The times., 1899-09-03
IN DEFENCE OF THE CARP.
Pittsburger Whe Seeks to Destroy
Prejudices Against the Fish.

A Pittsburger Who Seeks to Destroy
Prejudices Against the Fish.
(From the New York SUM-
Pittsburg, Aug. 19.--The much abused
! German carp has found defender in John
/ Ritterhaus, of Pittsburg. whose father was
| a famous commercial pisciculturist some
/ years ago in Westphalia, Germany. The
! gist of Mr. .Ritterhaus views on the worth
of the carp is contained in the remarks he
usually makes when beginning his argu-
ments in defence of the carp:
The carp is the hog of the fish family.
| Would you turn hog loose in the stubble
field in which quails are nesting and ex-
pect to rear broods of the bird. No. Well,
then, don't plant the carp where he can
devour the spawn of game fish. Would you
eat hog killed fresh from the barnyard?
Mo- Then how can you expect to find a
carp ct to eat that has got fat in stream
or pond reeking with filth? You fatten the
hog on grass and roots and grain, and you
keep him where he can't destroy other
valuable animal life. Put your carp where
he'll do no damage and feed him as you
would hog that is being fattened for
prime pork. Artificial culture-thats the
secret of carp raising"
Thus Mr.. Ritterhaus proceeds to explain
His father was general farmer in West
phalia, but made speciality of raising carp
for the market For frmness, whiteness.
and flavor of flesh his carp compared favor
ably with the finest of non-game fresh
water fish. and brought big prices. Far
from being a food for the poor, Ritterhaus
carp were eaten only in the families of the
wealthy. His carp ponds were visited from
far and wide, and furnished the text for
chapters in many potlderous German books
on pisciculture. As Ritterhaus also raised
game FISH, particularly pike, his farm con-
tained complicated system of ponds which
could be emptied into one another. In the
pike ponds it was question of the survival
Of the httest, so that there was but little
danger of the waters becoming too popu-
lous Of pike life. The carp ponds, on the
contrary, became easily overfilled but the
surplus small fish were handy as live food
for the pike
The introduction OF caEp as done by the
United States Fish Commission, was mis-
take, the younger Mr.. Ritterhaus says. and
why it was, he explains thus: Two hundred
years ago. the carp was favorite food
fish in England, and about one hundred
years ago the artifcially raised carp ac-
quired 2 similar fame In Germany. With
the development of the sea fisheries in
England and the Improvement of facilities
for transporting fish across that island
carp culture died out, so that there is
today hardly reminder in an actual carp
pond of the many former ponds on large
estates. In Germany, however, fish has
grown no cheaper and artificial fish culture
is still houTishing. Ritterhaus points out
that in ancient times as is shown by Ger
man folk lore, the river carp was good
eating; but that was before large cities
had grown up and polluted the streams.
The good reputation of the carp for the
last half century in Germany is almost
solely due TO artificial culture though ex-
celIent ones are to this day caught in the
lower lying Alpine lakes.
The carp is naturally gross feeder,
but as Ritterhaus says, so is the hog, yet
the raising and preparation of hog meat
Is one Of the greatest industries of the
country. The Fish Commission, in his
opinion, should net have introduced the
carp promiscuously in the open streams,
but should have established ponds, where
carp culture could have been brought in
all its stages, from the spawn to the grown
and artifciaIly fattened fish. This plan,
IL followed out, Mr. Ritterhaus believes
would have resulted in q great industry
which would today supply large part OF
the people with q wholesome, good tasting
food.
Hardly had the carp been introduced, -
said Mr.. Ritterhaus, when the newspapers
and other publications were full OF tales
about the fish enough 10 disgust any or
Q1ndry perSOI. Il Wdb Sdlu iLlaL the carp
could live best in almost stagnant water, |
that the food OF the fish was refuse. that |
its flesh was coarse, soft, and agreeable |
only to the commonest palate. Now, Ii is 1
true that the carp will live in waters that |
will suit no other fish save the sucker and |
catfish, but It is not true that such water |
is the carp's favorite habitat. On my |
fathers fish farm the carp ponds as re-
CARDS temperature OF water and nature of 1
slro .,ft- /
and there is no gamer fish than the German |
pike. Only in the faftening pond was there |
q mud bottom, but this bottom was OF I
clean yellow clay, which was removed every !
year and replaced with new, the pond be-
ing drained for the purpose Even this I
mud was not requisite 10 the well-being OF /
the carp, but was used for curious pur-
pose that is worth relating. We fed our fat
tening carp on boiled potatoes and whole |
wheat stewed 70 a pasty mass. The fish I
fattened rapidly, but. they were very apt /
to get sluggish and loaf around for their
meals. BY putting lively, hungry pike /
into the pond, one big enough TO scare
them. but too small TO hurt a five or six
pound carp, We kept our fattening stock !
on the go. Too much exercise would have
meant a loss of too many pounds OF hsh /
meat, so the clay bottom furnished a handy |
place of refuge from the pike. The carp |
took advantage of it, too, but always rose
TO the surface when the gong that we used |
to beat told them their meal time had come. |
There is no comparison to be made be- /
tween a carp fattened as I have described /
and one that feeds in a polluted river /
Even carp that live in bass stream are |
not the best eating. Not being game fish, |
they are obliged TO pick up their living as |
best they can, and no doubt their food |
is not OF the choicest, although bass spawn |
is one of their delicacies. But a properly |
fed carp, raised in a pond fed by con- |
stant stream OF running water cooked In |
the right way makes an excellent dish. !
Has the carp as fine a flavor as a trout |
or bass? 1t hasn't, I'll admit, but then, !
pork isn't venison, and the barnyard duck |
isn't canvasback, nor is the chicken grouse /
Didn't you ever eat pork, or chicken, or
tame duck?"