THE GOLDFISH AND ITS CULTURE. 31 
devote his spare time to the cultivation of goldfish, the amateur will 
hardly know where to commence or what to do first, neither will he 
know how to do it. That want the author thoroughly appreciates, 
and it is his aim to supply it in these pages, at the same time bearing 
in mind that the great majority will probably have but a small capital 
with which to commence business, and must necessarily confine 
themselves to such things as are most needed when making a start. 
After a beginning has been successfully accomplished, other and 
useful accessories may be added from time to time that will undoubt- 
edly greatly reduce labor and enhance the enjoyment of the pursuit, 
for if one does not take any interest in what he is engaged he can 
not hope to derive from it either pleasure or profit. 
The first thing then is to determine on a favorable site for the 
location of the ponds, This, as previously stated, should be one 
protected from cold winds and fully exposed to the sun, not for- 
getting that the soil to form the floor of the ponds should be as rich 
as possible. It must also be borne in mind for it is a very essential 
requisite, that every pond must be drawn off at times, and independ- 
ently of all others. When this can not be accomplished by turning 
to account the natural declivity or resources of the site, the series 
must be so arranged that this may be accomplished in sections, or, in 
other words, the ponds so situated that two or three or more, as the 
case may be, can be emptied at will. 
The manner in which ponds are to be constructed in any given 
case is, as a matter of necessity, to be governed by the circumstances 
as they exist, anything favorable for them to be taken advantage of 
and turned to good account. A natural valley or hollow may be 
dammed up at the lower end, thus enabling the culturist to place his 
ponds on top of the ground, so to speak, or they may be made by 
digging out the soil to the required size and depth to receive the 
frames hereafter to be decribed. 
