How to obtain it. 63 



hours. As soon as the water in the pond had become thoroughly 

 changed I allowed the stream to slacken considerably, and during 

 the night it only ran as I had at first found it. The fish had 

 recovered, and water was valuable, as we did not know for how 

 many days the drought might continue. Next day, however, the 

 operation of letting off more pools was continued, although with 

 great care, no more water being sent down than was absolutely 

 needful to keep the fish in a fairly good condition. This 

 operation was continued for five days more, when a friendly 

 thunderstorm drenched the hills and sent down a copious supply, 

 which did not fail again that summer. Before the next a supply 

 had been obtained from another and larger stream. 



In the instance I have just narrated the fish were not only 

 benefited, but their lives were actually saved, by an artificial 

 spate, and the great benefit arising therefrom will be plainly 

 perceptible. So at any time during dry weather, although there ] 

 may be no danger whatever existing, an artificial spate sent] 

 through a pond is an exceedingly good thing for the fish. It 

 may be produced by contrivances of the roughest and simplest 

 kind. A few small dams should be made, not across the stream 

 itself, but in any suitable corners close to it, where a trickle of 

 water is obtainable to fill them. This means that there will be 

 practically hardly any stream going through them, and thus they 

 become excellent places for growing a crop of trout food, which, 

 of course, goes down with the water into the fish ponds when 

 the dams are let off. And here it should be observed that these 

 dams should never be run dry. By only running half the water 

 off, or at most three-fourths, a sufficient stock of living food is 

 retained in them to keep up the required supply. 



Having made secure the point at which the water enters the 

 pond, the next thing is to provide for its escape when the pond is 

 full. There are many methods by which this may be effected. 

 One that I have found to be in very general use, is to allow it to 

 take the shortest possible cut over the embankment, in a channel 

 the bed and sides of which are more or less paved. They may, of 

 course, be built of solid masonry. So far good ; but there are 

 many things to consider, which I find in most cases have not 

 been thought of at all. Should the pond be in an exposed situa- 



