Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-01-03
CARP TRANSFORMATION.

premiership.
CARP TRANSFORMATION.
Immigrant Fish Driving Native Competitor
Out Of the Passaic River.
| The carp are driving all the other fish out Of
the Passaic river, says the New York Herald.
The introduction Of German carp into the Pas
sale river has proved a bowling SUCCESSIVE
fish themselves represent the success and the
bowling is being done by the anglers and the
residents along the banks Of the river. There
are half dozen varieties Of carp and these
have established trust, and in q very short
time threaten to monopolize the river to the
exclusion Of all other fish.
1t is now about ten years ago that a number
| Of private carp ponds near the head of the Pas
sale river broke away; the owner considered
this misfortune and the general public now
agree with him. At that time carp were worth
fancy prices-in fact, thoy were altogether too
valuable to eat. They had been sent hither by
some friends in Germany and soon q fever set
| in and every farmer along the Passaic became
| a carp culturist. 1t was an easy matter to con-
| struct a carp pond and the carp themselves
took kindly to the climate and water.
FISH LAUGHING AT FARMERS
Every farmer who had a carp pond made q
success Of it and soon considered himself an
experienced carp culturist. The public docu-
ments issued from the fish commissioner Of
| fee in Washington contained full information
about the breeding of carp, and to this were
added experiments, which every farmer tried
for himself. Every experiment proved sue
cess. Some farmers believed in very deep
water; others preferred shallow ponds; some
wanted brook running through the ponds;
others preached the advantage of perfectly still
water.
1t mattered not to the carp what was being
done. He continued to increase and multiply
until there were 80 many of them that the
farmers began to think of offering them for sale.
But the government continued to import carp,
and cans containing Q dozen or 80 could be
had for the asking.
At first great care was had in their transport
tat1on. This was enjoyed by the carp, but his
friends soon found that they could impose on
his good nature and it was found that carp
could be shipped considerable distance in a
wet rag. For purposes Of propagation the
carp was worthless, as the government seemed
to have an inexhaustible supply.
Then an attempt was made to sell carp in the
market The first carp brought to market in
Paterson commanded rs cents pound. In
less than week the price had fallen to 8 cents.
The following week no fish dealer would buy
the fish: The result was that the farmers
turned their carp ponds into the river and
went back to raising hogs.
TOO DULL FOR ANGLERS
In the meantime the angling fraternity
smiled. They did not care for the carp, for
after catching one or two they concluded that
there was great deal more game in a common
American sucker than in q whole string Of CARP
Elaborate descriptions as to how to catch
carp were sent to this country, but it was soon
found that the carp here had contracted diff
ferent habits. Instead of biting only shortly
after sunrise, as is supposed to be the case in
the old country, the carp bit twenty-four
hours a day.
Nor were they at all particular about bait.
They showed preference for boiled peas but
would take kindly to dough or worms, or in
edible.
Anglers presumed that the carp, being a fish
OF slow motion, would not interfere with the
bass, Pickerel and perch; some approved of the
introduction OF carp under the belief that they
would make capital food for the native fish;
others shook their heads and predicted that the
carp would eventually drive the other fish out
Of the river.
This prediction is apparently on a fair way
toward being fulfilled. That the carp have
fattened wonderfully is apparent, for specimens
weighing fifteen or eighteen pounds are by no
means rare Twenty-one pounds is the heaviest
carp taken in the Passaic river. but anglers say
that they have seen carp wallowing about in
shallow water that would weigh over thirty
pounds.
Fishing for other fish has been very poor and
Is growing poorer every year. and it is now evil
dent that the carp are driving the other fish
out of the river.
TOO STIRRING FOR OTHER FISH.
The Passiac river is very wide in some por-
tons OF Morris and Passaic counties; the stream
is sluggish, and there is an abundance Of yege-
table growth in the water. If the carp had
made it to order it could not have been better
The river has assumed an altogether different
appearance from what it had before.
In years gone by there were long stretches Of
pure and perfectly clear water. During the
past few years these stretches have assumed a
muddy appearance, and investigation shows
that this is due to the groveling of the carp on
the bottom looking for food. This state of the
water was not at all appreciated by the native
fish, and they gradually disappeared, going
Once over the Passaic falls at Paterson, they
could not return. Between the falls and Dun
dea dam they were assailed by the discharge
from the sewers and the poisonous acids in
Jected into the river from numerous dye works
and manufacturing establishments. The carp
did not seem to mind this condition Of affairs,
but the native fish hGstened to Dundee lake
where the water was somewhat purer.
But soon this sheet of water. made by the
widening of the liver due to the construction
Of a large dam, was infested by the carp, and
native fish had no other recourse left but to
throw themselves over the dam into tide water
Here, according to the laws of the state, fishing
with nets Is permitted. and here hundreds Of
bushels of fish are taken every year. The Hun
garians Of Passaic soon found out about this
and netting was INDUCED in every day.
In former years comparatively few bass
pickerel and perch were taken, but the number
OF these fish captured increased every year.
and during the present year more American
food fish have been taken than were formerly
taken in five years. Something drives the fish
by the thousand over the falls and over the
Dundee DAM and those who have made study
OF the subject all agree tina. this something is
the great abundance of the carp.
From present appearances the carp will soon
have the exclusive possession of the Passaic
river, and it will only be question as to how
many the river will hold.
Alone.
Since she went home
Inc evening shadows linger longer here,
The winter days I'LL so much of the year,
chi