A FISH POND FOR THE FARM BOY 



135 



quick return, such as is used for filling the barn with hay, will make 

 shorter work of the excavating. 



2. Then construct inlet and outlet, as already suggested. 

 Specific directions and plans may be found in Dr. G. C. Embody's 

 bulletin on The Farm Fish-Pond, a copy of which may be had on 

 application to the New York State College of Agriculture at Ithaca. 



3 . Then let the water en- 

 ter through proper screens, 



• so as to have no fishes in 

 the pond except such as you 

 want to raise. 



4. Then plant the pond 

 with suitable aquatic vege- 

 tation, and do not intro- 

 duce the fish until you 

 have provided something 

 for them to eat. Like 

 chickens, fishes require food. 

 The common pond weeds, 

 such as grow in any sub- 

 merged meadow in shoals of 

 lakes and natural ponds, 

 are most valuable. You 

 may easily get plants for 

 stocking by hauling them 

 out of such shoals on a loop 

 of barbed wire drawn slowly 

 through the water. Plant 

 the sprays of pond weed 

 singly all over the pond bot- 

 tom. This may be quickly 



done by pressing a handful of stiff clay about the base of each 

 stem before throwing it into the water; it will then sink to the 

 bottom and take root there. In a few weeks the pond weeds will 

 be found to shelter an extensive population of small crustaceans 

 and insects suitable for food of fishes. 



Plant also a few of our beautiful native flowering plants, such as 

 water lilies, pikerel-weeds, and forget-me-nots, at the edge for 

 ornament. Plant willows on the bank to hold it against future 

 washing of the stream, and to give partial shade. 



The ruffled pond- weed: one of the most 

 useful and ornamental of submerged 

 water plants. 



