74 -How to obtain it. 



been fixed across it in order to keep the whole affair together and 

 prevent collapse of the two " sides." The peculiarity about this 

 " front " is, that the boards are not to be nailed on, but are to be 

 quite loose. They are kept in position by each of their ends 

 sliding into a groove which is formed to receive them, and being 

 slipped into this groove one after another till all are in, it will be 

 apparent that they close up the front side. A peg at each end of 

 the uppermost board to keep it in its place, and a movable lid 

 being made to cover up the top of the box, it is finished. The 

 front boards will float at first when released, but a piece of lead 

 nailed on each will settle the difficulty. 



Before the box is thus closed up, however, a plug should be 

 fitted into the outlet pipe, and let this plug have fixed into it 

 an iron ring or eye, which must be placed so as to stand out 

 horizontally, and be ready at any time to receive the end of a 

 lever, by means of which the plug is drawn. This lever may consist 

 of a piece of larch or ash, and is in reality a boat hook. It must 

 have a piece of wood nailed on to its side at a suitable distance 

 from the bottom end, to act as a fulcrum when being used. It 

 should be fitted and tested before the water is let on, so that there 

 can be no doubt about its action when required to draw the plug 

 in an emergency. The whole contrivance is so extremely simple 

 and answers all purposes so well, that I have never desired any- 

 thing better. The box can be built of brick, stone, or concrete, 

 and, working on the same principle, can be used for a pond of any 

 size. In the case of a large reservoir the use of massive stonework 

 is desirable, and iron or other plates in "front." Instead of 

 working with a lever, the outlet pipe may be carried by means of 

 a bend through the bottom of the box instead of the " back," and 

 the ring in the plug will then be perpendicular, enabling the latter 

 to be drawn by means of a boat hook. 



Now, let us suppose the plug to be in, the pond full of water 

 and fish, and let it be found needful to empty it. We go to the 

 outlet armed with a lever, a long-handled garden rake, and a frame 

 about three and a half feet square, on which is loosely stretched a 

 piece of strong fine-meshed netting. Take off the lid of the out- 

 let box, draw the pegs that keep the "front" boards secure, and 

 lift out the two top boards. Having done this put the lever or 



