Popular Science Monthly 



459 



An Effective Garden Path of Brick 

 and Concrete Block 



IN this method of making a walk, 

 many of the old ideas have been 

 brought into use, but with added features 

 to insure an artistic effect. The illustra- 



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The plan of the block, the mold for making it and 

 the appearance of the completed square in use 



tlon depicts the construction of a block 

 that can be easily made and will present 

 an appearance in harmony with any 

 well-ordered surroundings. It is made 

 of brick and a concrete mixture. To 

 give it a square shape a form must be 

 used, which is easily constructed with 

 boards. The size of the bricks will 

 determine the size of the form. Make 

 a square base from one or more boards 

 and strengthen it with cleats across the 

 bottom. Make a square box without 

 top or bottom to fit neatly on the base. 

 Dowels or guides should be used to 

 return the base in the proper place each 

 time it is set for a new block. The 

 height of the sides for this box should be 

 equal to the width of the bricks to be 

 used. 



The bricks are set in the form as 

 shown and the concrete mixture poured 

 in the open spaces around them. The 

 richness of this mixture will depend on 

 how well the block is to be made. One- 

 to-five mixture may be used for the 

 bottom and should be well tamped in. 

 The finishing surface is filled with one-to- 

 two or one-to-one using only sand to 

 make a smooth surface. The top is struck 

 off and troweled down smooth. While 

 damp the mold box should be removed, 

 allowing the block to set aside until it 

 hardens. The red bricks showing through 

 the gray concrete in the green lawn is 

 very effective. 



In setting the blocks in the lawn, 

 measure off the distance in steps while 



walking naturally, marking each place 

 where the foot touches the ground. The 

 stones are placed in these positions in a 

 zig-zag fashion, yet on a straight line. 

 A hole is dug in the turf, removing 

 sufficient dirt to admit the block so that 

 its surface is level with the 

 ground. This makes it easy to 

 cut the grass over the stones 

 without having to trim the edges 

 with a hand sickle. 



To make the box-form lift 

 easily from the block, have the 

 sides slightly tapering so that the 

 bottom opening will be some- 

 what larger than the top. Han- 

 dles can be placed on the sides 

 to aid in lifting it from the fin- 

 ished block. Where a great 

 many of the blocks are to be 

 made it is well to have the mold 

 convenient and handy to operate. 



A Stopper for Poison Bottles Which 

 Works Automatically 



AS a safeguard to prevent children or 

 l\ others from accidentally pouring 

 acid or poison from bottles which are 

 thought to contain medicines or harm- 

 less liquids, a thin glass tube, on the 

 lower end of which is a cork, can be 

 inserted and will serve as a warning and 

 as a safeguard. 



The cork on the 

 end of the tube is 

 forced into the bottle 

 and the usual cork, 

 bored to admit the 

 passage of the tube, 

 is fitted in place. If 

 this bottle is taken 

 in the dark and the 

 cork removed the 

 tube will be forced 

 upwards. This 

 serves as a warning. 

 If an attempt 

 is made to pour 

 liquid from the bot- 

 tle the lower cork 

 will drop into the 

 neck of the bottle 

 and prevent liquid 

 from flowing out. 

 When the contents of the acid or poison 

 bottle are to be used purposely, the 

 liquid can be drawn by pushing the tube 

 inwards, which forces the cork up out 

 of the way. — R. V. Lawrence. 



When the cork is 

 drawn out the 

 tube is forced up 



