26 PRACTICAL CARP CULTURE. 



but, if the water supply is limited, this might lower the pond at a time, 

 when you could not afford to lose any water. Fortunately, this defect 

 can be easily remedied. Prepare a plank of the size of the opening of the 

 box, a, (let it be green lumber, so that it will not swell, to prevent its 

 being withdrawn), pass this down along the side of the upright, 6, so it 

 will include the opening in a, then 6 can be filled with sawdust tor a foot 

 or two, and a little dirt, if necessary, which will entirely stop the 

 leakage. 



The objections to this method are: First, the wood will decay. Sec- 

 ond, for very large ponds the drawing would require too much time. 

 Both these objections together with all possibility of leakage, may be 

 overcome by building the flumes, a and b both of brick, covering the top 

 of a with flagging stones, or any others long enough to reach from wall 

 to wall, and leaving b entirely open in front, b should then be built 

 closer in to the dam than shown in the cut ; far enough in so that the open 

 front at the bottom is a little within the line of the dam. Against the 

 open face of b lay two-inch plank, sawed of a length to just cover the out- 

 side edges. In front of 6, and two feet away, sink two posts ; fill in the 

 space between the posts and 6, with good clay or loam, tamping it well as 

 it is put in. Make a sufficient detour in your dam to include these posts 

 and it will protect the sides of b and give you an absolute water-proof draw- 

 off that will last without repairs for ages. The draw-off can be built any 

 size to suit. The top of b can be covered with a lid, or, if the top is below 

 the level of the dam, it can be covered with boards and a little earth 

 thrown on them will conceal it entirely. A door should be fitted to the 

 outer end of a and kept locked when not in use. In drawing off the pond 

 take the earth from between the posts and 6, remove one plank at a time, 

 and as the water runs down remove more earth an other plank, and so on 

 to the last. A frame the size of your pieces of plank made of two-by-two- 

 inch stuff and covered with a wire run the short way of the frame 

 between six-penny nails driven so closely together as to only permit the 

 wire to pass between them. The heads of the nails on either side should 

 be covered with sheet iron which comes even with the surface of the 

 inside of the frame. This frame slipped into the place of each piece of 

 plank as it is removed, will prevent the escape of the fish and will not 

 clog as will a mesh or screen. 



An improvement on this method where lumber is used in its construc- 

 tion was published in the NATIONAL JOURNAL OF CARP CULTURE, Oc- 

 tober, 1886, by 8. F. Ulery, of Garrison, Iowa, which consists of clamps as 

 shown in the illustration (next page) herewith . These clamps are made in 

 four pieces out of %x% inch iron. To make a clamp for a box 12 inches across 

 from outside to outside, cut a piece of iron 10 inches long as described by 

 letter A in cut, flatten one end and punch a hole to receive a % inch 

 bolt so that the % inch edge of the iron can be bolted against the box 

 which will give it sufficient strength; B is made the same as A except 

 that a % inch hole is made in the opposite end the flat way of the iron ; C 

 is made 27% inches long, with a ^ inch hole in each end the flat way of 

 the iron. Bend the iron in the center, and bolt the two ends on to the end 



