NOVEMBKK, 1909 



THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



171 



always more or less porous. With the right 

 proportions in the mixing it is quite pos- 

 sible to make concrete impervious to water. 



Among the many articles which anyone 

 can make of concrete perhaps the most 

 useful is the water barrel or tank. This 

 is not a difficult thing to construct if these 

 directions are followed. 



Having decided upon the dimensions of 

 the barrel, procure from the lumber mill 

 sufficient straight grained strips, one inch 

 thick by two wide, to build two cylinders 

 to form the mould. This lumber should 

 be so ordered as to avoid waste in cutting. 



The strips for the outer cylinder should be 

 cut the full heighth 

 of the barrel and laid 

 down in a row on a 

 flat surface, one end 

 against a • straight 

 edge and about J 

 inch apart. 



Three lengths of 

 about No. 12 wire, 

 8 inches longer than 

 the circumference of 

 the barrel, should 

 then be tacked across 

 the strips, one near 

 either end, the other 

 in the middle. On 

 rolling this frame 

 into a cylinder, with 

 the wire outside, the 

 inner edges of the 

 strips will touch. 



The inner cylinder 

 is made in the same 

 way except that the 

 strips are laid close 

 together and the wire 

 rolled inside. It 

 should be two in- 

 ches shorter than 

 the outer as to the 

 height of staves. 



The difference be- 

 tween the inner and 

 outer cylinders 

 should be sufficient 

 to make the sides of 

 the barrel two inches 

 thick. 



A round bottom 

 should be made 

 so as to fit snugly 

 within the outer 



cylinder, and two round, removable, end 

 discs provided to fit within the ends of the 

 inner cylinder and hold it in shape. 



Before inserting the inner cylinder, spread 

 concrete over the bottom to a thickness of 

 about one-half inch, then lay in a piece 

 of fabric, allowing the edge to project 

 well up into the sides. Fill in to a depth 

 of two inches. The best formula for this 

 purpose is a mixture of one part cement 

 and two and one-half parts of sharp sand 

 and gravel (about the size of buckwheat 

 grains) . 



Then place the inner cylinder upon this 

 bed and, to keep it in place, drop several 

 strips two inches wide between the two. 



Pour in about four inches of concrete; then 

 withdraw the strips and drop in a circle 

 of No. 3 galvanized wire. The ends of 

 this wire do not need to be fastened together 

 but they should overlap about eight inches. 

 Care is required to keep the inner cylinder 

 from changing its position during this 

 process. 



become "map-cracked" as seen in the 



photograph. 



When the finish is quite hardened, the 

 barrel should be filled with water. 



If a leak appears, pour in a half pailful 

 of dry cement and stir for about ten minutes, 

 then remove the water and clean out the 

 wet cement. Sufficient cement will have 



Insert the strips again and repeat until gone into the holes to stop the leak. Such 



the mould is filled. The concrete at each 

 successive pouring should be tamped 

 down, not too heavily, but thoroughly 

 with a round rod. This process should 

 be passed through without stopping, even 

 for a few moments; for, if the concrete 



Constantly varying moisture and heat cannot induce rot in greenhouse benches and supports made of 



solid concrete 



starts to set between two layers a leak is 

 sure to result. 



The moulds must not be removed until 

 a period of from fifteen to twenty-eight 

 days has elapsed, depending on the weather. 

 In a warm dry season fifteen days will be 

 found sufficient. 



On removing the mould all ridges of 

 concrete which have formed between the 

 strips of the cylinders should be rubbed 

 off and a coat of cement and water, mixed 

 to a paint-like consistency, should be thinly 

 applied and rubbed smooth with a block 

 of wood. This will give a neat finished 

 appearance. Too thick a coat of this 

 finish should be avoided as it is likely to 



a barrel as those shown in the photograph 

 should not require more than half a barrel 

 of cement at a cost of about one dollar. 

 The moulds, of course, can be used over 

 and over again. 



In cold weather, water should not be 

 allowed to stand in 

 a concrete barrel as 

 freezing might cause 

 the barrel to burst. 

 The best way is to 

 turn it over on its 

 side until the spring. 

 Posts should be 

 made with the mould 

 flat and upon a sand 

 bed if possible, to 

 prevent springing. 

 Build a plain three- 

 sided box the dimen- 

 sions desired (about 

 six inches square has 

 proven satisfactory 

 for clothes post, 

 fence posts, etc.) and 

 pour in concrete to 

 a depth of about 

 one-half inch, then 

 two lengths of No. 3 

 galvanized wire or 

 J -inch steel rod 

 should be laid in 

 near either corner 

 and more concrete 

 poured in and lightly 

 tamped till within 

 a half-inch of the 

 top when two more 

 rods should be laid 

 in, the mould filled 

 and the top surface 

 smoothed off. 



If a hook is desired 

 at the top a hole can 

 be bored through the 

 end of the box and 

 a piece of heavy wire 

 or rod, bent as de- 

 sired, inserted. A period of from fifteen to 

 twenty-eight days should be allowed for 

 the concrete to set. 



In setting the posts, holes should be dug 

 about twelve inches square and two and 

 a half feet deep. When the posts are 

 properly lined up and plumbed, the holes 

 should be filled with a mixture of one part 

 of cement to four or five of coarse sand 

 and gravel, pounded down well. The 

 posts should now be ' finished with soft 

 paint-like cement and rubbed down with 

 a block of wood. 



A straight edge will be of use in keeping 

 the surface in fine. No strain should be put 

 upon the posts until the concrete has set. 



