394 Frsuine i American WATERS. 
piles driven into the bottom, leaving the tops of them a foot 
or so above the bottom, to prevent poachers from netting the 
pond or stream. The dam may or may not be constructed 
so as to permit the trout to follow down the stream to its 
estuary and return at will. This would depend upon agree- 
ment betwcen the different owners of the stream. But when 
the stream debouches into a bay or river of salt-water, a tum- 
bhng dam offers an inducement to smelt, herring, etc., to 
spawn in the pond, and thus stock it with the best feed pos- 
sible for trout, for those trout which feed on shrimp, smelt, 
spearing, young herring, and the roe of fishes are always su- 
perior to such as feed on worms brought down the stream by 
afreshet. Although one of the principal charms of the trout 
is that he feeds on the flies which swarm on the surface of 
the water, thus enlivening and beautifying the water by 
breaking to the surface and forming numerous wakes of large 
circles, and sometimes rising above the surface and disclosing 
miniature rainbows of amber and gold, yet there are times 
when he prefers something more substantial, and will not 
touch a fly. In this he imitates humanity, which requires 
roast beet, as well as plum-pudding and omelette sorfiiee. So 
the trout requires his piece de resistance of something more 
substantial than flies. 
Dubravius, Dr. Lebault, and many piscatorial professors, 
dwell at great length upon preparing fish-ponds and taking 
care of them. We therefore extract the gist of their advice, 
intermingled with our own, as follows: A pond intended for 
either profit or pleasure should be cleansed once every three 
or four years, especially if large compared with the stream 
by which it is fed, or if sustained by more surface-water than 
of spring-water. It should be drained and lie dry six or 
twelve months, both to kill the water-weeds and the animals 
which feed on trout and its roe. The letting your pond dry 
and sowing oats in the bottom is also good, for it purifies the 
bottom of the pond. 
In reconstructing your pond after draining it, and having 
