CARP ON THE FARM. 59 



should be fourteen threads to the inch, and for one- 

 year olds five or six threads to the inch. The 

 frames of the screens should be fitted in grooves 

 and made to fit as close as possible and still admit 

 of their being easily removed. A good screen for 

 two and three year olds and for larger fish, can be 

 made of strips of lath nailed to a strong frame, with 

 quarter-inch openings between them. The slats 

 should be four inches wide, so that if a leaf strikes 

 against them it will catch or pass through without 

 obstructing the flow of water, or lie flat against a 

 single slat. If the slats are narrow, the leaves will 

 lop around them and clog up the screen. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 



CARP ON THE FARM. 



IN reply to several inquiries about carp culture, 

 the following condensed directions are given, as 

 undoubtedly many are interested in this subject. 



To construct a pond, first stake off your land the 

 desired dimensions ; then take a plow and scraper, 

 and with them make the necessary excavation. 

 The pond should be about five or six feet deep in 

 the centre, gradually sloping up to the edges. The 

 object in having the pond deep in the centre is to 

 provide the fish with a place to settle into during 

 the winter, without danger of the water freezing 

 solid and thereby killing them, as would be the 



