The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-04-27
Carp tCyprinus Carpo, Culture.

November 81, 1881, l received by express q
can of young carp from S, F. Baird, United
States Fish Commissioner. Next morning 1
cut hole in the ice and put them in the
pool1 had prepared which was small for the
experiment. intending much larger pools to
beprepared if l learned that they would be
profitable in this climate. Ny pool is about
fifty by seventy feet, and was, in the deepest
part three feet at the first, but by spring
time of 1882 had filled till it was only two
feet deep, and full one-half or more of the
surface shallow enough for vegetation, grasses,
flags, and various plants as pond lily, sagit-
tariuni, water cress, ETC., to grow.
l saw no more of the carp till June, and
then only after draining the pool nearly
empty. They were then June 1, 1892,
think, about three inches wide and eight
inches in length. Soon after that we could
see them any pleasant clear evening, by
watching a time for them to come out OF
the moss, which grows abundantly in the
pool. Their increase in size during the sum-
mer was wonderful Early in November 1
took close view OF enc, as it lay in the
water, and think it was fully six teen inches
in length Having read and heard so often
that there must be deep place in a carp
pond, / dug one some deeper, notw thstand-
ing / had first made this according to the in
structions received from Mr.. Baird, viz:
three feet in the deep part. Now l have been
to measure it, to be certain OF the fact, and
find that there is no place in it
more than thirty inches in depth.
L felt some uneasiness last winter,
as the severe cold weather froze the
branch of the spring which supplies the
pond till the shrinEage was so great the ice
broke down in, or on, the pool and then the
water ran over 1t and froZe again. 1t did
this twice, which made the ice very thick on
the pool. But on the Goth day CT February
last l enjoyed the sight of the carp moving.
Before the ice was all melted, and when thin
ice would be formed in the night, we could
often see them moving about under the ice,
and | have seen their dOrsal fins appear to
touch the ice, but more frequently they
were lying still at the bottom, waiting till the
ice would be melted. A few warm days pro-
duced the moss in such abundance that it is
only chance to see them now at all.
| think very likely that Mssou.'ian's fish
starved to death; from his statement they
had no pasture. Other kinds of fish had no
business in the same pool at any rate.
From all the information l have been able
to get and learn from observation thus far,
pond for carp to flourish in should be as
near a weedy, messy frog pond as we can get
THE warmer the better" Professor Baird
says; 80 they do not get above eighty de-
grees Fahrenheit"
G. C. Hadley, of Mumford, N. Y, wrote to
me some time since that some small carp
there were placed part in pool and the
balance. of the same size and age, IN fresh
running water. When those in the pool
weighed one and half pounds those in the
clear fresh water were only three inches in
length.
There are several things I wonld be very
glad to learn about carp and their treatment
to be a certain success, which l have tried to
learn for myself and others, of both PROBES
sor Baird and Mr.. Fletcher, bat met with no
success from either.
l saw a statement in the Journal, believe,
that Mr.. Fletcher had made report, but no
information whether it is for distribution to
individuals practically interested in that
business, or if it is, how to be obtained. l
have often been told that carp could be fed
the same as dry-land stock. | have succeeded
in feeding other kinds of fish, but never
carp; yet have often seen them eating and
roofing in the mud, much like pigs, in the
bottom of the pond.
l have had some fears that there was but
one sex of the tsh in my pond, and have
tried in vain so tar to get informed as to the
following queries which, if any of the read
ers of the Journal can, will they please an