The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1883-09-20
Fish Ponds for Farms.

times, we want 10 snow now JnlS
can be done at little expense and
labor. Let us see how they can be
improved and stocked: We stated
in a previous letter that an acre of
water can be made to produce more
than an acre of land. A farmer
writing to an Ohio paper says:
Eve write from practical expert
ence IN this matter, having in ear
Iier days caught may nice string
OF fish in pond that was formerly
u swamp. During one day in Au-
gust the owner, with two of his
boys, went into it with a plough,
road scraper, and shoyels, and in
short time had a pond of nearly an
acre in extent. This he stocked
with fish common to the sluggish
streams of the neighborhood, and
procured others at some distance
from the farm. For years there
after it proved to be the best acre
on the farm.
While we do not advocate so
cheaply made pond as this mainly
on the principle that THAT which
costs nothing is OF no value" still,
this is better than no pond, and if u
few trees and Towering shrubs are
pl;cted around il would make a
pleasant, shady spot in the summer
heat. If some aquatic plants are
put in the bottom of the pond. they
will furnish feed for fish, and pro
duce flowers on the surface. Your
unsightly swamp or slough becomes
picture as well as a means of en-
joyment and profit. Where springs
exist, as described in my previous
letter, some means must be pro-
vided to carry off the surplus water,
especially if the lower portion of
the pond is a deep ditch OF slough.
Let this be gradually shaped to an
oval form, leaving about six feet
wide to form your dam. If the
head of your water will not exceed
five feet, simple dam and en-
bankment OF clay or earth will be
sufficiet. Let the dam be solidly
constructed by putting a tree across
for the breastwork. Square up this
piece of timber, and let it be of suf-
ficient length to be embedded into
the earth some feet on each side of
ditch or dyke. For the dam get
good solid boards, set upright edge
to edge. If hardwood planks can
be obtained, elm or alder wood, so
much the better will your dam be
built. We should advise bottom
stringer to be put in; a tree squared
up will form the best support. In
side this stringer dig ditch two
feet deep, and let the planks come
to the bottom of this trench; pud-
die and ram them into position with
clay and make a firm bottom.
Build up an inclined slope of clay
and stones. AS you ascend, pud-
die and beat the clay into position
against the planks. Get your road
scrapers to work, and on this clay
run up some of the mud and silt
from the bottom of the pond. This
all will give you a dam with a pond
that will increase the value of your
farm. A trough or sluice must be
provided to carry off the surplus
water. Experiment must govern
you in its construction. A simple
trough, a foot wide, four inches
deep, will carry off a large quaint
ty of water. Let the top of your
dam around the wings be well
rammed and beaten with clay so
as to prevent any leakage of water.
Into such pond 1t will be neces-
sary to set aquatic plants of such
kind as will attract flies and larvae,
thus enabling young fish fry to OBJ
tain food in a natural state. Also
plant willows near the dam. The
roots will spread into the earth,
binding it together, and also pro
vide hiding PAGES for young fish.
Our readers will recall the fact
that to successfully increase fish and
keep them up to a good standard in
size, we must provide proper food
for them. We do this by putting
in minnows and fish of such kinds
as are prolific, yet of small value as
food fishes. These in turn will
''form food for fishes" To feel
these minnows we put in aquatic
plants that attract insects. We
will name few that are common
Myriophyllum water
millfoil lUtricularia { bladder wort),
common water-lily, Polygonum,
Amphibium, Pennsylvanicum, Mas
turtinm officinale water c1ess)
Zizania aquatica water oats or In
dian rice), Sagittaria (arrow-head) J,
q fine calla-like growing plant.
If we wish to introduce some in
sect life in our pond, we examine
the weeds pulled from the bottom !
of some neighboring lake or stream,
and find them teeming with minute
creatures. Let us watch the min
nows and small fry around these
weedsl How carefully they nose
around them, pushing the leaves
aside. The minnows live on these
Pull a bucketful of the
weeds, carry them to your pond,
lay the roots ON the soft mud, put
stone across the roots, and you will
find the weeds growing. The few
minnows we have put in have found
the weeds are getting feast. Your
minnows will increase and multi
ply. Get some yellow perch, few
pickerel, and a half-a dozen small
bass. We cannot commend the
because he is a cheeky
gormand swapping up everything
that comes across his way, having a
decided fondness for spawn of all
kinds. There are better fish to be
had-but he has one advantage to
him--he will live in al
most any water.
The best table fishes for ponds
having springs in them are the bass,
the yellow perch, and pickerel; put
in a few bull-heads or pouts, they
are good fry.
Many farms in these times have
4 windmill on them for furnishing