CHAP. XX.] THE FIFTH DAT. 305 



however, he advises to destroy them and king-fishers out of 

 your ponds. And he advises not to suffer much shooting 

 at wild-fowl ; for that, he says, affrightens, and harms, and 

 destroys, the fish. 



Note, that carps and tench thrive and breed best when 

 no other fish is put with them into the same pond ; for all 

 other fish devour their spawn, or at least the greatest part 

 of it. And note, that clods of grass thrown into any pond, 

 feed any carps in summer ; and that garden-earth and parsley 

 thrown into a pond, recovers and refreshes the sick fish. 

 And note, that when you store your pond, you are to put 

 into it two or three melters for one spawner, if you put them 

 into a breeding-pond ; but if into a nurse-pond, or feeding- 

 pond, in which they will not breed, then no care is to be 

 taken, whether there be most male or female carps. 



It is observed, that the best ponds to breed carps are 

 those that be stony or sandy, and are warm and free from 

 wind ; and that are not deep, but have willow-trees, and 

 grass on their sides, over which the water does sometimes 

 flow : and note, that carps do more usually breed in marie- 

 pits, or pits that have clean clay-bottoms, or in new ponds, 

 or ponds that lie dry a winter-season, than in old ponds that 

 be full of mud and weeds. 



Well, scholar, I have told you the substance of all that 

 either observation or discourse, or a diligent survey of 

 Dubravius and Lebault hath told me : not that they, in their 

 long discourses, have not said more ; but the most of the 

 rest are so common observations, as if a man should tell a 

 good arithmetician, that twice two is four. 1 will therefore 

 put an end to this discourse, and we will here sit down and 

 rest us. 



