Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-09-05

groups Of water hyacinth as they fIoatcd
along with their my car. eS Of llf,u.irl
blue blossoms. and the Il e.. the attcutj, Il
was arrested by the an,ic> ot a big green
frog.
This miniature water garden cost undo,
IS to build. 1t wa a3.ut q foot deep and
lined with four inches Uf Portland cement
The sides were slightly graduated toward
The centre. The vat.r supply cam,
Through a two-inch pipe tuat connected
with the Kitchen. In tA, ct1tre was a TT
tie fountain controlled by Il tap tina,
played throush the spray of an old water.
ing can.
Around the edges Of the pond In tho
damp grass bank We planted Creep ~;
Charlie and Wandering Jew. Both tiatel
out on 10 the grass and llipg down !uea
the water like long, green fringe,
THE DECORATIVE WATER HYACINTH
The cement bottom naturally prevent, q
pant growth. Fo we filed a small, low tuu
with half grown pond lily. which grow
md oIossomed 50 rapidly that Il would
Soon have choked the whole pond had il
not been severely prined and ted into
place. Once had group of yottod Gala
lilies in the pond and at another time 4
box Of purple iris, but the most decorative
and effective little plant that grew there
was the water hyacnth which Noatcl
about the surface, making Nat poster
Jike effects. II WAS hard 20 tell whether
the neighbors small boys or the bulIcroEa
that lived in n brook in a nearby field,
about a quarter Of mile from the pond.
enjoyed this spot the most The fros;s did
the least harm. The boys were only there
IN the daytime.
In these sceptical days. when our no.
nrallsts are lined NJ and beaded nv ,he
country's chief executive. ready 10 combat
the slightest Inaccurate raurrt ,r what - ,..~
on In the animal world, it makes tn, law
man fearful of putting in back ana Write
MS humble observations, ana nv story Of
how the frogs used to tra~al from thtir
brook during the summer evening; to visit
my pond has been treated more as a i1ke
than as serious observation. hl.. 1t II lot
based on a solitary experience Al curing
the summer the frogs mad. daily visits 10
my small water garl N. Why .hty l,ft
their brook and the solitude Of the folds
70 hop quarter of mile up hill. where
they wera apt to be annoyed ~ dogs .ud
children, I shall not attempt to explain.
only know that they came and sang and
bathcd and then hopped ba,g to their
brook. They would begin to come in twos
and threes at dusk The first ones would
sit on the edge Of the pool and cry blank,
honk' and soon we could hear the lnawct-
ing cries from the brook and marsh below.
These cries would grow nearer and
nearer until the pond VIZ surrounded with
dozen or fifteen frogs. They never STAYED
for more than a few hours. For a per
manent home they seemed TO prefer 'nc
running brook with It's muddy bank. ard
clurnp s of shady weeds 10 my sun ha.hcd
pond. 1t just seemed to be an objective
place at which 70 end an evenings hop.
They We're amusing and interesting,
though detrimental 70 conversation.
This type of water garden any onn can
have, even il his estate is only a city lot.
It's interest does not derc'ld upon it's length
and breadth. but rather upon the thought
and love put into It.
The plants and pets thar will inhahlt Il
natural pond Zone dependent on .he rain