about
German Carp and your success in raising
them here in Georgia. Are you sure Of
success from your present stock Of informa.
,iou about thcm:'
"UndoubtcdIy. Now, II! answer your
question in the most practical way AS far
as my individual success at carp raising is
concerned, there can bo no possible doubt
ON that point. | started some three years
ago with two or three dozen fish and now
presume there must be in my pond here
moro than a million. ln fact, | cannot sec
how they could be estimated, so cxhaustless
seems the supply"
"Whcu did your breeding fish begin to
spawn asked
"I.ast April. | was unable to see tho
eggs, but being firm in my belief that they
would spawn that month, / had kept a
constant watch aud one morning was rc-
wardcd for my patience by seeing thousands
Of tiny little fellows not as long rs ones
ginger null, swurming along the banks in
the shal!owcst water. | told my friends
about it and tEoy flockcd down in largo
numbers to see the fish
"Did they grow very fast?'
"Wcll, you could almost sec them grow.
In three weeks they were over an inch
long and in two months or less, had
commenced to ship them, from two to four
inches in length. The ones that first
batchcd arc now seven, eight aud nine
inches long. But here's letter from Mr.
J. w. Wood, Of Grccnvilc, S. e., Which
shows that fish | shipped him last June
from the same spawning have outgrown
mine great deal"
took the letter and found it dated
November 10, 1881. Mr.. Wood says the
carp procured Of Mr.. Wright Gve and a
half months ago, then very small, are now
from fourteen to sixteen inches iu length,
and that another lot reccv, d July 10Th are
twelve inches long.
This would seem to argue" said Mr..
Wright, "that the fish thrive better when
removed from tho fostering care of their
mothers and fathers. Perhaps thoro's
truth in this, but cannot say. Mr.. Wood
feeds his carp well and that may havo
something to do with it,"
"What do carp thrive best on?"
81 feed mino on stale bread and crackers
mostly, with occasional bits of beef liver.
But they like almost anything They are
gramnvcrous and not carniverous and
they will cat anything that a hog will cat.
Their food is procured at the least possible
expense when it is necessary to feed them
at all. 1t Is not always necessary, but
do it as much as matter Of personal salts
faction as anything else. They will easily
subsist on fungus or any kind Of vegetable
matter that may happen to be growing or
is placed in the water. | have filed nv
pond with water lilies and lined tho banks
with all kinds of grasses, SO that they never
90 begging for something TO cat. | guess
Mr. Wood must give his plenty of liver to
make them grow SO ropidly."