406 Inland Water Culture 



abound, how unattractive, those from which these have 

 been removed. 



The landscape belongs to all. Its condition affects 

 the public weal. It is good to dwell in a place where 

 the environment breeds contentment ; where peace and 

 plenty and satisfaction grow out of the right use of 

 nature's resources; where wise measures are taken to 

 preserve the bounteous gifts of nature and to leave them 

 unimpaired for the use and benefit of coming genera- 

 tions. 



Much of the scenic beauty of every land lies in its 

 shore lines; and it should be a part of public policy to 

 keep unimpaired as far as possible the attractiveness of 

 all public waters. Streams differ far less from one 

 another in their own intrinsic characters than in the 

 way they have been used by the hand of man. They 

 differ less by topography and latitude ; far more by the 

 cleanness of their waters, by the trees that crown their 

 headlands, and by the flower-decked water-meadows 

 that fill their bays and shoals. The famous distant 

 lakes and streams that attract so many people far from 

 home every summer are not more beautiful or restful 

 than many homeland waters once were, or might 

 again be, were but a little public care exercised to keep 

 their waters clean and the beauty of their shores and 

 bordering vegetation unspoiled. 



Private water culture — Great as are the benefits to be 

 hoped for in public works, those to be derived from the 

 application of a rational water culture to private 

 grounds are probably in the aggregate far greater. On 

 thousands of farms there are waterside waste lands, 

 lying bare and abused, that might be reclaimed to use- 

 fulness and beauty through intelligent water culture. 



The making of a pond on the home farm is good work 

 for the slack season; and once properly constructed it 



