The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1883-05-19
Fish Culture

IN the March number o. the agricultural
RerieV which is the journal of the Amer
lean Agricultural Association, is a report
of an interesting address by Capt. Milton
p. Pierce on carp and Carp Culture"
which contains some points of vital i'm
portance to those who have introduced this
valuable food fish here.
After referring briefly to the extraordi-
nary interest which is being manifested
upon the subject in the United States lit
being reported that fully fifteen thousand
persons are already preparing to engage in
thec carp industry in that country, he says
"a very large proportion of these ventures
will prove failures, and the business to
some extent be brought into disrepute,
because the mass Of those engaging in it
will not do so wi h that degree of system
which is required to Tender any other bust
ness a success. IN most cases the carp will
be planted in waters already containing
varieties of the same family of fishes. viz,
CypFinidde, with which the carp will be
sure to hybridize, and their progeny will be
entirely worthless. In this way many
waters will become stocked with worthless
fish, which will cause an cutlery against
carp. No one should undertake the bust
ness except in ponds repaired expressly for
the purpose, under the direction of those
versed in the business, and in no case
should other fish, not even minnows occupy
the same ponds with food carr"
The Cyprinidde mentioned by the captain
are represented here by the "gold fish,"
ouI SlISuDlS Hill JULIUS GSDeCldliHy WITH
with them there being more to be found
here in those localities, probably, than in
any other place outside of China. AS is
well known the gold fish is almost worth
less as food, the flesh being soft and taste
less, hence, the task of keeping the food
carp from hybridizing will their near rela-
tiveS Will be, we Opine q very difficult one.
1t will not suffice to simply draw off all the
water standing in ponds prior to stocking
them with carp, if the new supply is to be
obtained from orr Snrfnpa Straa ms The
FRY" of the gold fish are sure to come in
with the fresh water, and even a very few
once admitted will, i'll IN astonishingly
short time increase and hybridiZe. Even
supposing that a pond is filled with water
from an artesian well, presumably free
from fish eggs or small fry, the intro due
ton of a single male or female gold fish
into the pond at any time would endanger
the value of the whole lot. We write in no
carping spirit, on this subject, but we wish
to warn those Ii are endeaVoring to in
crease the food supply of the country in
this direction that they will have to exer-
else undying vigilance to keep up the
quality of this most valuable fish-food.
In this connection we would suggest that
it might be worth while to try to improve
the quality of the flesh of the gold fish
itself. The chief objection to this fish is
that its meat is soft and tasteless. Might
not this be remedied, by some such course
of feeding as is pursued to harden and
"sweeten" pork? Captain Pierce in the
lecture from which we have quoted boldly
maintained that " carp should not be fed at
all until nearly ready for the table, and
then in feeding watts or live boxes where
they can be kept from the earth" Finally
he predicted that "carp would ultimately be
sent to market alive, in tanks or tubs of
water, and so kept until sold for immediate
table use, when they would be killed and
bled like poultry"
This idea was received-it is reported
with laughter; but if those who grinned at
the prediction could visit our fish market
or those in Havana, the Azores or the Cape
de Verbs, they would witness that very
idea carried out daily. 1t remains now to
see what effect the captains suggestion in
regard to feeding would have on our
c~Yprinidae.