The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1886-12-08
CARP ON THE FARM.
Seth Green's Advice 10 Those wish.
ing 10 Cultivate the Fish.

Seth Grcen,s Advice 20 Those wish
ing 10 Cultivate the Fish.
In reply TO several inquiries about carp
culture, the following condensed directions
are given, as undoubtedly there are many
readers who are interested in this subject
To construct pond, first stake off your
land the desired dimensions; then take a
plough and scraper, and with them make
the necessary excavation. The pond should
be about five or six feet deep in the centre,
gradually sloping up TO the edges. The OBJ
ject in having the pond deep in tho centre
is to provide the fish with place to settle
into during the winter without danger Of
the water freezing solid and thereby killing
them, as would be the case in cold climates
if the water was all shallow. The reason
for having the bottom sloping is that there
by the fish can have access to plenty of
warm, shoal water, and also that, in case
the old fish are not taken out after spawn
ing, the young fish will have the protection
of the shallow wafer along the edges, into
which the larger fish cannot swim if they
,hould feel inclined TO make n meal on
ome of their younger relatives.
The outlet should be about three feet
vide, and so constructed that it can be we'll
screened to prevent the fish from escaping,
md so as to admit of the water being drawn
off when it is desired to remove the fish or
to cleanse the pond. The screens may be
made of wire netting and painted with gas
tar mixed with one-third turpentime, or to
the consistency of paint, and applied with
an ordinary paint brush The wire netting
should be tackled TO strong wooden frames
made to fit the space to be screened. To
Green carp pond effectually, three screens
Of different sized meshes should be used.
These should slide in grooved frame
work, so that they can he taken ont easily
and cleaned. The coarser screen should be
placed first, or nearest to the pond, so us TO
catch the principal part of the drifting mat
ter and prevent clogging of the lower aud
finer screens About eighteen inches back
of the screens the outlet boards should be
placed, fitted TO slide in groove. They
should be about SIX inches wide each and
made to fit closely, MS it is by these that the
nave the top boards narrower than the lower
ones, so that the water may be raised or
lowered to any level desired. If galvanized
wire-whch is the best although more ex-
pensive lis used for screens they need not
be painted with gas tar. For Il pond con-
tanning large carp only, the outlet screen
may be made of Stats about three inches
wide, with half-inch openings between
the Stats. If leaf stril;es against stats OF
this width it passes between them without OBJ
,tructing the flow of water, as is cannot lap
around them rs it would do if the Stats were
smaller. In oil cases the screens should
extend nearly to the bottom of the pond, so
as to present as great surface as possible
Carp can be raised in well water, but
water from the brook is preferable. They
will succeed in the Northern States if the
ponds are deep enough not to freeze to the
bottom in winter Carp do not require
feeding in winter, as they burrow into the
mud or hibernate until the ice disappears
in the spring.
There appears to be difference of opin-
ion among the authorities rs to which is the
best kind of carp. The scale carp are said
70 be the most prolific, and the leather carp
grow the fastest. For my part prefer the
latter il is the handsomer and finer fish
fish, SO far as my experience goes, have
not been able to discover any difference DO
tween them.