THE GAME BREEDER 



79 



torn of the remainder to slope from this 

 depth to 6 feet or more at the outlet. 

 Avoid abrupt slopes. Provide complete 

 drainage to the deepest point, where a 

 waste pipe controlled by gates or slash 

 boards should lead to outside natural 

 channels. 



It will be found a great convenience , 

 when draining ponds to have shallow 

 channels 6 inches deep and .15 inches 

 wide, at the head of the drainpipe, rad- 

 iating to all parts of the pond bottom 

 from a. kettle or pit, which may be of 

 wood or concrete. A large percentage 

 of the fish will follow, such channels as 

 the water recedes, and may be removed 

 from the kettle with less danger of in- 

 jury than if picked up promiscuously 

 about the pond. 



Remove all projections from the pond 

 bottom which might interfere with the 

 operations of seines, plow the entire bed 

 and level it with harrows before turning 

 in the water or treating further for 

 water-tightness. 



As stated above, ponds located on 

 swamp bottoms or in clay soils are prac- 

 tically impervious to seepage, and there 

 should be no difficulty in maintaining 

 their surface levels. Sandy loams are 

 more uncertain ; they require time to 

 become thoroughly saturated, but will 

 improve in this respect from year to 

 year, through the accumulating deposits 

 of decaying vegetation. It is an excell- 

 ent practice when first filling newly-con- 

 structed ponds with water, whatever the 

 nature of the soil, to follow the advanc- 

 ing water line with a drag or harrow, 

 driving the team knee-deep into the 

 water. The constant roiling and puddling 

 of the ground in this manner is very 

 effective in cementing open cracks and 

 crevices. Very porous soils may require 

 the addition of a layer of clay before 

 they will hold water. From 2 to 6 inches 

 of stiff brick clay over the entire bottom 

 and up the sides, well above the water 

 line, the bottom harrowed down as ex- 

 plained above, will hold water over the 

 most open ground likely to be used. The 

 only objection to the presence of clay is 

 its general sterility, but this may be 

 corrected by another layer of rich loam. 



after the clay has been worked down and 

 proved efficacious. Where this process 

 is to be employed, allowance must be 

 made at the time of excavation for the 

 refill of 12 or more inches. Coarse stable 

 manure, and even clean straw, well 

 trampled into the pond bottom, has been 

 reported as a successful remedy for seep- 

 age. 



A good set of nativ.e sod or sedge 

 grass around the entire pond at the 

 water line is the best preventive of 

 wave washing and encroachments upon 

 new fills. If the location is such that 

 strong currents or eddies are present, 

 piling, rock riprap, or other reinforce- 

 ment, will be necessary at the points of 

 greatest exposure. 



Landowners desiring to undertake fish 

 propagation may feel that the expendi- 

 ture necessary to secure completed 

 ponds, as described above, is prohibitive ; 

 or they may have waters available for 

 fish culture which it would not be ex- 

 pedient to remodel along the lines indi- 

 cated. The plans outlined are in accord- 

 ance with the present-day standards. 

 Fish may and are being sucess fully prop- 

 agated in far less ideal environments, 

 but more native ingenuity in such cases 

 is required. This, however, is a common 

 attribute of the American farmer, and 

 any one who can mix balanced feeds, 

 practice scientific grain breeding, or 

 master the intricacies of modern farm 

 machinery, need not hesitate for fear of 

 failure to add fish culture to his daily 

 routine. 



Summarizing the construction, these 

 features should be provided for : 



1. Water-tightness, so that a small in- 

 flow will be suffieient. This will result 

 in high temperatures during the sum- 

 mer months. 



2. A shallow area, from 18 to 30 inch- 

 es deep, where the fish may nest. 



3. A deeper area, of 6 feet or more, 

 for winter quarters. This will also be 

 occupied by the adults in the summer, 

 after nesting is completed. 



4. A fertile bottom for the growth of 

 aquatic plants, upon which fish food de- 

 pends. 



