78 FISH FARMING : 



water plantain is apt to grow too freely, but where this is the 

 ca-se it is easily stoppsd if taken in time. Otherwise it is a 

 most useful plant, more especially for providing shade and 

 shelter for the fish. It will grow in water varying from cue 

 foot to four feet in depth, and about two f eet of water seem to 

 bring it to best perfection. Dwarf spearwort is another plant 

 with fine, sheltering leaves, which gracefully float on the sur- 

 face. This plant does best in not more than two feet of 

 water. It is a capital plant for fry ponds. The two last, 

 starwort and water moss:, are both useful in streams or ponds 

 through which there is a rapid current, and in which the other 

 plants mentioned are less suitable, even if at all possible. 



The larger growing aquatic plants may be objected to in 

 rearing ponds pure and simple, yet they cause but little extra 

 trouble when lowering the ponds for the purpose of netting the 

 fish, and one is well repaid for this extra trouble by their pre- 

 sence. They are not only very useful, but in many cases they 

 are very ornamental as well. There should always exist a 

 sufficiency of them in sporting waters. Principal among these 

 are the water lily, of which I prefer the white spscies (Nym- 

 phoea alba). It is not quite so coarse growing as the yellow 

 (N"uphar lutea). The yellow, however, may be planted in 

 very large lakes or ponds. There are several species of im- 

 ported lilies that do fairlv well, but for all practical purposes 

 the above two are sufficient. The yellow iris (Iris pseud acorns) 

 might well be planted in far greater quantities than it is, and 

 numerous imported varieties lend a charm to the banks and 

 the stream sides. Then there is, of course, the common bul- 

 rush \Typha latifolia) and tha much smaller bulrush (T'ypha 

 augustif olia). Another of the rushes that I feared had left 

 us, but which has come to the front again of late, is the flower- 

 ing rush (Butomus umbellatus). 



Great caution should be exercised in connection with the 

 introduction of plants into a stream or pcnd. You will be 

 quite safe with those I have recommended, but there are two, 

 at least, that I wish to caution you. against. For, whatever 

 the advantage of their presence may be, I am quite sure it in 



