222 American Fisheries Society 



sure a good output every season. Of course, the locality, 

 kind and temperature of water, quantity of flowage and 

 many other essential matters must be taken into consid- 

 eration. The output of different kinds of pond-hatched 

 and reared fish also depends a great deal upon the man- 

 ner in which the pond is prepared for this particular work. 



PREPARATION OF PONDS 



The first requisite is that the ponds be in proper con- 

 dition. If in a locality where freshets prevail and the 

 bottom is covered with silt, the ponds should be drawn 

 down the previous fall, cleaned, and allowed to remain dry 

 until they become thoroughly frozen. This is to destroy 

 undesirable forms of plant and animal life. To permit 

 thorough cleaning, each pond should be provided with a 

 concrete runway or gutter around the inlet, through the 

 bottom, and connecting with the outlet. When the pond 

 is being drawn down the mud is gradually forced with 

 scrapers toward this gutter; when the pond is finally 

 down, the mud is practically all in the center. Then a 

 heavy flow of water is turned on and the mud is grad- 

 ually washed out through the gutter. In the spring the 

 ponds are again drawn down, and ,if they are to be used 

 for the propagation of bass, the beds are placed where 

 the fish culturist deems fit and according to the number 

 of breeders he wishes to put in each pond. 



If the ponds are located Where but little richness 

 comes from the flood water, they are fertilized, especially 

 around the shallow margins, with some good kind of 

 pond fertilizer. If too much vegetation has been grow- 

 ing in any pond, crayfish and adult goldfish are intro- 

 duced to keep it down where it will not interfere with the 

 subsequent collection of young fish. If not enough vege- 

 tation grows, it should be planted. Chara, which is very 

 desirable in pond culture, can be transplanted in the fall, 

 late in September or early in October, by drawing a pond 



