845 
‘more prudent to admit of perch 
only. 
The aétual weight of fish, which 
any particular pond is capable of 
supporting, can only be determined 
by observation and experience, as 
it depends on the different degrees 
of nutriment in different waters. 
jt is said that carp and tench, in 
- waters which feed well, will, before 
they are aged, double their weight 
in one year. 
The third part of an acre in No. 
1, would probably be sufficient for 
the demand of a family of four 
persons, besides servants; for, upon 
.the calculason aboye given, it 
would support nearly 700 pounds 
of fish, which might be divided 
thus :— 
80 Brace of carp, of 3lbs. each 
and upwards. 
50 Brace of tench, of 2lbs. each 
and upwards. 
50 Brace of perch, of 1lb. each 
and upwards. 
150 
That is three brace of fish, weigh- 
ing, at least, upwards of 12lbs. for 
the use of every week ; and allow- 
ing a few ounces over in each brace, 
will make up the weight 700lbs. 
Allowing one acre for No. 5; 
one-third of an acre for No. 1; 
and one acre and two-thirds for the 
intervening numbers, the whole wa~ 
ter would be three acres. 
Upon this calculation, the stock 
of No 1, at one shilling a pound, 
would be worth €.35 per annum ; 
so that the value of each acre would 
be nearly twelve pounds annually ; 
and there is scarcely any place in 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1803. 
England, but where such fish would 
sell for more, especially tench. 
No. 1, being supposed to be near 
the house, and at no great distance. 
from the garden, if the fish should 
not thrive sufficiently (which will be 
seen by the disproportioned size of 
the head, and the whiteness or pale- 
ness of the scales) they may easily 
be supplied with food by loose pease 
from the garden: the sweepings of 
the granary, worms, saved by the 
gardener in digging, and gathered 
from the walks; and the offal of | 
the poultry killed for the kitchen; 
or by letting down the water abeut 
two feet, in the spring or summer, 
where there is a sufficient supply ; 
and sowing the sides with oats, bar- 
ley, rye, or wheat, very lightly 
raked in, and then stopping the 
sluice again. 
Besides occasionally sowing the 
sides of the pond with a little corn, 
another method of supplying them 
with food should be practised, which, 
is known but by few, and costs but 
little. 
Float.fescue grass is what fish are 
extremely fond of, both the leaves 
and the seed, and is very nutritious. 
It grows very luxuriantly in shallow 
water, puts out roots at every joint, 
and is found growing naturally in 
many parts of England.* 
Plant some of this along the edge 
of the pond, and if cattle do not 
eat it, the seed will be ripe in July, 
and aflord food for the fish. 
In ponds already stocked, but 
not accurately regulated, it would 
be adviseable to begin that which 
has the most pike, otherwise with 
No. 4, or what is intended for No. 
A, and throw all the fish under five 
inches 
* For more particulars relative to this grass, see an account of it in the second 
npimber of the Monthly Register asd Encyclopedian Magazine. 
