40 THE STORY OF MY ROCK GARDEN 



pieces of stone, which would be visible when the whole 

 was completed. 



At a convenient place in the front, and where the 

 floor was at its lowest, I inserted in the retaining wall 

 of each compartment a valve which could be readily 

 opened and closed. 



Being anxious to complete the moraine by a certain 

 time, as I had to leave home for a while, and having no 

 suitable metal valve to hand, it occurred to me that 

 the upper part of a champagne bottle, which is of very 

 tough glass, would make an excellent substitute. The 

 difficulty was, how to cut it ! 



After some consideration I hit upon the following 

 plan, which answered admirably. Stand the bottle 

 in an ordinary bucket and fill the latter with cold water, 

 till the liquid stands at the height the bottle is to be 

 severed. Now take out the bottle and wipe it dry, 

 and proceed to heat over a gas flame just that part 

 where the cut is to be, keeping the bottle rotating the 

 whole time. When very hot replace the bottle rapidly 

 in the bucket of water, and with a " ping " the upper 

 part will leave the lower, exactly at the water line, as 

 cleanly as if cut by a diamond due of course, to the 

 rapid contraction of the heated portion below the 

 water ! The reason for first filling the bucket, with the 

 bottle in position, is to ensure the water being at the 

 right level, so that the heated bottle can be hastily 



