The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1893-05-10
ABOUT GERMAN CARP.
How Every Farmer Can R,ise His Ow
Supply of Fish.

Supply of Fish.
A. Bracket writes to the Orange Judd
Farmer: From the numerous communi-
cations received it appears that the
American people are waking up to the
fact that they can raise their own fish
thing which has been done IN Ger
many for generations. / will attempt
to explain how pond is made in which
German carp can be raised. The large
or summer pond must he located on
low land, at one side of run or water
way. 1t is not necessary that there
should be constant supply of running
water, but to furnish a pond of ten
acres it must have at least the drainage
of three thousand acres of land. OF
course this depends great deal on the
nature of the soil in which the pond is
made. 1t would Dot be practicable to
make one in a sandy porous region.
Put dam across the run some distance
above the pond and conduct the water
from it to the pond through ten or
twelve-inch tile. 1t is not necessary to
have the water in the pond more than
three feet deep. | made the embank
ment around mine with teams and
scrapers. The main thing to guard
against is an overflow from sudden rain
1t is unnecessary to feed the fish until
the pond becomes thoroughly stocked
They will eat grain of any kind and
are particularly fond of green corn
sliced from the cob, or of scraps from
the table. If thoroughly fed they will
grow rapidly. A carp which has good
care will weigh three or four pounds at
eighteen months. This is the most
profitable age at which to sell them
Their table qualities as compared with
other fish are of the very best. No fish
is as good to eat when taken from
warm, muddy water as from cold sprir g
water When carp are wanted for
table use in summer, keep in cold water
at least three weeks before using. The
best proof of their superior quality as a
table fish is that in Germany, where they
have been raised for many years, they
bring the highest prices in the market.
My experience has been similar. have
sold them for fifteen cents per pound,
when pickerel, bass and whitefsb only
brought ten cents. A gentleman writ
ing from Hebron, Wis, states that he
has natural pond of eight acres which,
| from his description, | should think
would make an excellent carp pond.
But in order to handle these fish success
fully it is necessary for one to be able
| to draw off the water, as it soon
| becomes infested with millions of
surface minnows and other fish which
will destroy the eggs of the carp. They
can be raised in large natural ponds
where the water is sufficiently deep, but
a small pond must be provided in which
to spawn the fish and keep them until
| they are three or four weeks old. Then
put them into the large pond. If stu.
ated so far north that the pond will
freeze two to three feet most of the
carp will be destroyed. Therefore il
is better to keep them in a smaller
deeper one, as they do not feed during
the winter, and a large number can oc
cupy small space. If the water i:
two or three feet deep, and is kept run
ming constantly so as to prevent the for
nation of very thick ice (Which will re
tain the gas which the fish give off il
their breathing), ton of fish can bt
kept in a square rod of space. The bes
mode of catching the carp is to dig ,
tunnel eight or ten feet broad by
about four deep, extending about fit,
feet from the pond. Always feed IL
that channel and the fish can easil,
be taken with seine when desired.