﻿MANUAL 
  OF 
  FISH-CULTURE. 
  167 
  

  

  ants 
  from 
  the 
  shores. 
  Large 
  ponds 
  furnish 
  wider 
  range, 
  and 
  this 
  is 
  

   desirable 
  when 
  iish 
  are 
  raised 
  for 
  market, 
  bat 
  large 
  spawning 
  or 
  

   nursery 
  ponds 
  are 
  not 
  recommended; 
  and 
  if 
  the 
  object 
  is 
  to 
  produce 
  

   large 
  quantities 
  of 
  young 
  for 
  distribution 
  in 
  new 
  waters 
  small 
  ponds 
  

   are 
  undoubtedly 
  better. 
  

  

  At 
  least 
  one-fourth 
  of 
  the 
  pond 
  should 
  be 
  not 
  over 
  1 
  foot 
  in 
  depth, 
  

   and 
  this 
  portion 
  should 
  be 
  planted 
  with 
  pond- 
  weed 
  {Potamogeton) 
  and 
  

   water-weed 
  [Elodea 
  or 
  Anacharis) 
  to 
  facilitate 
  the 
  liroduction 
  and 
  

   growth 
  of 
  the 
  minute 
  animals, 
  which 
  furnish 
  so 
  large 
  a 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  food 
  

   for 
  the 
  young 
  bass. 
  The 
  remainder 
  of 
  the 
  pond 
  should 
  have 
  a 
  gradually 
  

   sloping 
  bottom, 
  and 
  consequent 
  increase 
  of 
  depth 
  to 
  the 
  kettle 
  (or 
  

   draw-off), 
  where 
  the 
  water 
  must 
  be 
  at 
  least 
  from 
  3 
  to 
  6 
  feet 
  deep 
  for 
  the 
  

   warm 
  Southern 
  States, 
  and 
  12 
  to 
  14 
  feet 
  deep 
  for 
  the 
  Northern 
  States, 
  

   to 
  provide 
  against 
  the 
  danger 
  of 
  freezing. 
  In 
  the 
  middle 
  third 
  of 
  the 
  

   pond 
  water-lilies 
  should 
  be 
  planted, 
  preferably 
  those 
  having 
  the 
  largest 
  

   pads, 
  such 
  as 
  the 
  Nymphea 
  alba; 
  these 
  plants 
  not 
  only 
  furnish 
  the 
  

   breeding 
  fish 
  a 
  hiding-place 
  from 
  fish-hawks, 
  but 
  serve 
  as 
  sunshades 
  

   during 
  the 
  summer. 
  It 
  is 
  not 
  usually 
  advisable 
  to 
  place 
  large 
  bowlders 
  

   in 
  the 
  ponds, 
  as 
  they 
  are 
  in 
  the 
  way 
  of 
  seining 
  or 
  netting, 
  and 
  furnish 
  

   an 
  acceptable 
  resort 
  for 
  crayfish. 
  

  

  When 
  the 
  young, 
  under 
  the 
  guidance 
  of 
  the 
  parent 
  fishes, 
  are 
  school- 
  

   ing, 
  they 
  may 
  be 
  collected 
  from 
  the 
  nests 
  and 
  deposited 
  in 
  waters 
  to 
  

   be 
  stocked, 
  or 
  transferred 
  to 
  nursery-ponds. 
  These 
  ponds 
  should 
  be 
  

   constructed 
  to 
  afford 
  young 
  bass 
  protection 
  from 
  enemies 
  and 
  to 
  produce 
  

   the 
  greatest 
  quantity 
  of 
  insect 
  life 
  suited 
  to 
  their 
  sustenance, 
  and 
  this 
  

   is 
  better 
  aocomx)lished 
  with 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  small 
  ponds 
  than 
  with 
  one 
  

   large 
  one. 
  A 
  good 
  working 
  size 
  is 
  from 
  40 
  to 
  50 
  feet 
  long 
  by 
  12 
  to 
  15 
  

   feet 
  wide, 
  with 
  a 
  depth 
  of 
  from 
  30 
  to 
  36 
  inches 
  for 
  the 
  "kettle." 
  

  

  Where 
  the 
  topography 
  of 
  the 
  ground 
  will 
  permit, 
  it 
  is 
  best 
  to 
  have 
  

   the 
  nurseries 
  immediately 
  adjoining 
  the 
  spawning-pond, 
  with 
  the 
  water 
  

   supply 
  from 
  the 
  same 
  source, 
  so 
  that 
  there 
  will 
  be 
  but 
  slight 
  difference 
  

   between 
  the 
  temperature 
  of 
  the 
  shallowest 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  nursery-pond 
  

   and 
  the 
  surface 
  water 
  of 
  the 
  other. 
  As 
  in 
  all 
  other 
  ponds 
  for 
  fish 
  

   propagation, 
  the 
  supply 
  and 
  discharge 
  for 
  each 
  nursery-pond 
  should 
  

   be 
  independent 
  of 
  any 
  other, 
  and 
  the 
  bottoms 
  be 
  made 
  to 
  slope 
  toward 
  

   the 
  "kettle." 
  The 
  young 
  large-mouth 
  bass 
  is 
  not 
  a 
  strong 
  fish, 
  and 
  

   currents 
  in 
  the 
  spawning 
  and 
  nursery 
  ponds 
  should 
  be 
  avoided 
  for 
  

   some 
  time 
  after 
  the 
  spawning 
  period. 
  

  

  If 
  the 
  locality 
  is 
  infested 
  with 
  crawfish, 
  it 
  is 
  advisable 
  to 
  pile 
  or 
  

   otherwise 
  protect 
  the 
  banks; 
  and 
  the 
  entrance 
  of 
  snakes, 
  frogs, 
  and 
  

   such 
  enemies 
  may 
  be 
  prevented 
  by 
  surrounding 
  the 
  pond 
  with 
  finely 
  

   woven 
  screens, 
  or, 
  better 
  yet, 
  boards 
  let 
  into 
  the 
  earth 
  a 
  few 
  iuches 
  

   and 
  projecting 
  above 
  the 
  ground. 
  The 
  pond 
  should 
  be 
  supplied 
  with 
  

   the 
  aquatic 
  plants 
  previously 
  mentioned 
  as 
  desirable 
  for 
  tlie 
  shallow 
  

   parts 
  of 
  the 
  spawning-pond. 
  

  

  A 
  i)lan 
  has 
  been 
  suggested, 
  which 
  combines 
  the 
  features 
  of 
  a 
  spawn- 
  

   ing 
  and 
  nursery 
  pond, 
  by 
  constructing 
  one 
  comparatively 
  long 
  pond, 
  

  

  