Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-01-13
CARP CULTURE.
THE HISTORY OF THE FOOD FTsH. THE
CARP, AED ITS PROPAGATION.
Fifth Paper Prepared for the Record
Union by Levi Davis. Carp
Culturist.


Union by Levi Davis. Carp
culturist.
According to promise we will now turn
to the history of carp culture in the old
country. / shall not be very minute, gen.
eralizing as heretofore, leaving room for
many chapters. 1 will first quote from
Mr. Rudolph Hessel to show the length of
time they have been propagated, and a
partial extent of their cultivation. He
says: "The carp is alleged to have been
imported into England in the year 1904.
In Austria, which possesses the most ex-
tensive carp-fsheries in Europe, the culture
of the carp can be traced as far back as
the year 1927. The Emperor Charles ~.
of Germany, by granting
sUNDRY PRIVILEGES,
Favored the establishment Of ponds in
his dominions, and the monks were
especially assiduous in the culture of fish
in ponds. AS early as the first half of the
fourteenth century Bohemia had its first
large carp pond, and the culture of this
| fish progressed in that country, as also in
| Poland and that district which now COM
prises German Austria; also in upper
| Lusatia, Saxony, Silesis and Bavaria. A
celebrated establishment for carp culture,
with extensive ponds, was located as early
as the fourteenth century near the town of
Wittingan, in B ohsmis, Austria. The first
| L H. L. - Al
year 1867. At that time the lords of
Rosenberg called into existence and main
tanned for centuries these establishments on
a scale SO extensive that to this day they
| are
| THE ADMIRATION OF VISITORS,
The main parts having survived, while the
race of the Rosenbergs has long been ex.
tinct. The manor of Wittingan suffered
greatly from the calamities of the thirty
years. war, and with it, in consequence, it's
! fish culture. The latter only recovered the
effect of it after passing, together with the
large estate of rich monastery of the
same napne, in the year 1910, into posses.
sion of the Princes of Schwai zsnberg, their
present owners. The extent which carp
culture has reached in the princsly domains
will be seen from the circumstance that
their artificial ponds comprise an area of
no less than 10000 acres. The proceeds
amount to about 500, 900 pounds of carp
per annum. The ponds of the Princes of
Schwarzenberg are probably the most ex.
tensive of the kind on the globe. They
are usually situated in some undulating
lowland country, where small valleys have
been closed in by gigantic dams for the
purpose of forming reservoirs. Similar
establishments, though not equally exten.
sive, are found in the provinces of
Silesia and Brandenburg; as, for in.
stance, near Breslau and Cottbus, in
PETIT and Pleitz, which visited last year.
In Hesse- Cassel, Hanover, Oldenburg
Mecklenburg and Holstein, there are also
many hundred ponds, none of them cover
| ing more than a few acres, but almost
every large farm possessing at least one of
them" l might quote from him further
with interest, but will turn to Mr.. Bingley
to show the
NECESSITY OF THE bitches
And collectors in the ponds. He says the
common carp. in their general habits,
'iexhibit SO great degree of cunning as
sometimes to be called by the country PEG.
pie river-foxes. When attempted to be
taken by net, they will often leap over
it !; or immerse themselves 80 deep in the
mud as to suffer the net to pass over with.
out touching them. This shows the neces.
sity of drawing off the water when taking
the fish from the ponds" Professor
Spencer F. Baird, United States Fish
Commissioner, in describing the carp fish
cries in the PETIT Lakes, says that "carp
in beer" as favorite dish in Berlin, is suf-
| ficiently proved by the fact that abo ut
| 500 900 TBS. of this fish are annually con-
sumed in that city. It will therefore not
be out of place to give brief account of
the famous PETIT Lakes in lower Lusatia,
which mainly supply Berlin with carp,
and which were well known even
in the time of Frederic the Great.
The Ural- Baltic plateau, which includes
portion of Lusatis, contains very large
number of lakes and ponds. OF these the
| Peitz Lakes are the most important. These
lakes, 76 in number, and forming water
area of almost 5000 acres, are
ROYAL DOMAIN,
And are at present rented to Tn. Berger.
They produce very large number of
carp, and the annual fishing days in Oc-
tober, especially that of the Devils Lake,
having an area of about 900 acres, form
important and interesting events-genuine
popular holidays, not only for the inhabit-
ants of Peitz and the surrounding country,
and the people of the neighboring city of
Cottbus, but, because easy of access, like
wise to many inhabitants of the capital.
/ he -. ~ kl.E
these great fisheries, and each one of
60. 600 or 70, GOO carp caught during this
season, have previous history, extending
over a period of about four years for
those well.fed, gold.scaled Government
fish, resembling each other in size as much
as eggs, have not sprung into existence
suddenly, like the armed men who rose from
the dragon seed sowed by Cadmus, but it
required great work and care and trouble
to develop them 80 far, and in order to
understand all this we shall have to be-
come acquainted with the details of this
industry, and gain some entirely new ideas
in regard to the carp and its life. We here
see, not fish rapidly parting the waves
with its fins and undisturbed liberty, now
diving into the deep, now rising to the
surface, always timid and flying from the
terrible fish of prey, but well cared-for
domestic animal, constantly guarded by
and accustomed to human beings; very
peaceful, phlegmatic animal. with pre-
objection for muddy bottoms and slow
| flowing waters, growing more comfortable
and gentle in its ways by it's Education,
which has been going on for generations;
all this tending to make the fish fat and
comfortable looking, and giving to its flesh
most delicious flavor. The life of the
carp, which really may be termed
JOLLY SORT OF IMPRISONMENT,
Commences in the hasching-ponds, vary.
ing in size from one to ten acres, in which
as many as twenty pair of well.developed
| ,o;Iters and snavners are nIaced in srrino