May, 1915 
HOUSE AND GARDEN 
339 
show, and such a one will be found to work very satisfactorily. 
The first summer 1 was very careful frequently to take out the 
fish and to empty the pond. I caught the fish in a net and kept 
them in a tub of water while the pond 
was drained, scrubbed and refilled. 
One day the plug was swollen and 
stuck so tightly that we were unable 
to remove it, so my man got a tin 
pump from the hardware store and 
pumped the water out by hand. It 
was slow, but it worked; so I know 
that it can be done. 
At first, draining the pond was 
good sport, but it soon lost its 
novelty. Then the net got torn and 
the fish would get out of it, and the 
whole performance had begun to pall 
.and lose interest. Fortunately, about 
this time a breeder of gold fish told 
me that fish do far better when the 
•dirt and sediment are allowed to 
collect upon the bottom and sides of 
a pond and the water is occasionally 
flushed off from the top, leaving such 
matter as is not carried off in this 
way to settle and form a deposit. 
Experiment taught me that this is 
true. The fish have done better since 
I have followed his method. We 
now leave the water in the pond 
all summer — only draining and 
scrubbing it after the fish have been 
taken out for the winter. 
At first the knowing ones predicted 
that, having but a thin shell of con¬ 
crete, my pond could not possibly last through a winter. Although 
slight, this shell easily bears my weight and that of heavy stones 
as well. 
For two winters the water was left in the pond until it froze 
about three inches, so that we had to break through this thick 
Ice to catch the fish. 
After this we waited 
for a melting day, 
removed the plug 
and drained the 
pond. Both times 
spring found the 
■concrete intact with- 
cut any crack or 
shrinkage; this, too, 
after below-zero 
weather had lasted 
for weeks. 
Last winter I for¬ 
got to see to the 
drainage after the 
fish were taken out, 
and in consequence 
the water froze 
solid to the bottom. 
The result was a 
few tiny cracks near 
the top; these my 
man brushed over 
with cement and 
water, and the pond 
is now quite as good as it was when it was newly finished. 
By a fortunate chance our pond came out a bit uneven. A 
part of the north edge is a trifle lower than the rest. When we 
fill the pond from the hydrant we 
put the hose at the very bottom and 
the overflow which flushes the pond 
runs out at this depression into a 
system of small irrigation ditches 
leading to all parts of the yard. In 
this way even in the dry weather 
everything is kept fresh and green. 
In constructing a pond, I would 
suggest that one spot be made pur¬ 
posely a little lower than the rest. 
It might be an unnoticeably slight 
depression or it might be featured 
a bit, as a little concrete channel; 
in either case it could carry the 
water overflowed into a little ditch. 
This channel could be edged with 
rushes or flags and be made quite 
effective. 
After I had finished my pond and 
put in the fish I turned my attention 
to an environment for the bit of 
water. My idea was to have it look 
like a lot of greenery run wild. 
There were already wild grape 
vines and woodbine over the trees 
and fences, and these made a dense 
background as well as a screen. 
I wanted something which would 
grow quickly and yet have the effect 
of having been there for a long time. 
I did not wish anything formal or 
merely snug or neat in appearance. 
I had one of the best greenhouse men up and told him my 
plan. The design he submitted looked like a birthday cake. I 
ended by having him send up the plants, which I selected, and 
some men to set them out, and I directed them. 1 he result is a 
wildly, unconven¬ 
tional and incongru¬ 
ous mass, which 
would be a night¬ 
mare to a florist, but 
is a perfect delight 
to my lawless eyes. 
In front of a great 
thatch of woodbine 
covering the garage 
is a Sumac like a 
fern in delicacy, and 
under this are Cas¬ 
tor beans and Ele¬ 
phant’s Ears; while 
rushes and Iris 
straggle carelessly 
up to the water’s 
edge. A long rope 
of wild grape vine 
droops from a But¬ 
ternut tree and 
waves lazily over the 
pond or lies lightly 
on the water. 
(Cont. on page 366) 
Behind the pool was grown a background of elephant ears, iris and 
honeysuckle 
Children like this sort of outdoor life, and a pool, small or large, makes a safe playground for them. 
Make a wilderness of flowers around its border and stock with gold fish and you have an ideal substitute 
for the country 
