Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-09-22
CARP CULTURE.
Another Letter from Levi Davis, the FIX
pert-Eow to Crow Carp

pert-How to Crow Carp.
Readers of the RECORD. UNION remem
Der with pleasure the articles heretofore
contributed by Levi Davis, of Forestville,
Sonoma county, On the interesting subject
OF carp culture. They will be pleased te
read still another article from the pen Of
that gentleman on the uame topic. Mr..
Davis is probably the most practical and
experienced carp culturist on the coast:
FoREsTvILLE (Sonoma county,,
September 10, 1882.
Allow me to have another social chat
with your many readers on carp culture.
While our farmers are making the greatest
effort to increase the production of their
farms and beautify their homes by labor.
intelligence and capital, they generally
neglect the sheets of water found in their
possession, and it is high time that atten.
ton was being given to the waters, as there
is more profit in one acre Of water than
two of the best land. Carp culture may
be considered one of the principal means of
making the water productive. In early
spring, when all nature awakes from her
winters sleep, the carp is sort of income
to the farmer by the sale of fish two, three
and more years old. In autumn, when the
farmer is depressed by care and anxiety,
because the season has brought too much
rain or too great drought, go that he has not
been able to work his fields in a rational
manner, the carp, which is not influenced
by the aforementioned extremes Of the
weather, will be great source of income.
While it requires vast amount of care
and labor to procure the necessary quantity
of food which the domestic animal requires
during the seven winter months, the carp.
so to speak, sleep all through the
winter season, and may be justly termed
THE BEST DOMESTIC ANIMAL,
That they can so readily and easily be
served az your table at any and all seasons
of the year, is the most pleasing reflection
OF all. The carp has toothless mouth,
thick lips, and four barbels on the upper
jaw in place of the usual teeth of the
mouth there are q number Of stout teeth
ON the phsryngeal bones, which are ar
ranged in three rows. 1t has single dor
sal fin, which is longer than the anal. Both
Of these fms have at their origin on the
anterior edge strong ray, which is SER
rated in a downward direction. The eau.
dial is of s5mi. circular shape, and
the natatory bladder is divided into
two sections with connecting air
passage. The scales have an entire
edge, and the body is compressed on
the sides. The general color of the back
al sides is dark olive brown, the abdo-
men often Of whitish yellow, or orange
tiut. The coloring depends very much,
as with all other fish, partly upon the age
and season, parth upon the water and soil,
and also upon the 10, ! Of the fish. The
carp has occasionally beer compared to the
buffalo fish, bat has little or no resemblance
to it except the similarity of their coat of
scales. Neither does the flesh of the buffalo
fish ever come up to the excellence Of that
of the carp. Professor Baird, the chief
Commissioner of Fisheries, call them the
farmers fish, and predicts that within ten
years it will take very important rank
among the
FOOD SUPPLIES.
They will live aud multiply almost any.
where, grow very rapidly, and are of ex-
cellent quality. am solicited almost
daily for instructions how to prepare, care
tor and manage them. In detail | shall
now speak to farmers and small pisticult-
wrists. | shall not 20 into the considera-
ti0n OF scientific principles, but merely Law
the foundation for them, First, let US
speak of small ponds, such as will answer
for family use. One with eight or ten
square rods IN it will, with good care and
attention, produce as many ish as any one
family can use. OF course, the larger the
pond the better.
Qiery-How do you make your pond?
Answer will first give broad an
swer, and say that it makes but little diff.
ference how they are made or what shape
they are In, 30 that there is, say, four
feet of water in the deepest part
with considerable shallow water, In very
cold climates, where water freezes to
considerable depth, of course the water in
ponds should be sufficiently deep as not to
freezs the pond to the bottom. All ponds
should have a drain-box in the bottom of
the dam, Tor at least two reasons first,
that all the water may be drawn off
without injuring the dam, and next, to
separate the fish il desired also to see if
there is anything wrong, or any enemies
TO the fish in the water which should be
taken out (of which 1 shalt speak here.
af:erl, This box may be made of four
boards sufficiently long to reach through
the dam. The two side boards should
have a groove cut across them about six
inches from the end, deep and broad
enough to admit a gate. These side. boards
should set on the bottom board, the ends
crossing even, and the top board coming
just against the gate. From the gate to
the ends of the side and bottom boards it
should be covered with three two.inch
strips, crosswise. The one next to the
gate and the one at the end should be
nailed smoothly and tirn. Now you want
wire screen over the end of the box, to
keep the fish from going out when you
draw the water off ian old wheat riddle
will make good onel. Now the two
inch openings on top are left, in case of but
small supply Of water, so that you can
fill IN with earth 80 as to prevent any
leakage; but with good flow of water
this top space may be covered solidIy,
emitting the earth filling. This is the end
in the pond. and
COMPLETES THE BON.
In making dams prefer and think it
will pay, to board them upon both sides.
Have, say, four stringers, two on side, one
at the top, and one at the bottom. Then
set the boards against them, driving them