CHAPTER XVIII. 
PREPARING THE SPAWNING BED. 
As the goldfish deposits its spawn upon plants that live in the 
water, it is necessary that the natural condition of things be closely 
imitated in preparing the bed in which the fish are expected to 
spawn. These plants can be obtained from any neighboring creek 
or marsh (that with a gravel bottom preferred). Those marsh plants 
possessing fibrous roots are either pulled or dug up with their roots 
entire; they are then washed thoroughly to cleanse them of the 
adhering mud, and clesely examined to see that there are no eggs of 
other fish or insect larve upon them, Having secured enough of 
these for the present, say half a dozen good clumps for each bed, 
they are then placed loosely in the water of the bed, along that side 
where the sun shines upon them in the morning. On these roots the 
females will deposit their eggs Later in the season, when aquatic 
plants have commenced to grow, these roots can be removed and 
replaced with such aquatics as the Horn or Waxworth (Ceratophyllum 
demersum), and the Canal Pest (Anacharis canadensis). These plants 
are especially good to catch the eggs when dropped by the fish. 
The water supply is now shut off from the bed, only an occa- 
sional supply being let in to preserve the proper height at which the 
water should remain. 
If the goldfish are kept in places where it is impossible to get 
them out, and their spawn is wanted, large bunches of the fibrous 
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