Management of Ponds and Wells. 113 



banks with clay, that leakage may seldom occur ; Init the proc(>ss 

 is costly, besides the constant danger of cracks coming through 

 heat or accidents. 



Unless, therefore, the pond is likely to hold water in the lt)west 

 part of the field, the digger must choose some other spot. And 

 the next best site will, nine times out of ten, be in the highest 

 part ; for 1 have shown already that nearly everywhere in England 

 sufficient rain falls to give directly a fair ordinary supply of 

 water, apart from that which may be derived from drainage. 

 Trusting, then, that his pond will be filled from the skies, let 

 the digger select as flat a place as he can, and this, if not at the 

 lowest, will, I think, be more often found at the highest part of 

 a field than at any intermediate level. Above all things, let him 

 bear in mind that it is ahnost useless to dig a pond on the side 

 of a hill, where there is anything like a sharp fall below the 

 pond ; for the law of gravity will certainly cause the water to 

 oose out below, unless the subsoil is a regular stiff clay. Such, 

 and indeed most ponds, will hold plenty of water in winter ; but 

 our object is to discover one that will not fail in a dry summer. 



Let us next briefly consider the third point, namely, the treat- 

 ment of the pond. The pond is too commonly left to take its 

 chance. When cattle want to drink, they are allowed to go into 

 it as far as they please ; if water from it is Avanted for another 

 place, the water-cart is backed down deep into its muddy bosom ; 

 and when, at the end of some dry summer, the pond also is found 

 to be dry, a few loads of mud are taken out of that part farthest 

 from the mouth, the sheltering bushes are cut down, and the pond 

 is declared to have been well cleaned out. Such treatment will, 

 no doubt, enable the pond to hold water till the next dry summer 

 comes, when in all probability it will again fail, and the unfor- 

 tunate proprietor will Avonder to himself and complain to his 

 neighbours that he cannot anyhow get his pond to hold water. 

 If, however, anyone will take the trouble to wade through this 

 essay, and adopt the course suggested by it, I can promise him 

 that he may, if he likes, wade also up to his neck in his own pond 

 at the end of the next dry summer, and the expense shall be less, 

 on an average of years, than he is now put to by the constant 

 expense of carting water from a distance, to say nothing of the 

 partial cleanings out, which under the old system occur so 

 frequently. I repeat, then, never on any account allow cattle to 

 go further into the pond than the edge of the pitching in the 

 mouth. To prevent this, it is absolutely necessary to have a line 

 of rails, or a chain, or some such obstacle, across eaclt mouth of 

 the pond. As regards the use of the Avater-cart, 1 need only 

 refer to Avhat I have before said on this subject. And lastly, as 

 regards cleaning out, I maintain that a pond made, placed, and 



VOL. II. — S. S. I 



