A boulder lacking the naturally hollowed surface, suitable for a 

 bird bath, may by the aid of bricks, or better, rough stones and 

 Portland cement, be transformed into an excellent bath that may 

 be oval or rectangular in shape, or the sides may follow the con- 

 tour of the boulder. 



A well-proportioned bath should be three feet long and two 

 and one-half feet wide. It should have a depth of one-half inch 

 at the edge, and the bottom should slope gradually toward the 

 centre, where the greatest depth should not be over three and 

 one-half inches. Birds alight at the edge of the bath and wade in 

 cautiously until they find the depth that suits them, before begin- 

 ning their ablutions, there is no sudden plunge into its depths. 



In making a permanent bird bath in the midst of a lawn, first 

 cut out carefully the turf, making the opening large enough to 

 admit of a siding of bricks set on edge to be placed around as a 

 retaining border, so that the measurements of the finished bath 

 inside the brick edging will be two and one-half by three feet. 

 Remove the earth to the depth of twelve or sixteen inches, placing 

 it upon a piece of canvas spread upon the lawn near by, and thus 

 prevent disfiguring the surroundings with earthy debris. Fill 

 this excavation with pieces of coarse, broken stone to within four 

 inches of the top, and then set the bricks up on edge around the 

 borders. Mix sharp sand and Portland cement together, using 

 only water enough to form a stiff paste that can be easily handled. 



Use three parts of sand to one of cement, and stir the dry 

 materials well together before adding the water. A shallow wooden 

 box makes an excellent mortar-bed in which to prepare the mate- 

 rial. After the cement has been applied and has "set" long 

 enough so that it may be easily manipulated, take your trowel 

 and smooth up ,the bath. Begin at the centre and work toward 

 the sides, so that the bath will slope gently from the edge to the 

 centre. Before the cement becomes too hard, a thin coating of 

 pure cement may be rubbed over the three to one formula, and 

 will make a more waterproof coating. By consulting a local mason, 

 who will be glad to aid you, if only by suggestions, you will be 

 able to successfully build the bird bath without much difficulty 

 and in a creditable manner. 

 [36] 



