86 
HOUSE AND GARDEN 
August, ign 
An inspiring and particularly well executed rock garden where there 
is absolutely no suggestion of artificiality 
stirred up whenever anything disturbs it. If there is an outlet 
pipe, cover it with screening to keep the fish in as well as too pre¬ 
vent its being clogged. Two or three fish are sufficient for a pool 
the size of an ordinary tub, and this number may be increased 
proportionately. The fish spawn in June usually, and I have 
known a pair to stock a pond in a season. Some say that the old 
fish will eat the little ones, however, and recommend bringing 
the roots and stalks to which the eggs are attached, into the 
aquarium or a tub, and giving the little chaps a better chance for 
their lives by letting them grow to good size before putting them 
into the pool with the old fellows. 
The soil for water lilies should be a compost of heavy loam 
mixed with one-third thoroughly decayed cow manure. Cover 
with an inch of good heavy sand. The boxes for them may be a 
foot deep and from one to three feet square, according to the 
size of the pool. In natural ponds larger boxes, four feet square 
and a foot and a half deep, are better; or the lilies may be 
planted in the natural mud bed. 
light and the consequent sense of 
cheer — all the brightness that a smile 
implies; reflecting shadow it doubles 
and intensifies it, bringing the gloom 
which shadows symbolize — which 
frowns indicate. 
The mechanical essentials of all 
pools are of course that they be 
watertight and frost proof — two 
things not difficult to attain, though 
many do seem to fall short of them 
when they undertake to construct a 
water basin. Puddled clay is recom¬ 
mended by many, but it is not likely 
to be any cheaper than cement and 
concrete — and it is not easy to find 
someone who can handle it properly. 
Unless it is very thoroughly and 
carefully “puddled,” away it will go 
some fine day—and away goes the 
water, too. 
The construction of a cement pool 
is practically the same under all cir¬ 
cumstances, whatever the size and 
form determined upon. The two 
things which insure its stability and 
resistance are its floor below the 
frost line and its walls sloping out 
on the inside, as they rise. Two and a half feet down is the ac¬ 
cepted depth of frost according to many builders, but for surety 
three feet is a better standard. This means an excavation three 
and a half feet deep, the size and shape of the proposed pool. 
A footing six inches in depth and as wide as the wall is to be at 
its base, of cement and broken stone, is first put down. Onto this 
the wall of brick, laid in cement, is placed, starting with a width 
of 8 to 12 inches at the bottom and sloping out, on the inside, to 
a width of from 4 to 6 inches at the top. 
Pack the bottom with broken stone and cement to a depth of 
six inches, then plaster bottom and sides with at least one inch of 
Portland cement mortar, nicely smoothed down. Use one part 
of cement to three of sand. Dip or pump the water out in the 
fall and fill with leaves, tramping them down—and cover with 
boards or a coldframe sash. It is well, in severe climates, to bank 
over the margin also with the leaves, though this is hardly neces¬ 
sary unless it projects high above the ground. 
Water lilies should always be planted in tubs or boxes and sunk 
into such a pool. Then they are easily removed in the winter 
or at any time, if necessary, and the water is kept very much 
cleanqr than it can be when the earth is free on the bottom, to be 
If you attempt a naturalistic pool, follow Nature’s 
models or the result will be most disappointing 
Dormant rhizomes should be cov¬ 
ered with only two or three inches’ 
of water until they have made 
their first floating leaf ; then gradu¬ 
ally increase the depth of the water 
as the plants grow, by lowering the 
box deeper into the pool. Water 
should always stand some time in 
the spring before the lilies are put into 
it, to warm up — and water for lilies 
must be still and of even temperature. 
After the style of water garden 
has been decided upon, and the means 
of water supply chosen, there is still 
the important consideration of keep¬ 
ing the water fresh — not that the 
water has to be changed so very 
often, but a fresh supply should be 
constantly added to prevent stagna¬ 
tion. The various unpleasant forms 
of plant life which grow so quickly 
will be avoided in this way. Insect 
life, mosquitos especially, find breed¬ 
ing places in stagnant water and often 
make this form of garden more of a 
nuisance than a pleasure. Fish are 
one’s best allies in destroying these 
pests. 
An odd shape of lily pool 
terrace of evergreens, 
insignificant 
and fountain as the central feature of a 
A pool by itself on a lawn would be 
