PRACTICAL BOOK OF GARDEN ARCHITECTURE 



bases. These tall standards of beautiful Florentine 

 pottery serve the same purpose in holding the huge 

 tapering bowl up out of the way of cats, as does the 

 rustic post on which is set the usual form of concrete 

 or stone-ware bowl. 



It is well to study the interior of some of the 

 well-equipped pottery basins and bird fountains 

 which travellers have secured from old-world gar- 

 dens. Many of them show contrivances in little 

 circular shelves to give different depths. Others 

 have semicircular pockets in the stone-ware, to- be 

 filled with sand, where the little waders may find 

 pleasure in shallow water and sandy bottom. An 

 edging of rough stones set at intervals along the 

 interior of the fountain is another means of provid- 

 ing a foothold. The costly bird fountains, standing 

 high on elaborately carved pedestals, frequently dis- 

 play the same rich carving on the exterior and the 

 interior of the fountain bowl. When filled with clear 

 water, the carving glints and sparkles, while the 

 rough surface is not only extremely decorative, but 

 serves its utilitarian purpose in giving a secure foot- 

 ing to the birds. 



In planning the inexpensive concrete basins and 

 fountains that are to be of home construction, both 

 the pedestals and the bowls of the costly importa- 

 tions in pottery and marble may have their utili- 



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