• hut. xxn. Batultsai Vallam. 277 



in a pond when they found it impossible t<> gel to a river, and the 

 event proved 1 was right After a time, Laheo fry were caught 

 very much smaller and more numerous than 1 had put in. When 



these fish began to grow in size and multiply, the total weight of 

 the takes increased very much, and this did not take place within 

 tlif eighteen months, when I took my fish census. 



From the above little story 1 think I may fairly be allowed 

 to say that my 2 lbs. weight of fry yielded, after 18 months, 

 4. Him 11k. weight a year, and in subsequent years yielded at a 

 much greater rate. 



This was the result of careful selection of species, species that 

 would not prey on each other, and that would more or less feed 

 differently. The native fishermen brought me pots full of fry, the 

 majority of them dead as usual, ami, pouring them out ou tin' 

 ground, I cast the predaceous ones on one side, and saw them 

 killed, and the desirable sorts I selected with my own hand, and 

 put them into the pond myself. Some people, in stocking a pond, 

 put in any fish the natives recommend for size and flavour. 

 Foremost among their recommendations are the Murral and the 

 Freshwater Shark. As well might you expect to raise a flock of 

 sheep successfully by turning wolves and wild dogs into your fold 

 along with your lambs. 



The first thing to be done in stocking a pond is to be sure you 

 have no predatory fish in it. It is very hard to be sure of this, 

 while there is a drop of water there. The Murral also is one of 

 those fish that can live in the mud of a sun-dried reservoir. It is 

 best, therefore, to dry your pond, and clean it out, using the silt for 



manure, for g 1 manure it is, and raising a crop in the bed of the 



reservoir. This cultivation .if the bed of the pond should not only 

 consummate the destruction of any fish fry or ova left in the mini, 

 but leave the bottom more full of insect life to form good feeding 

 for fish when the water is turned in. 



Then water turned in should not \«- brought by a channel from 

 a river, or by overflow from another reservoir, so that fry ofallsorte 

 of t i — 1 1 might indiscriminately find their way in. You should be 

 able to be certain that no fish can get into your pond, but era ' 

 vmi select and put there If your source of water-supply i- at all 

 doubtful in these respects, yon must be very careful with gratinga 

 First, throw in a few water -nail- to make f 1 tor your coming 



