MARYLAND — AQUATIC PLANTS AND GOLDFISH 
OWN A LILY POOL 
SO SIMPLE AND INEXPENSIVE TO 
BUILD—SO EASY AND INTER¬ 
ESTING TO CARE FOR 
._ ■ > 
• . 
r. 
N O FLOWER can be produced at so little 
cost as the most fascinating and gorgeous 
Water Lily. Pools can now be built at so little 
expense that anyone who has the room and 
the sunshine may now have the oriental beau¬ 
ties of the water garden at their own home. 
SO EASY TO BUILD 
With these sketches any handy man can with the ordinary laborer build 
pools at practically no expense other than the cost of material. No high- 
priced mechanic is necessary. 
Pools may be constructed with straight or curved lines. If you have a 
good clay bottom you can lay the cement on the clay; if not, we suggest that 
you put in 6 inches of cinders beneath the cement bottom. Be sure to have 
the cinders well packed. The construction can be made by any cement 
worker. The overflow and drainage pipe should be the same. A short piece 
of pipe with thread on the end can be screwed into the drain pipe. 
The ideal water pool is about two feet deep. The side walls should be 
about five inches in thickness, tapering to seven inches at the bottom. The 
bottom of the pool need not be more than six inches. 
Good results can be obtained from a mixture of one part Portland cement, 
two parts sharp sand, and three parts half-inch gravel (if gravel is not avail¬ 
able crushed stone may be used), mixed with water and poured over the 
bottom and up the sides. The rough places of the concrete may be smoothed 
down by applying a thin coat of cement with a trowel or paint brush. It is 
important to keep newly poured concrete moist for several days by sprinkling 
frequently. Several times over a period of ten days, before any fish or 
plants are placed therein, the pool should be washed out as the alkali may 
injure the fish and plants. (Your local cement dealer will gladly give you 
a pamphlet on “Cement Construction.”) 
It is also advisable to reinforce the construction by using hogwire fencing. 
This material is very easy to bend up the sides of the pool, being sure each 
strip of fencing overlaps the previous strip. 
Your pool should be carefully washed out before planting. Should a 
green scum appear, this will be due to vegetable growth and will disappear 
in a short time. Do not change water and above all do not add harmful 
chemicals, as these may injure both the plants and fish. If absolutely neces¬ 
sary flush the pool, and if this does not clear it up, use our algae treatment. 
*- 5‘ 
No pool complete without goldfish. Try selected brood stock only. 
We are a member of The National Association of Water Lily Growers. 
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