6 
Lakeview Ponds, Mt. Airy, Cincinnati— 1892-1935 
Forty-Third Year 
Building a Goldfish 
By Following These Suggestions You Will 
Have a Pool to be Proud of! 
B EFORE building a pool, certain questions in 
your mind should be answered. You will want 
to decide WHAT KIND OF POOL you would 
like, what SIZE it shall be, and WHERE to put it. 
May we suggest if you have not decided what kind 
of pool to build, that you will be aided by a careful 
study of the various pictures in this Catalog. 
There are, in general, two kinds of pools. The Formal, 
which includes all the geometrical shapes such as round, 
square, rectangular, etc., and the Informal or irregularly 
shaped pools, which lend themselves very well to a naturalistic 
background, or a rock garden effect. Both types are equally 
popular and offer equal possibilities for decorative effect. 
As for size, the space available, the amount of investment, 
the number of lilies wanted, etc., should be considered. In 
general, a water surface of 10 x 7 feet (70 square feet) would 
be considered a good medium sized pool. This w'ould easily 
accommodate a collection of 6 to 8 water lilies, some lotus, 
bog plants, floating plants, and a nice assortment of fish. 
Also it would not be very expensive to build, especially if the 
work is done by the owner as a spare-time occupation. 
In discussing the location, consider the availability of 
sunlight, as water lilies must have quite a bit of sun to bloom 
profusely. However, the shadow from a nearby tree or build¬ 
ing, which may fall over the pool on hot summer afternoons, 
will not be unwelcome; especially to the fish, as this may 
keep the pool from becoming too hot for the comfort of Gold¬ 
fish in July and August. However, we -would rather have 
more sunlight than not enough. 
INFORMAL POOLS 
An attractive informal pool of any size may be built with¬ 
out forms by simply hollowing out the chosen space to the 
desired shape. When the ground is prepared, the sides trimmed 
to a slope of approximately 35 to 45 degrees, and the filled-in 
spots rammed hard, you are ready for the reinforcing wire. 
For this purpose the %-inch deformed steel rods laid in 12-inch 
squares will be best for large pools, but farm fencing of No. 9 
to No. 12 gauge wire, in mesh not over 6 inches each way, will 
be easier to lay and prove very satisfactory. Reinforcing is 
necessary in concrete pools and your work may be for nothing 
if it is omitted, as the bottom or sides may then leak hope¬ 
lessly through cracks. 
Even steel or wire may not be an absolute preventive of 
cracks, but should a crack develop in a reinforced surface, the 
pieces will hold tightly together and the crack may be made 
watertight by cleaning the surface, drying thoroughly and 
pouring in melted roofing tar. Another good method is to chip 
away a little concrete on both sides of crack, dampen with 
water, then tamp in a nearly dry mixture of 1 part cement to 
2 parts fine sand. This can then be painted over with a cement 
and water paste, and the pool will be as good as ever. When 
wire fencing is used, allow it to overlap 6 inches at the joints, 
and when pouring, raise or move it so it will be in the middle 
of the concrete surface. We recommend 4 to 6 inches of con¬ 
crete for informal pools, believing that the extra thickness may 
save you a great deal of trouble in the long run. An overflow 
and drain like the one shown on Page 5 should be provided— 
however, this can be omitted if the water is to be syphoned off. 
Rock decorations will add to the natural appearance. 
If Goldfish are to be wintered in an informal pool, it must 
have an area of at least 4 feet diameter, having a depth of at 
least 30 inches from top of pool, so as to allow 24 inches of 
water during the winter. 
This photograph shows a well-made informal pool just ready for 
planting. Notice the submerged lily boxes and the two long boxes 
for planting shallow water plants. (See also Page 25.) 
Pool is Real Fun! 
This sectional drawing shows the construction of a small formal pool 
of 7 x 5 feet surface with side walls 8 inches thick. A better size is 
7x10 feet inside water surface. (See text below.) 
FORMAL POOLS 
Of all the formal types of pools, the rectangular shape, 
about 7 x 10 feet or 8 x 12 feet is the most popular, and very 
easy to make. In firm ground it is sometimes possible to dig 
a narrow trench (6 to 8 inches wide) to the required depth and 
to pour the walls without forms or with low forms for the top 
part, if walls are to extend above the ground level. When this 
method is followed, the reinforcing wire mesh (Farm Fencing is 
very good) is now put into the trench and concrete poured. 
Then after two days the center can he dug out and the bottom 
poured, being careful to get a good joint later when applying 
the smooth coat with brush and trowel. 
PLACING THE FORMS—If forms are to be used (see 
above), usually the inner forms only are needed, and the whole 
pool can be dug out at one time. Be careful not to cave in the 
sides while placing forms, and place forms to set up six inches 
to allow room for the bottom, so that when the bottom is poured 
it will knit well with the side walls. For the same reason, try 
to pour the whole pool in one operation. Reinforcing wire must 
be used to get a strong leak-proof pool. Farm fencing of No. 9 
to No. 12 gauge wire with mesh 3 to 6 inches apart will be very 
satisfactory and should be kept near the center of the walls and 
bottom, i.e., in the center of the concrete when poured. We 
recommend 6 inches of concrete for sides and bottom of this 
type pool. 
The slope shown on cut on Page 25 is desirable, but not 
necessary. (See winter care of pools, Page 25.) A drain should 
be provided before the concrete is poured; however, this can be 
omitted if you care to save the expense (a few dollars) and wish 
to syphon with a hose when draining the pool. Nevertheless, a 
drain is a big convenience, even if the pipe is laid only a few 
feet beyond the pool, as the water will seep out when drain pipe 
is opened. (And perhaps later on you will want to continue the 
drain to lower ground.) 
MIXING THE CONCRETE—In mixing the concrete, use a 
1-2-3 mix. One sack of cement to 2 cubic feet of sharp clean 
sand, and three cubic feet of gravel or stone not over %-inch in 
size, will give you a good job. Have all ground well tamped 
before pouring. Use a fairly wet mixture, and puddle it well, 
using a flat board to “spade” it into the sides around the wire 
mesh. Also wet the forms with a hose before pouring. 
When pouring on a hot, dry day, protect the cement by scat¬ 
tering wet hay, or cover with wet burlap sacks. Sprinkle very 
lightly once or twice while it is setting. The forms can be re¬ 
moved after a few days, rough spots rubbed down and a wet 
coat of one part fine sand and one part cement applied with a 
whitewash brush. NOTE: WATER-PROOF Portland Cement is 
now available nearly everywhere at slight extra cost. This will 
give a leak-proof pool. 
CAUTION—A new pool must be filled with water and 
allowed to stand for a few days, then rinse out thoroughly and 
drain. Refill immediately and allow the water to stand another 
week, then drain again. This will remove the alkali in new 
cement, which would be very injurious to fish or plants. Repeat 
this draining a third time in another week, as it will then be in 
still better shape for the fish. No salt or other chemical is 
needed to condition a pool, but keep it filled to the brim while 
curing it. 
Building a Natural Pond— (See p age 3) 
Where a small hollow with a natural watershed is avail¬ 
able, it may be dammed up by building a clay dam. This is 
done by first removing the surface soil and muck, down to 
hard clay and then building a clay dam with top at least 4 
feet wide and a slope of not over 45 degrees. A valve may 
be provided for draining, also an overflow. Usually no con¬ 
crete is needed to make such a pond watertight. Further 
details may be had on request. 
