ECONOMICAL POND CONSTRUCTION ^^ 



muscles it is better to get some unskilled 

 labour to do this preparation. For, to reduce 

 even a wheelbarrow load of clay to an ab- 

 solutely homogeneous mass by working it 

 over and over is no sinecure. 



This is the process: Clamp together several 

 boards so as to make a platform, say 6 x lo ft. 

 Spread the clay, a wheelbarrow load at a 

 time, on the boards, and with a spade, chop it 

 up thoroughly. No lumps larger than a 

 walnut should remain. Remove all sticks, 

 stones etc; then, adding a little water, begin 

 to pound, using a wooden maul and do not 

 stop pounding until a perfectly homogeneous 

 mass, of the consistency of putty, has been 

 obtained. When this is accomplished start 

 on the second load. Happily it is not neces- 

 sary to use a layer more than four inches 

 thick, so that for a pond twenty feet in 

 length, and with an average width of ten feet, 

 seven to eight wheelbarrow loads of puddled 

 clay will be ample. The cost of this material 

 is generally about five dollars, including 

 hauling, puddling, etc. 



