34 
THE YOUNG SCIENTIST. 
All that birds require is a quiet and 
secure situation for their homes. My 
father some years ago fastened a number 
of flower pots against the side of a brick 
house. The holes at the bottom of the 
pots were made large enough for wrens, 
and too small for blue birds. As a battle 
had been raging for a number of days be- 
tween the wrens and a pair of blue birds 
over the possession of the only bird house 
on the grounds, the flower pots pleased 
the wrens, who took immediate posses- 
sion, and ceased their warfare on their 
neighbors. 
I have since used flower pots extensively 
in constructing bird houses, and will try 
to give the readers of the Yottng Scientist 
my experience as a bird house builder. 
Fig. 1 shows a seven-inch pot fastened 
against a stone wall ; a hole is cut out of 
the bottom of the pot large enough to ad- 
mit of either wrens or sparrows. For cut- 
ting the hole I use the large blade of a 
jack-knife, well notched, and soften the 
ware thoroughly with water. This reduces 
friction, and prevents clogging, or draA\ 
ing the temper of the blade. The hole, 
after it is cut, can be filed to any desired 
shape. The pot is held against the wall 
where it is to be fastened b^^ leaning a post 
or board against it. 
For a cement for fastening, plaster of 
paris is to be preferred to Portland cement 
for light work, and also for its quick set- 
ting qualities, which may be hastened by 
adding a little salt. The plaster should 
he applied rapidly about the rim of the 
pot, and against the wall, till a perfect 
union is formed. The pot and the wall 
must be first dampened mth water, or the 
plaster will not adhere. 
After the plaster has set, the board prop 
is withdrawn, and work on another pot 
begun. When all the pots are fastened in 
position, the plaster is given twenty-four 
hours to dry and harden before putting on 
the rough coating, as the weight of this | 
coating might break away the pots. The i 
rough coating is applied as shown in Fig. j 
3, with a broad bladed table knife, or 
" pointing ", trowel. I load the trowel; 
\^ith 'plaster ; with the left hand I urge the | 
flow of thb' plaster from the point of the I 
trowel with a stick, the point of which has I 
been well greased or soaked in oil, to 
prevent the plaster adhering and forming 
a knob. 
When it is desired to make the bird 
houses look more picturesque, pieces of 
lichens and wood mosses may be fastened 
on with plaster; small branches of the 
vine may also be brought down and around 
the pot, and for a perch or rest in front of 
the entrance, a dead twig or branch may 
be used. These are also fastened to the 
pot with plaster. 
After the plaster is perfectly dry, it 
should get a heavy coat of boiled linseed 
oil, mixed with a dull green, brown, or 
neutral tint. The oil protects the plaster 
from the action of rain and the atmo- 
sphere. 
Fig. 2 is a hanging bird house. It con- 
sists of a nine-inch flower pot and an old 
milk pan. A hole is made in the bottom 
of the pot and pan large enough for a 
turned picket or stick to pass through, 
and to allow for the fastening of the straw 
which is to form the thatched roof. A 
hole is bored through the picket into which 
a cross pin of wood or iron is inserted, on 
which the bottom of the pan rests, other- 
wise it and the pot would slip off. 
The milk pan is punched full of holes to 
allow the plaster to pass through and 
clinch, as it will not adhere to the smooth 
surface of the tin. In applying the plas- 
ter to the pot, I use an extra quantity on 
the inner bottom of the pan, to more 
firmly unite the pot and pan together. 
After the plaster has hardened, the rough 
coating is applied as before described. 
The pan, after it is filled with earth, is 
planted with tradescantia, German ivy, or 
Madeira vines, which will cling and twine 
to the brush cat screen. I have also used 
some of the more hardy of the succulent 
plants, such as house leeks, creeping 
Charley, and semper vivum metallica, etc 
The cat screen is made of the branches 
of black alder firmly bound to the picket, 
some two feet below the bottom of the 
pan, against which they press and radiate 
out, forming an effectual obstruction to 
cats, as well as looking very ornamental 
when the vines are growing among the 
mess of branches, buds and burrs. 
The best and most ornaihental woods 
