[7] POND-CULTIVATION ON THE KANIOW ESTATE. 539 
These pond-pastures not only supply the cattle with pleasant and 
healthy food, but actually become a source of profit to the farmer. My 
cows, always well fed, give better milk when grazing in the ponds, than 
when they are stable-fed with fresh clover. There is no fear that the 
reed-grass (Polish, ‘‘odymka”) will make the cattle bloated; for this 
quality of the reed-grass—which it undoubtedly possesses—is entirely 
lost when it grows in the water. Altuough my cattle have pastured in 
ponds for seven years, I have not had a single case of the kind. Who- 
ever has time and opportunity to mow the reed-grass before it blossoms, 
and dry it, will thus obtain excellent hay for the winter. On account 
of the large quantity of nitrogen it probably contains, of its fine texture, 
and finally, on account of its tough character, it easily becomes heated 
and to some extent begins to ferment; great care should be taken to 
avoid this. The same applies to the remnants of grass, &c., which are 
‘left after a pond has served as pasture. The best way is to let this. 
grass lie for a considerable time, and then to put it up in stacks or small 
heaps, only using it mixed with harder winter straw, when it will make 
a good and effective fertilizer. 
It would doubtless be profitable to make experiments with feeding 
cattle on hay from the ponds, mixed with winter-straw and rape-stalks, 
for this would in all probability furnish excellent food for the young cat- 
tle during winter. Unfortunately I cannot speak in this matter from 
personal experience; but it would be very gratifying to me, if my re- 
marks would encourage others to make the attempt. 
I need not dwell on the utilization of the mud from the ponds, as be- 
ing too wellknown. This manner of utilizing ponds will only be profit- 
able in cases where the mud can during winter be taken direct to a 
neighboring field, to be used as manure, such as for clover, or for making 
the hot manure from the cattle-yard somewhat milder; for if the mud 
is to be transported any great distance, the expense will exceed the 
profit, as is often the case when heavy manure is sent any distance. 
All these small protits yielded by a pond whilst still under water are 
insignificant if compared with the vast benefit to accrue froin a pond 
which, after having served piscicultural purposes for a number of years, 
furnishes the farmer with a rich and well-manured soil, fit for almost any 
kind of plants. 
A farmer who is ableto drain his pond entirely and plow it thoroughly 
before winter sets in, will find it easy work in spring to plant the muddy 
bottom of the pond, transformed by the frost into the very best of soil. 
If he does his work carefully, he may confidently look forward to a. 
rich harvest, which will fully repay him for the considerable trouble in- 
volved in the first plowing, and which will prove beneficial to his entire : 
farming operations. Let no one say that it is too difficult, or even im-- 
possible, to plow large ponds in autumn, after the fishing season has | 
come to a close; for if it is possible to plow the large Rosenberg pond near - 
Wittingau, in Bohemia, measuring 1,500 acres, where fishing does not 
