84 How to obtain it. 



aquatic vegetation were planted as the water was rising, such a 

 pond should never show a backward tendency as regards the fish 

 with which it is stocked. The water plants should be in sufficient 

 quantity to take the place of the decaying land plants. In many 

 cases it is not necessary to fill the pond to its highest level at first, 

 and, where it can be conveniently arranged, the height of the 

 water should be raised at the end of the second year. Early 

 spring is the best time for doing this. Should the pond have 

 been filled in September or October it is still better, even at the 

 end of two years, to wait until March before raising the level of 

 the water. The object in view in doing this is to submerge the 

 grass above the original margin. It has been found that such a 

 course is often followed by very gratifying results, and the reason 

 is not far to seek. The opportunity should be taken for 

 introducing a further quantity of aquatic vegetation, and some of 

 the marginal plants may require lifting and moving further back. 

 They will not have spread very much in two years, and, therefore, 

 the work is soon done. 



Since the necessity for vegetation in ponds has been made 

 generally known, many owners of water, in their eagerness to have 

 everything right, have introduced plants which, when allowed free 

 scope, have increased to such an extent as to choke the water. In 

 many cases this is very much due to a want of care in attending 

 to them after planting. Many plants, if used at all, must be 

 thinned out every year, from the second year, and sometimes 

 from the first after introduction. This depends largely, of course, 

 on the quantity planted in the first instance. But in any case 

 such plants as Potamogeton^ Myriophyllum, Anacharis, and others 

 of a similar and free growing nature are better avoided altogether, 

 unless it be intended that they shall be properly and carefully 

 attended to. In their proper places these plants are valuable and 

 are quite easily kept in order. But once neglect them, and let 

 them get the upper hand, and a great amount of labour will have 

 to be expended in order to bring them again within limits and 

 the labourers must understand their work, or it will, after all, 

 probably be a failure. 



We know how comparatively easy it is to keep a garden in 

 order by attending to it at the right time, and how utterly 



