The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1882-07-08
NGTHENING AND REGULATING.
THE GERMAN CARR AS FooD.
Opinion of the Controller of Brooklyn oh
its Merits

Its Merits
The German carp, which, through the eff.
forts Of the United States commissioner,
have been propagated and widely distribut.
ed over the country, have not rs yet, save
under exceptional circumstances, entered
into use as food, from the fact that the
natural fish are being kept for purposes of
reproduction. What is known is that they
have grown with wonderful rapidity and
largely increased as to quantity, SO that
there is no possible doubt but that in 1888 or
1881 carp will become regular article of
food and be on sale in our markets. During
the last month, as has been mentioned, occa
sional carp has been speared in the waters
of the Great South bay these fish having es-
capped from some private ponds. As no
authoritative opinion has yet been ad-
vanced as To the excellence of carp as food,
Mr.. f. G. BlaCkford, one of the New York
state hsh commissioners, was exceedingly
DESTROYS of having this fish practically
! tested, and accordingly three-pound carp,
one of those taken in the Great South bay,
was sent to Controller Senior, Brooklyn,
who, i'll his youth, was perfectly familiar
with all the varieties of European carp. Mr.
Semler reports on the German-American
carp submitted to him as follows:
| CONTROLLERS OFFICE, BROOKLYN, June
! 10, lSS2.-To Commissioner Eugene g.
! Blackboard When | acknowledged the re-
ceipt of the carp, | stated to you the de-
sire had expressed to meet with one of
the distinguished natives of my iatherland
which had furnished me in my younger
years with not only many day $ pleasant
sport, but with many delicious
meal, | had told you that | had
not eaten carp for the last thirty
twoyears. | was in tact anxious to ascer.
tain whether my recollec;iions WOMB ne s,is.
! tanned IN case should eat one of the de-
J scendants of those fish which, in my young
or days, | had caught in Europe. Through
your kindness my wishes have been graft
! ned, and my present experience recalls the
happest reCOlections of carp dinners en-
! joyed by me So many years ago in Holstein,
the province where was born, and whose
| carp-culture, as | learn, is still so systemat-
ically and proiitably carried on. To pre-
serve as much as possible the natural flavor
and texture of the meat of the carp you
sent me, | had the fish boiled in the sim
| plest style known in north Germany, dress
ed as "bue carp" and it was excellent.
The meat was white rich and juicy. with
that delicate flavor peculiar to the carp.
Carp and cookery were alike successful.
IL Being in no sense u pisCiculturist,
and not even an experienced fisherman, |
know full well that whatever remarks |
might make on the subject of carp"
would be entitled to little consideration;
r but as 9ne of the people / must
acknowledge the valuable services rendered
to the state by the introduction of Euro
pean carp into our waters, as furnishing q
new and excellent article of food, for | be-
lieye that after few years by cultivating
| nd fgl,
will not only compare most favor
ably with the finest European fish, but |
believe that they will become marketable
and profitable fish from the rapidity of
their growth, easy propagation, and their
nutritious qualities The carp you sent
me was beyond doubt one of the most
priced species, known in Europe as the
speigel karpien (Cyprnus carprie specula-
rs); its stout, short and ileshy body being
bare, excepting three rows of extraordina-
rlly large scales along its sides. | believe
this is not only the best favored, but at
the same time the hardest of the three va.
rieties. ! think the greatest care should
be taken to keep this variety pure, as the
carp is known to cross with other related
species, and its hybrids are not as valuable
for food.
The future of carp-culture in this country
is quite certain to be one of great usefulness
as am informed that in addition to its be
coming source of excellent food at home
such has been the improved condition OF
the fish in American waters that European
fish culturists are sending to the United
States fish commissioners for our young fist
to be used to stock their streams abroad
Truly, the monks of European monaste
res centuries ago knew what they wer,
about when they made provision for tn,
protection of this noble fish against con
tamination and consequent degeneration
New York Times.