ANCIENT PONDS 35 



and arid, horses and carts are sent, ful. The expert looks around for a 

 like Jack and Jill in the nursery suitable site, and scoops out the earth 

 rhyme, up the hill to fetch water, to the depth of a few feet, leaving 

 To give a specific instance there is generally a floor of chalky rubble, 

 a mist-pond on Inkpen Beacon, in Then with well-chosen clay, he care- 

 Hampshire, at a height of 900 feet fully puddles the bottom of the hollow 

 above sea-level, which is said never and leaves it to dry. Perhaps a few 

 to go dry though it constantly waters stones are placed over the clay coat, 

 a large flock of sheep. If the ramming has been well done, 



Readers of Gilbert White will recol- the pond soon fills, although it is on 



lect that he describes at some length, record that, during prolonged winters, 



and with manifest interest, ponds of snow has been carted into the hollow 



this nature situated above his house, on to give a start when it melts. Animals 



the chalk uplands of Selborne Common, must be prevented from treading 



The visitor may see the ponds of through the clay cover while it is 



Selborne to-day, evidently as useful soft, else the pond will leak, being 



and as well supplied as they were perforated at the beginning. Keep 



140 years ago. When the ponds in the floor intact, and the pond will 



the coombes gave out, the sage tells fill, rain or no rain. Another method, 



us that one pond on the Downs was formerly in vogue, was to make a 



" never known to fail " though it foundation of beaten chalk, and on 



furnished drink to three or four hun- this to lay several coats of batter, 



dred sheep and twenty head of cattle, composed of pounded chalk and hot 



Practical farmers of our day state, lime. This " glazing " effectually pre- 



moreover, that sheep, if left to them- vented the depredations of earthworms, 



selves, prefer the pond water to that Nowadays, plain cement appears to 



of the colder springs and streams. be taking the place of the puddled 



Leaving theories alone for the clay. A properly constructed mist- 

 moment we will see how the modern pond will remain serviceable for fifty 

 mist-pond is constructed. A man or sixty years, when it must be pud- 

 skilled in the art is engaged for the died anew. 



purpose. It has even been asserted If we ask the man of science how 



that there exists a travelling band of the mist-pond is supplied, he will 



pond-makers, but this is a little doubt- say that the water is chiefly provided 



