BOTTOM OF PONDS SCREENS. IT 



to let the fish escape, and the water keeps up to its proper 

 level. Weeds or mosses of an}^ sort are not necessary at 

 the bottom, and if the supply of water is not large they 

 will speedily become a nuisance. The quantity of Trout 

 food which they will produce is of no account in an artifi- 

 cial pond where large numbers of Trout are kept, and they 

 tend to foul the water by hiding dead fish, bits of meat, 

 &c. &c. It is best, if possible, to have ponds so arranged 

 that they can be entirely drained. This is necessary, some- 

 times, for cleaning or repairing the ponds, changing the fish 

 from one pond in to another, &c. If the slope of the ground 

 is sulficient to permit of such an arrangement, it will often 

 save much labor in pumping or bailing. The drain pipe 

 may be of pump logs, tile or pipe of any kind, and should 

 be fixed in the lowest part of the bottom, or as near it as 

 the level of the ground will allow. Still better would be a 

 regular flume reaching from the bottom of the pond to the 

 top. A bulkhead may be put in to raise the water as high 

 as may be required, and a screen the whole size of the 

 flume set in front. Ihis large screen would be an addi- 

 tional advantage, as the larger the screen the less liable it 

 is to clog up with leaves, moss, &c., and the greater will be 

 the volume of water passing through. 



Screens. — Screens may be made of common wire painted 

 or tarred, of copper wire, or of galvanized iron wire. The 

 last is the best, as it will last longest in proportion to its 

 cost. The screens for keeping the small fry should be of 

 fourteen tlireads to the inch ; for one year old fish five or 

 six threads to the inch ; for two year olds four threads to 

 the inch, and for three year olds three tln*eads to the inch. 

 Incline the screens to an angle of forty-five degrees, the 

 top being farthest down stream. By inclining the screens 

 in this manner a greater surface is exposed to the water 

 than if they were placed perpendicularly. The sockets 



