17 



water and dirt : from the scale they are placed in the tra- 

 velling casks, as before described, and conveyed to the 

 home stews. Should the winter prove very severe, when 

 the surface of the store ponds is completely covered with ice 

 the best plan is to cut round holes, about three feet in di- 

 ameter, and to place therein a bundle of withes or straight 

 bushes, about six feet long, so that the points are upper- 

 most, and about three feet out of the water ; this will leave 

 a sufficient space open for air, as the thickness of the bush- 

 es will not allow the centre to freeze, and thus the fish will 

 become relieved ; as air is very essential for the stock, 

 all ponds ought to be ventilated on this plan during frost. 

 Where only one pond is on an estate, and kept after the 

 before-named arrangement, it should be fished only every 

 third year. The fish salesmen of the London markets all 

 agree that if a regular supply of live fresh-water fish were 

 kept up, good prices and a large consumption would be the 

 result ; as it is, what little is introduced to the markets is 

 readily purchased by the Jews, and during the season of 

 Lent by the Roman Catholics. At any rate, the whole sys- 

 tem of stocked fish-ponds arranged as I have described in 

 this pamphlet, must be productive of profit, tending also to 

 increase the quantity of sustenance or food at a cheap rate 

 for our fellow- creatures, moreover producing a gain from 

 that which now constitutes a waste. 



To make choice of your store fish for stock, you ought 



