50G REPORT OF commissioxp:r of fish and fisheries. [100] 



so tliat the water may be entirely taken out, and the bottom allowed to 

 dry. In this condition the ponds are left till spring, say April or INIay, 

 when they may be plowed and prepared for the seed. To insure a good 

 harvest, the entire bottom of the pond should be divided into raised beds, 

 separated from each other by water furrows. These beds may be sowed 

 with oats, hemp, or poppies; other grains or plants will yield only poor 

 harvests. After the harvest has been gathered, the soil should be hoed, 

 and allowed to remain in this condition till the following spring, when 

 the iioiid is again fdled. If it is not intended to gather a harvest, but 

 simply to supply the pond with plenty of fresh food, it is plowed in 

 spring and allowed to lie fallow till summer, when" it is sowed with 

 turnips. Still better food will be introduced into the pond if it is 

 sowed with peas, beans, and vetches, with a few turnips between. In 

 this case there is no hurry about sowing the pond, and this may be de- 

 ferred till flune, or till July if only turnips are sowed. AThen the 

 j)eas and tunii])S are nearly ripe, the ])ond is filled with water, and may 

 be stocked with fish that same autumn, although it will be better to 

 defer this till spring. In most cases, however, it will be best to gather 

 the harvest, as the decay of vegetable matter easily assumes too great 

 proportions and becomes injurious to the fish. This applies particularly 

 to small ponds. Even if the harvest is gathered, the sowing oi' a pond 

 will be of great benefit, and make its infiueuce felt for years. For 

 during the time of growing and during the harvest many seeds fall into 

 the pond, and to favor this one may defer the harvest until the grain or 

 l^lants are dead ripe. Even the stubbles in themselves form an addition 

 to the food. By sowing a pond, food is also indirectly introduced into 

 it by giving it a period of rest, during which worms, &c., will increase. 

 In their decay the stubbles also furnish ibod; and the thorough freeing 

 of the soil from acids caused by the draining and sowing of a ])on(l has 

 a most beneficial iufiuence on the health and growth of the fish. 



The object of sowing a pond is twofold; the acids are taken away 

 from the mud by the draining and plowing of tlie pond, and new food 

 is introduced in it, and, on the other hand, an additional inconu; is 

 derived from the sale of grain or vegetables. To sow a i)ond tor one 

 year will be beneficial, but to continue this ])rocess for several consecu- 

 tive years is not advisable, as the pond is apt to dry out too inuc!i,and 

 loses its mud, which is indispensable to the growth of the lish. The 

 banks and dikes also dry out too much — the latter are undermined by 

 mice, moles, &c. — the wood-work of the grates, &c., sufl'crs, and rei)airs 

 become necessary, the expense for which is not sutficiently made up 

 by the income from the harvests. By using a pond for agricultural 

 purposes for any considerable length of time its fish-food is reduced 

 almost to nothing (this is less to be feared when the pond is used merely 

 as a meadow, which, however, will yield only poor and sour grass) and 

 the benefit to be derived from sowing a pond is completely lost. 



If a pond yields constant and sure harvests, and can also be used for 



