movements toward the mov;er. The scythe is the cheapest and most endurable implement for 

 smaller fisheries and besides it is best adaptable to special conditions of the bottom 

 and shore. The mowers go into the v.-ater with water boots or rubber trousers. There are 

 usually no difficulties because the over-water plants occur mostly in shallow parts of 

 the ponds. YThen the mowers have waded with naked legs for longer periods in summer, 

 there is frequently noticeable an itching eruption which is probably due to the action 

 of hydrophyllous plants, expecially the blue-green algae. 



The Roessing jointed scythe, according to my experience, has almost always given 

 the best results, next to the simple hand scythe for reed cutting in ponds. It consists 

 of individual scythe blades 50 to 80 centimeters long, which are similar to the usual 

 scythe and may be used sharply ground or also sharpened by hammering and grinding. The 

 blades are uniformly wide (9 to 12 cm,), rounded on the ends and each end is provided 

 with a hole (see Fig. 44). They can be fastened together in any number desired (mostly 

 5 to 10 blades), by means of screw bolts or rivets, and in any desired degree of mobility. 

 Chains or ropes are attached to the ends (sometimes to riveted-on draught hooks or rings) 

 and connect the sc^'the to a transverse vrooden c^^ip- Single parts of eYcry form, size and 

 weight may be had from the above mentioned firms. The Cronenberg firm furnishes a finish- 

 ed Roessing Jointed Scythe vath draught chains and weighting spheres, under the name of 

 "Sophienhammer's Universal Reed-Scythe", The weighting spheres are superfluous and even 

 hindering if the individual blades are worked sufficiently heavy. 



Back 



ninKiiiaiiM'iiii'iiiiHi n 



Cutting edge 



Fig. 44. Single blade of a Roessing jointed scythe. 

 Length about 50-80 cm.j 5 to 10 blades may be joined 

 together according to requirement. 

 "Rucken" = back. "Schneide" = cutting edge. 



Fig, 45. Uowing of Over-5Tater Plants with the Roessing jointed 

 scj-the from two boats. The raised mounting of the connecting pole 

 toward the front facilitates the penetration into the stands of over- 

 water plants. 



154 



