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The walls of the well are cemented first and when
they are sufficiently hard the floor of the shallow
part can be made, not forgetting the ledge to
hold the soil in for the plants. If this pond is
to be utilized for fish breeding the ledge
should be made higher, up to the water level,
in fact. Small openings with suitable stoppers
should be made at intervals in the raised ledge ;
by this means the fish will be able to enter
the shallows and spawn in the dense foliage,
and when they return to the deeper water
the shallows can then be isolated from them
by closing the openings. Consequently the
eggs and later the baby fishes will not fall
victims to their cannibal-minded parents.
Moreover, the minute life on which the
larval fishes feed will be able to breed in
security.
The greatest advantage of this type of pond
from the fish-breeder's point of view is that,
being raised, the fish can be attended to more
easily.
The Informal Pond
The informal pond can either make a garden
or mar it ; it can be a thing of beauty and it
also can be an unsightly and malodorous
puddle. An informal pond requires background either from marginal plants growing
within it or from ferns and other moisture-
loving plants. (See Figs. 3 and 4.)
A background of shrubs is the next best
thing; insects are attracted, which, either
as grubs or as adults, are a splendid food for
the fishes. Likewise most shrubs do not have
the deplorable habit of shedding their leaves.
The shape can be such as to conform to the
rest of the garden, a shady corner can be
utilized provided the pond itself receives its
quota of sunlight, or the garden can be built
around the pond, and this, to my prejudiced
view, is best of all.
On the other hand it maybe small and yet be effective ; one of the daintiest ponds I have seen held little more than eight
gallons of water, it nestled close to an angle
in the front of a house, tall flags lined the back
and in the water sagittaria bloomed.
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