Wru a professional cement craftsman doing the work, 
the construction of a back or side yard pool is a quick and 
comparatively inexpensive projects. 
With the owner of the yard doing the work himself, the 
project becomes an adventure in which the whole family 
can take part. That seems to be the trend at present. It is 
even less expensive that way, and it gives the builder an 
added sense of creative achievement. 
After a site is chosen with an eye to its decorative value, 
other basic factors should be considered. 
First, the pool should be situated so that, for a good part 
of the day at least, it is warmed by the sun. Water plants 
won't grow without sunlight. 
If the excavation runs into clay, the builder can lay the 
concrete bottom directly upon the clay bed. Otherwise the 
bottom should be poured upon a 6-inch layer of well 
packed cinders. The bottom need not be more than 6 
inches thick. 
Shape and size of the pool are, of course, optional. A 
pool two feet deep is ideal for the culture of both water 
plants and goldfish. The walls, ideally, will be about 5 
inches wide at the brim of the pool, tapering to a 7-inch 
thickness at the bottom. 
One concrete mixture found highly satisfactory for pools 
is a combination of 1 part cement, 2 parts sharp sand, and 
3 parts half-inch gravel or crushed stone, mixed to working 
consistency with water. 
One underground pipe leading away from the pool can 
serve as both drain and overflow pipe. (Note figure top 
right.) The mouth of the drain in the bottom of the pool 
should be threaded so a 2-foot extension, the overflow 
pipe, can be attached. Normally, then, the pipe will carry 
away only the overflow. When the extension is detached 
at the mouth of the drain the whole pool can be emptied. 
After the sides and bottom have set they should be 
smoothed over with a thin coat of cement applied with a 
trowel or paint brush. If the construction is then kept moist 
by frequent sprinklings over a period of 10 days, there 
will be practically no danger of alkali injuring the fish 
and plants when they are placed in the pool. 
The new pool should be carefully washed out before 
it is stocked with water plants and fish. A vegetable 
growth, in the form of a green scum, may soon appear. 
It will disappear shortly, however, so don’t change the 
water. And, above all, don’t add chemicals to the water, 
as it may injure the plants and fish. 
For more detailed information, we would suggest that 
you write to the Portland Cement Association, 33 West 
Grand Avenue, Chicago 10, Illinois, for their book, “Con- 
crete Improvements Around the Home.” 
Good luck. We hope you enjoy your water garden, as 
we know you will. If you have any questions—or if you'd 
just like to brag a little about your new pool—we'll be 
happy to answer your letter. 
The cross-section sketches be- 
low outline only some of the 
simpler designs for wall and 
bottom construction, and the 
simplest of the drain and over- 
flow systems. Although there 
are few mistakes that can be 
made in the construction of a 
pool, the amateur cement 
craftsman is advised to stick to 
some design that utilizes only 
straight lines and perfectly flat 
surfaces. 
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Three Springs Fisheries, Lilypons, Maryland 
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