The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-08-26
STALL-FEEDISG THE CARP,
How This Swimmer in Muddy Ponds May
BE Made 81 Fine, Corn-red Table Fish.

nc "hoc " Ftuc, sOrn-teu InDIe FISH.
In Prospect Park, on a recent afternoon, q
saunterer's attention was drawn to n scene at
the rustic footbridge spanning the stream that
flows from Lookout Hill down to the lake, into
which II empties near the boat house. Here
some boys were throwing bits of bread into the
little pond formed by damming the water above
the bridge. The waters above the dam widen
into n lily pool of irregular shape, dcnsely mud
dy. and four or Ave feet deep In the middle.
Wherever u piece OF bread fell the water at once
uprose, swirlinR and ch~urning as IL a boiling
spring was forcing its way up from the bottom
or some marine monster was coming TO the sur
face, and the mor.el was drawn beneath to be
speedily scattered in fragments and disappear.
The boys were feeding the carp. Converging
about each piece, as soon as IL struck the water.
could be seen the brown backs OF scores Of fish
emerging above the surface, until they followed
the bread down out OF sight. At times, in their
crowdins and struggles to capture the morsel,
some fish, IA foot or more in length, lead tinted
and shiny, would come completely in sight,
literally lifted out OF the water by the pressure
Of those beneath him, and would whirl on his
side for a moment, afioat above the scramble,
until he could find an opening somewhere among
the surging mass OF fish through which he could
All this profuslon Of fish which this indicated
came from the placing OF a few German carp in
bred vastly. multiplying in numbers as they
have increased In size. Already some OF the
weight Of ten or twelve pounds.
who, like the saunisEeT, had paused to watch
int? edible flesh. how far they, exceed the lapd
about and pick up a living in, and how they
thrive and Increase. They are omniverous eat
you put them. 50 there be plenty OF grass and
mud. That abominably dirty little pond with
its green scum and lily patches, covers at most
and its greatest depth is probably not above a
man'schin. Yet will wager that II will yield with
from the broken bread the children sometimes
throw In, a ton of carp a year, and in taking out
that amount you simply Keep downthe natural
increase, leaving the pond always well stocked.
A ton is the weight of eight goOd-szrd yearling
hog from what you could raise on that amount
OF dry land, however ~fertiley As TO values, you
can compare the price OF edible FISH with that
1T is complained OF the carp by Americans
who have, tried him as food that his flesh Is
people say, The carp has plenty Of solid meat,
and even when taken from warm. shallow water
Is some foundation for the objections against
is quality II the carp be dressed and cooked
he usually inhabits. What you have to do 10
make him a really excellent table fish is 10
and feeding that d farmer would use In fatten-
ing { hSs At nv pl.cs m N, country nv earn
neighbours families with many messes OF dsh
pounds OF carp yearly that cannot otherwise
use 10 a German restaurant in the nearest towp,
four miles away. The fish | eat and sell are fat,
hrm meated, and finely havored. and this condi,
ton ! bring about by very simple and inexpen-
There 6 a living spring on my place which
runs In a little riyulet down into my fsh pond,
Midway between the spring and the carp pond
CREATING a second tiny pond Or clear water,
which il well shaded, partly by osier willows at
is about twenty feet long by eight feet In width.
1t Is four feet, deep, with a bottom Of sand,
wise by allow partition wall and wire netting into
two compartments.
needs. | haul the lower tish pond with u net,
and from my catch of, say, two hundred pounds
Of carr, select those Of the size ! desire and drop
them into the one ot these compartments that
chances Ia he empty at the time. The small
carp l return 20 the water from which took
them. Prom the other compartment | dip out
with a landing net such hsh a. | require from
time to time, while those ia the first one are
into condition. Every carp thus re-
mains in the clear water from two 10 four
weeks, The hsh thus literally stalled are fed
plain water and baked which they eat eagerly
and which causes them 10 lay on nesh as well as
t e@4n Sfea u aaiSs4t 1 With sbS Tesd made a. Sit ast@eaf fa as
barley meal but never OF hour or any Kind OF
There is a slight current through this nsh
pen, ANA only a small part Of the waters how
goes over the dam. the greater portion passing
out through a narrOw horizontal crack puT-
pOhely left al the bottom OF the sluiCe gates for
The better cleaning OF the enclosure. The bad Of
he pen being on an Inclined plane. thu normal
running Of the water carries On most ~ the sedi-
meut and other impurities that otherwise might
rCumulate and render the water stagnant.
few days stay in the pen the carp have
put IN a new appearance. Their motion and
'ulpr are hvelier, they lave beCUne harder aud
plumpuT, and when, after tHu, uT three, or
hour wCeks. they are taken ont. dressed and
cooked, the carp ars clean. full-meated, attrac-
u-L - mao appearance and flavor.
FOR the needs ~ a single family Il Is not
lrcc--ary 20 have even - elaborate an arrange
nent - mine. When you have rrcSlYed your
arp alive aud healthy he ysTy sure ga The last
riLt put them, II only Tor a day. IA clean run
ging water Ia the shade. A little stream ~
alter running from a faucet through q NOoden
nA "a trough laTEs enough for the hEh 10 turn
.urrly around Ia sill d.. Feed them bread
made Of meal and water. MOI TOO much. lest thsy
,geIeAt a. aTsl ADD 80 uhst al lmRrOEenaals
aeskis sack kesDtRE NWRaks i tkslr aRAla,"