HOW I SHOULD BUILD 29 



Laying concrete is fascinating work. In lin- 

 ing bath tanks it is best to drive short wire nails 

 or tacks into the sides to reinforce or hold up 

 the sides of the lining. Although I have had 

 concrete stick firmly to water-logged rough lum- 

 ber, I think it safer to reinforce. In mixing con- 

 crete for lining, I should advise five parts sand 

 to o"ne part cement, mixing thoroughly first, then 

 adding sufficient water to make a smooth paste. 

 After it begins to set, sprinkle with water. I 

 let mine stand ten or fourteen days before put- 

 ting it to use, sprinkling it daily; if the weather 

 was hot, several times a day. 



Pigeons are great splashers and the ground 

 for a foot or two surrounding the tanks soon 

 becomes deep mud unless concrete floorings are 

 put beneath the tanks. I set my tanks on four 

 2x4 uprights, with a two-inch slant toward the 

 drain ditch ; the faucet being at the highest end. 

 The uprights were long enough to bring the tank 

 up pretty close to the mouth of the faucet and 

 were sunk six inches in the ground. Set the 

 tank on the* uprights and bore a hole for a 

 plug directly over the mouth of the drain ditch 

 before lining with cement. Dig out the ground 

 beneath, for at least a foot surrounding the 

 tank, four inches deep. Put in a two-inch layer 

 of coarse gravel and cover with a thin layer 



