Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-11-28
THE CARP AND IFS HISTORY.
The Habits of the Fish and its Wonder
full Prolific POwers-The Profits of
Carp Culture, Etc.
Washington Star

In paper read before the American AS
sociatlOn for the Advancement of Science.
at the Minneapolis meeting, Mr.. Charles
w. Smiley, OF Washington, gives very
interesting account of the introduction
and propagation of the German carp in
this country. He says there are three
species of carp, the mos6 edible of which
is the scaled variety. The leather carp,
however, is the most prolific and very
edible fish, While the mirror" is an inter
mediate between the other two as to pro-
lificness and quality of flesh. He saws the
carp was originally native of Central
Asia. 1t was introduced into England in
1914, and into Austria in 1927.
THE FIRST CARP BROUGHT TO THIS
COUNTRY.
Capt. Henry Robinson is said to have
brought the first specimen of these fish to
this country from Holland in $780, and
put them III a pond at Newburg. New
York. There was no practical result from
this Introduction, however, and the carp
was almost unknown here until Mr.. Hes
sci brought 345 of the different varieties
from Bremen for the United States Fish
Commission in May, 1877. These have
been propagated so successfully in the
carp ponds in this city, under the direction
of Prof. Baird, that in 1879 six thousand
two hundred and three fish were distribut-
ed among the various applicants, and
since that time the number has increased
each year until, during the past season.
1860 have been distributed.
CARP CULTURE.
In speaking of the culture of the carp
Mr.. Smiley says tIat they flourish best in
ponds containing warm water and muddy
bottom. They feed upon worms and the
lower forms of animal life within their
reach, and are also fond of vegetable
food, such as lettuce, cabbage, leaves of
the various water plants, seeds. grain,
bread or crackers.
If the water is warm, the summer long.
and there be plenty of food, either natural
or artificial, he says, the growth of the
carp will be surprisingly rapid. There
are we'll authenticated reports of it
reaching three pounds in one year and six
pounds in two years. If no artificial
food is furnished, and there is also a
scarcity of natural food, or if the climate
be cold, the growth will be much less rapid.
Indeed, when the water becomes quite
cold it will partially bury itself in mud
and lie in dormant state through the en-
tire winter and until spring fairly sets in.
In the southern part of Texas it is proba-
BILE that the carp will not be forced to
hibernate at all except in case of an unu-
sually severe winter. In the northern
parts of Maine and Minnesota il NAV be
year. AS it cannot grow during it's hiber-
nation, much more rapid growth is OBJ
tanned in Texas than in Vermont There
is little danger, however, of it freezing to
death, for carp have survived in tubs of
water over which thick film of ice has
accumulated.
ENEMIES OF THE CARP.
In speaking of the difficulties met with
in the propagation of the carp in this
country he says that not only do all kinds
OF carnlverous fish prey upon its young,
but nearly any fish will eat it's eggs.
Frogs, snakes and turtles will eat both
eggs and young in numerous quantities.
A snake was recently killed at the carp
ponds in w Washington in which was found
over 70 young carp and numerous undi-
gested skeletons of the same fish. One
medium size snake, if furnished the
proper facilities, will eat 40 carp per day,
or 5000 each summer. Various birds,
such as kingfshers, bitterns. cranes.
herOns and fish hawks understand catch
ing carp much better than the average
farmer. About the 18th of July last
marsh hen was shot at the Washington
carp ponds whose stomach contained SO
young carp and a night heron was killed
whose stomach contained the heads of 78
young carp. 1t is best to separate the
spawning carp from all 9th n animals,
and carefully. protect the eggs of the
young for as long time as con genient.
As food he says the carp ranks some
what above the ordinary native fish, such
as buffalo, mullet, suckers, mud-fsh,
croakers, mill-roach, perch, sun-fish, but
is hardly equal to the bass, trout and
shad.
THE PROFITS OF CARP CULTURE.
Mr.. Smiley says that some private specu-
lators in these fish are now selling the
mirror carp ten months old at $75 per
hundred, scale carp ten months old at $40
per hundred. Large fish are even sold at
So pair, and would perhaps be sold at
higher rates were it not for the fact that
the United States Fish Commission fur
nlshes its small fish free of cost.
He says that the cultivation of fish is
destined to become as important among