House & Garden 
desirable and 
pleasing in nat¬ 
uralistic sur¬ 
roundings, but a 
circular or ellip¬ 
tical pond or an 
oblong fountain 
basin with square 
corners, or an 
ornamental de¬ 
sign with copings 
of architectural 
intent may be 
adopted for for¬ 
mal surround¬ 
ings as fancy 
or judgment 
may dictate. 
I have mentioned that brickwork is the 
best for construction, but where other 
material is at hand, there is no reason why 
such should not be used. Practically the 
same conditions exist in either case, and the 
same end must be kept in view, that is, the 
pond must be water-tight, and no chances of 
leakage taken. Ponds, like cisterns, are 
sometimes made of concrete. A water-lily 
pool may be made of concrete with sides 
flaring at an angle of forty-five degrees or 
else they may be curved upward, but it is 
absolutely necessary to have the soil firm so 
that there will be no possibility of any 
settling which would result in cracks and 
leaks. If concrete be used, it should, of 
course, be finished off with a facing of 
cement. The method of planting in natural 
pools is very simple. If the usual amount 
of decomposed vegetable matter and silt be 
found, there will be abundant plant food. 
Nothing more is necessary. The rhizomes 
of hardy water-lilies or prepared pot-grown 
plants may be set out from April to August, 
but care should be taken in the northern 
sections not to do so until the native varieties 
are making growth and there is no fear of the 
plants receiving a check in transplanting. 
They should be securely planted but not 
buried, so that the rhizomes cannot rise to 
the surface. Eighteen inches to two feet of 
water will be as deep as an operator can well 
accomplish this work, and he will have to 
wear high sport¬ 
ing boots of rub¬ 
ber. For deeper 
water, it will be 
best to prepare 
the plantsbefore- 
hand by setting 
them in pots or 
lily-pans. After 
they are well 
rooted, they 
can be turned 
out, roots and 
soil kept intact 
and deposited 
where they are 
intended to grow 
permanentl y. 
For an artificial pond, soil has to be prepared. 
This should consist of good fibrous turf or top 
soil, inclined to be heavy, mixed with thor¬ 
oughly rotted manure in the proportion of one 
part of the latter to two of soil. Manure from 
stall-fed cattle is to be preferred. The soil 
should not be spread over the bottom of the 
pond, but a box three or four feet square 
should be nearly filled with it, then, surfaced 
with sand. Place the boxes in position in 
the pond where the plants are intended to 
grow prior to filling with soil, but no artificial 
pond, however small, that is constructed of 
masonry, should be planted immediately after 
it is finished. Next fill the pool with water, 
and after it stands a day or two, draw it off. 
Or if subjected to heavy rains, with the outlet 
open, the same end may be accomplished— 
that is, carry oft the caustic properties of the 
new cement, which would be injurious to the 
plants. 
After the boxes have been filled with the 
compost the pond may be partly filled with 
water, say six inches above the top of the 
boxes. Phis may stand a few days before 
the planting, and if spring or well water is 
used it will doubtless turn green, but it will 
be the right condition for the plants. It may 
remain, even if unsightly, for in due time it 
will clear of its own accord. Of the plants 
themselves, I shall treat in a subsequent 
paper. 
( To be continued .) 
A JAPANESE WATER GARDEN 
Showing good marginal planting 
°-93 
