MancJiester Memoirs, Vol. liii. (1909), No. \\. 9 



each piece can take root again, the dragging only helps 

 the weed to multiply. Probably the swans which are 

 found on the lake aid in the same manner in distributing 

 the Elodea. By the dragging with fishing nets the bay 

 near the fish hatchery was cleared of the Canadian Pond- 

 weed and the Brittlewort some two years ago, and the Gill 

 Head bay was formerly kept free from the CladopJwra 

 by similar means. At that time there were fourteen nets 

 worked at different parts of the lake, but latterly, b}- 

 arrangement with the Fishery Board, only two are allowed 

 to be used. A reversion to the former practice would 

 undoubtedly have a beneficial effect in keeping the weed 

 down. 



At the outset it might probably be best to drag the 

 bays carefully both in the summer before the seeds and 

 spores of the ordinary water plants have ripened, and 

 then again in the autumn before the Elodea has broken 

 up and its autumn branches and winter buds have become 

 separated. Later on, if the nets are used regularly for 

 fishing, very little expense need be incurred in keeping 

 the bottom of the lake clean in the bays mentioned 

 above. The use of the 14 nets, instead of reducing the 

 number of fish, would actually increase the number by 

 preserving the feeding grounds, and thus give a better 

 chance of life to the thousands of young trout that are 

 annually turned into the Lake. 



In conclusion I should like to add that I have 

 received the greatest assistance from Mr. Francis Nichol- 

 son in the examination of various portions of the lake, 

 and his intimate knowledge of the past and present 

 conditions of the fishing has been of the utmost value in 

 arriving at the conclusions expressed in the later para- 

 graphs of this paper. These conclusions may indeed be 

 taken to represent our joint opinion, arrived at after 

 long and careful discussion. 



