OSIERS AND OATS TO BE PLANTED IN MUD OF PONDS. 337 



my friend Mr. George Eooper, I have been able to 

 examine; here is the title, " A Discourse of Fish and 

 Fish-ponds. By the Honourable Koger North, Sept. 

 14, 1713." His advice is to the following effect: ''In 

 October di-aw the sluice and dry the pond. As the 

 pond falls catch the fish by degrees, cut channels to 

 keep off the land water. When your pond is dry, keep 

 it so all the summer, and you may make a profit of the 

 soil by ploughing or feeding. 



'' The following Michaelmas, or a little sooner, turn 

 ni all the water you can that the pond may fill, and 

 when it is nearly full, it is ready to receive stock again. 

 At the same time lay dry another pond proceeding as 

 before. This you may do alternately during your whole 

 life. 



"If you have but two ponds this is the best course, 

 and will turn most to the profit and feed of the fish. 

 You may let your ponds stand full two or three years, 

 not longer, unless you delight to see starved lean fish. 

 The oftener the ponds are laid diy, the better the feed 

 of fish shall be." 



" Mr. North recommends that the mud should not 

 be removed unless with great care as the banks of the 

 pond may thus be injured ; he rather recommends in- 

 stead to plant a crop of osiers in the mud ; oats also 

 will grow in the mud. He also advises that facilities 

 should be afforded for cattle to come and drink and 

 stand in the pond, " as it conduces much to the thrift 

 of the cattle as well as the feed of the fish." 



" Great waters should be dried and sowed with oats 

 once in three, or at most four, years, and that at the end 

 of January or the beginning of March. After Michael- 

 mas following, you may put in a very great stock, and 

 thin them in the following years as feed will decline." 



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