28 AQUATIC PLANTS IN POND CULTURE. 
long, made of oak or some similarly strong material. At a proper 
angle with the teeth are two handles about 20 inches in length in- 
serted as shown in the accompanying illustration. The handles of 
an old plow can be utilized for the purpose. A crotch line is at- 
tached to the ends of the rake, which is operated by three men, one 
with waders, who stands between the handles and manipulates the 1m- 
plement, and two on the shore to pull it. A fourth man looks over 
the weeds, sorts out the fish, and pitches the growth upon the bank as 
it is brought ashore. When not loaded, the rake is easily floated out 
into the pond. To rake the bottom, the operator sometimes must put 
his hands and arms under water; and as he wades out with the rake 
he determines by the density of the moss how far it is necessary to go 
to secure a rake full. Ordinarily this is about 20 feet beyond the area 
which was cleaned with the hand raking, but farther if the weeds are 
not thick. The rake is moved through the weeds slowly to allow 
the fish to escape, but on reaching the open space made by the garden 
Fic. 30.—Rake devised by Mr. Dwight Lydell, and in use for removing vegetation at the 
Mill Creek station of the Michigan Fish Commission. Tor description see text. 
rake it can be moved more rapidly, so that as it comes ashore, with 
water rushing around either end, any fish that may be ahead of it 
will usually escape into the pond. The few that may become en- 
tangled are released by swift handling of the weeds as they are 
brought ashore. After the first raking is completed a seine is used 
to remove all fish that may be in the cleared space. Then the rake is 
used again farther out in the pond, the process being repeated until 
the pond has been thoroughly cleared of vegetation or the desired 
number of fish have been obtained. 
At the Wytheville station a boat is employed in the removal of the 
aquatic vegetation from portions of the pond where the growth is 
most dense. Fastened to each end of the boat is a cleat, through 
which is a hole about 2 inches in diameter, or of sufficient size to 
hold a stake loosely fitted in it, the stakes being driven into the bot- 
tom of the pond for the purpose of holding the boat steady while 
the vegetation is being pulled by the rakes. The loosened mass is then 
