578 GAME BIRDS, WILD-FOWL AND SHORE BIRDS. 



which they may be collected by a rake or net on still days in 

 late October or early November. Winter buds may be taken 

 at the same season, or the plants may be taken up for trans- 

 planting as soon as they appear in spring. They may be kept 

 in damp moss for a short time or in water in cold storage for 

 longer periods. They may be planted on muddy or sandy bot- 

 toms, in from three and one-half to six and one-half feet of 

 water. A sluggish current is best adapted to the growth of 

 this plant, but it grows well in nearly stagnant fresh water. 



If pods are used, they may be broken up into pieces half 

 an inch long and sown broadcast, but not too thickly, as the 

 plants spread rapidly. Winter buds or pieces of plants must 

 be weighted by tying stones to them or embedding them in 

 clay balls. Seed-pod sections also may be enclosed in clay 

 balls. They may be sown in the fall, but buds or rootstocks 

 or young plants should be kept in eold storage and sown in 

 May or June. 



Dr. R. V. Pierce, in Forest and Stream of December 16, 

 1911, states that he has been very successful in planting wild 

 celery roots by using little rivet tongs with long handles. 

 Two men stationed in the bow of a light boat do the 

 planting, while another man in the stern furnishes the pro- 

 pelling power. With these tongs he says they can readily 

 push the roots into the soft muddy bottom, in four or five feet 

 of water, where they could not be so well planted by wading. 

 Stakes are put up for guides, and the planting of the bottom 

 is thoroughly done. It proved abundantly productive, and 

 produced, he says, thousands of tons of these valuable plants. 

 He has been successful in planting the sago pondweed {Pota- 

 mogeton pectinatus) in the same manner. 



Ducks appear to be fond of all pondweeds, and any pond- 

 weed would be a valuable attraction to any duck pond. There 

 are no less than thirty-eight species of pondweeds of the genus 

 Potamogeton in the United States, of which at least nine (see 

 Fig. 25, and Plates XXXIV, XXXV) are distributed almost 

 universally. The seed of a plant called widgeon grass by Cape 

 Cod gunners has been identified for me by Mr. W. L. McAtee 

 of the Biological Survey as that of Potamogeton epihydrus. 



