APPENDIX 



THE USE OF EARTH IN REARING PONDS 



[From a correspondence upon the subject which appeared 

 in Land and Water] 



SIR, In your last issue I have read with pleasure 

 the eminently practical notes on fish culture by Mr. 

 Charles Walker. He is perfectly right in all he says 

 with reference to the useful and preventive results of 

 the use of " common garden " earth, or vegetable 

 mould in checking any fungoid development, Sapro- 

 legnia or other. It must, however, be admitted that 

 the said addition is not an element of beauty in a box ; 

 therefore it should be avoided, or only used when 

 necessity dictates. However, the fry, when thoroughly 

 restored to health, may be transferred by muslin net 

 to another box free from earth should it be necessary 

 to count out certain numbers for the satisfaction of 

 customers' orders. Again, the earth employed may , 

 and in some waters does, give rise to other ill effects 

 on the health of the " fry " or young fishes. Affection 

 of the eye is not unheard of as the result of over-use of 

 earth. Perhaps the best way to obviate any trouble 

 of this nature would be to pound and dry the earth, 

 and keep it in a canister or other closed vessel till 

 required for use. Spores of fungi are nearly, if not 

 quite, omnipresent ; and their effects are so insidious 



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