around the edge of all the arches as shown by the arch N ([Fig. 367]); then with scissors cut the two sides of the second division up to the arch and, holding the cut piece with your thumb and first finger, bend it backward and forward until it breaks away from the strip, leaving an arched opening. Smooth the rough edge of the arch by cutting away the uneven particles. Cut all arches in like manner O O ([Fig. 367]) and cut the least bit from across each end of your strip—not more than a sixteenth of an inch—that the strip may slide inside of the box foundation. The strip will be a guide in making all of the arches of your Garden.
Stand the Box on One Side
and slip the strip inside of it; lay the strip down flat on top of the lower side of the box ([Fig. 368]) and, holding it firmly in place, mark the divisions and arches on the box by running a pencil line around the edge of each opening arch of the strip. Remove the strip, and one side of the foundation will be marked ready for the twelve archways to be cut out. Repeat the markings on each of the four sides of the box foundation, cut open the archways as you cut those in the strip and you will have made a garden foundation like the first story of [Fig. 369].
The Babylonians
used arches to support their enormously heavy structures because arches are the strongest kind of foundations. Make another box of a perfect square of pasteboard measuring thirteen and one-half inches on each of the four sides, to form the second platform. Mark off the two and one-half inch sides and your box will be eight and one-half inches square, with a height of two and one-half inches. After the glue of this is thoroughly dry, cut the arches. Use the same strip for a guide that did duty for the first platform arches. Cut four arches from one end of the strip and shave off the outside edge of the solid fifth division which forms the end of the strip where the portion has been taken off. The strip will now
Fit in the Second Box Platform.
When this is all complete, make a third box still smaller, of pasteboard nine and one-half inches square. Measure off a two-inch border on every side to form the sides of the platform. The box should be five and one-half inches square and two inches high. Cut arches in this platform with the aid of the same guiding strip of open archways after first cutting off three additional openings to make it fit the new box. You can also trim off the bottom of the pillars along the lengthwise lower edge of the strip that it may be narrow enough to fit more perfectly in the third platform.
Fig. 369.—Foundation of the Hanging Garden.