FISHES AND FISHING. 23 



mould into the fish-ponds, mixed with many barge- 

 loads of road scrapings, and other manure, which 

 made with the natural loamy soil most prolific ground. 

 The trenches made for the walks he caused to be 

 filled with clinkers, ashes, and scoria of the iron, 

 covering the whole with a thin coat of road- 

 scrapings, which made them very dry and firm. He 

 cut down two, and lopped some other large horse 

 chesnut trees, which he had made into wattles to 

 protect a quickset hedge, which he had planted within 

 them ; put up a door-case and a door, with a lock, 

 which caused persons who knew the locality to smile, 

 and assure my father that he was only providing 

 abundant vexation for himself, for that the bargemen, 

 who continually passed by the side of his embryo 

 garden, between their vessels and the village, would 

 never let him enjoy the produce of it. My father 

 proved^ that these opinions were badly founded ; for 

 as soon as the garden became productive, which it 

 was very soon abundantly, my father freely offered 

 these men, as they passed, vegetables or apples, and 

 none of them ever took even an apple without per- 

 mission ; indeed, had any one of them done so, he 

 would have been scouted by the rest of his compa- 

 nions. 



"When my father first entered upon the mill, he 

 found the workmen very irregular in their habits, 



