56 



Popular Science Monthly 



An ugly rock transformed into a beautiful flower-bed 



A Flower-Bed on Top of a Rock 



TRANSFORMING the unsightly 

 rocks in your yard into flower-beds 

 is not such a difficult task as one might 

 think. Providing nature has been kind 

 enough to hollow out the top of the rock 

 or make it sufficiently level so you can 

 build a bed of fresh earth on it, all you 



need to complete the task 

 is a few pointed stones, some 

 cement and the seeds of your 

 favorite flower. 



The accompanying photo- 

 graph shows how one rock 

 was turned into a thing of 

 beauty. Nature had been 

 kind in this instance and 

 the top was hollowed out 

 deep enough to contain all 

 the earth needed. Then 

 the mother and son who 

 thought of the novel plan 

 obtained some cement and 

 pointed stones and enclosed 

 the earth with a miniature 

 picket - fence. Petunias were planted 

 and with constant care, probably with 

 more care than an ordinary flower- 

 bed would need, they grew into a luxu- 

 riant lot of flowers. When the petu- 

 nias lost their beauty rose-bushes were 

 planted and they thrived as their 

 predecessors. 



A Unique Garden-Hose Holder 



A LITTLE time and work saver in 

 the form of a hose-holding device 

 is shown in the accompanying illustra- 

 tion. Its purpose is to hold the hose, 

 while sprinkling the lawn or flowers, in 

 any desired position, thereby doing 

 away with the tedious process of hand 

 sjjrinkling. There is a flat, circular 

 metal base out of which rises a sheet- 

 iron standard, having openings at the 

 top and the bottom. Outward from 

 the top of the lower opening in the 

 standard extends a tempered-steel spring, 

 while through the opening at the top is 

 a strip of sheet-iron, along the bottom 

 of which is a scries of notches. To the 

 outer end of this strij) are fastened the 

 ends of a wire loop, which also runs 

 through the outer end of the spring. 



To operate, the nozzle end of the hose 

 is inserted through the opening at the 

 lower end of the standard and is con- 

 tinued on below the spring and through 

 the wire loop at its end. It is then in 

 position shown in the lower i)iclure. To 

 bring the hose Xo the |)ositioii shown in 

 the ui)i)er illustration, the operator 

 simply grasps the end of the upi)er 

 notched strip and draws it through the 



opening in the standard. When the 

 desired position is reached a notch in 

 the strip is dropped over a nail in the 

 standard. The pressure of the spring 

 serves to keep the adjustment securely 

 notched. This device is practical and, 

 being made entirely of metal and of sim- 

 ple construction, it is durable. 



The hose is 

 held rigidly 

 in position 

 and will not 

 move under 

 the stress of 

 ordinary 

 pressure 



A single adii.^i...^i.i .... ..........n a hose in 



any desired position 



