PONDS. 39 



foot deep, in front of the screen, with about eight 

 inches of its width below the water and four inches 

 above ; this will catch and retain the obstructions float- 

 ing down, and the screen will remain comparatively 

 clean. 



Where it is practicable, it is a good plan to have all 

 the inlets and outlets of the ponds of the same size, 

 so that the screen of any one will fit all the rest. This 

 secures uniformity of size in the screens, and is often a 

 great convenience when it becomes desirable to move 

 a screen from one pond to another. 



When there is danger of too much water, have a side 

 channel provided to carry it off. This channel should 

 be considerably lower than the inlet to your pond, 

 should be the channel the stream would naturally seek 

 when shut off from the ponds, and should be very 

 ample. I would have it, for safety's sake, double the 

 capacity of any freshet that was ever known on the 

 stream. For the want of this precaution, trout enough 

 have been lost, within my own knowledge, to make a 

 fortune. 



It is usually the best plan to leave the natural chan- 

 nel of the brook for the surplus water, and to build 

 your ponds on one side of it, and take off the water 

 supply for them from the brook. This is the way the 

 breeding ponds at the Cold Spring Trout Ponds are 

 arranged, and it is the safest way in time of a freshet. 



