Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-06-01
Managing a Lawn.

AAohssS AHf a Asd"hs
There are various ways of treating a lawn
depending upon the nature of the soil aud the
I locality, and the convenience of securing ma
terials for dressing. OF course the soil is TO
be drained, either naturally or underlaid with
/ tile. Our draiued clay soil is always more or
/ less benefited by gypsum, especially our DRIFT
/ loans 1t has strong tendency to bring in
white clover, which is native to this soil, ami
! one OF our favOrite plants for dooryard or
lawn. usually associated with the small June
| grass, (P0d c0mpressG), the two together
make perfect turf, and one of the sotteSt ami
finest of coverings, of a dark blue green, and
comparatively slow of growth, requiring,
| better after each moving. Where the soil orr
glpaliy has been We'll and deeply enriched, the
suphate alone, if a good article, will be al
| that is needed, applied, if finely ground once
ayear early in The spring ere the grass pushes,
or every other year if somewhat cJarSely
| ground The last cutting in the fall should be
| omitted, leaving the growth for winter protec-
ton.
Where, however. this kind of soil has not
i been properly attended to, lacking, as is too
common in fertility, road dust should be p
piled in addition to the plaster. Apply in the
! fall. 1t is best, and decidedly, to secure it in
! roads that are much travelled, where there is
value The cost is only the labor of gathering
| and applying. This is most excellent means
! of securing thick green turf and continuing
! it, and will do well on all kinds of soil. lie
! serves in a measure to protect the plant dur
/ ing the winter, and is also guard against the
| heat i'll summer, as it covers the cut or lSS
air cham Der and introducing earth To the veg
| ctable material. The writer depends upon
this as, his chief top-dressing, preferring i, TO
any other.
But there is more or less complaint OF thin
set of grass. The remedy is simple and imme-
SInga az sS%F mik in gailon to six feet
| with a thick dark growth. At the end of six
! or seven weeks repeat. This win eSta bliSh
! sod. Alter this, road dust and plaster will do
the rest
A successful way practiced here is to give
coat OF manure Ill The fail (Which protectS),
| and rake Oft early la The spring, leavin The
finer and better paris of the manure, the rak-
| ing loosening the Soil little, and serving as a
! hoeing to the plant. This will do to abli1h
| the growth; but the manure is not pleasant
| thing to have oil do0ryard or lawn. Follow
! in the fall with road dust, and with plaster in
the spring, and the effect will be all that can be
l have spoken of drainage: A lawn should
never be made without it. PIow and sub,ol
, deeply, and work i'll manure. Ii clay, il is best
also. A mere lDosenlng of the original soil
will do only for one season. The materials
| named will keep il more or less in porous
condition. But it wants an equal distribution,
! equally firm in all paris. so as to secure per
manently equal surface. Finish with good
coat coat OF rlca a manure, ana leave this on until
soil, using culiivatOr and harrow well, where
the soil is composed largely of clay. Where
! sand predOminates, pulveriZed clay, If such
can be found, may be worked in, as the sand
and gravel were worked in the other soil, aud
| finished with manure, and a manure that has
| all the qualities necessary to grow the grass
| Ordinary barn yard manure will do this. But
it must be we'll worked into the soil after Sa IL
rating it on the surface Such soil will grow
| anything, and grow it at once, without the
usual doctoring. and nourShing and delay.
But what to sow is usually as difficult as the
preparation Of the ground i'self. Where there
| are less shade and good chances for the sun,
1.-THE little June grass mentioned is the best,
forming fine velyety covering, with its thin
| blade and many of them Besides. it is very
| Enr
, yard, or small lawn, this is the grass A thick
! er, softer turf can be formed by adding the
| white clover, and sowing The two together or
the ground may be sOdded over if an imme-
date green is desired.
Where there is. a large extent of ground,
! somewhat varied in its surface. or slope we'll
studded with trees, orchard grass is appropri-
| ate, as its large leaves and rich appetraace
harmonic with the strong picturesque char
| ShOrn. as this would destroy the effect intend
ed pfesen ,th1g grey' naked appearan e, with
| the season iii is rapid grower, and will Soon
| sp.ing up, aid then give it full play. L. viii
| ioim one of The finest varied ma 5 imagi lab.e,
composed of small circular tufts wi n lonS
leaves, glossy and rich, whose sight uldula,
ton is i'll keeping with the varied character
the rest of the lawn: Orchard grass does well
than any other grass. 1t will then, and then
OILY, thicken and hold its own. month or
more after the sp ing clipping, during wnich
begin to push forth stalks It then Should u" be
cut, the grass dried and removed, making a
superior hay: Two such cuttings (aside from
the spring clippingl are all that are necessary
during the season, leaving the last growth for
winter protection. As the two cuttings have
withdrawn cOnsidera BILE fertility, the loss must
be supplied, and this may be done in the fail
by coat OF manure or road dust. AS rue
with lawns, an occasional dressing of lime is
benefit, as it acts advantageOusly on the
vegetable material which has been accumu-
laling. Apply in the fall.
In preparing ground for lawn, the best
way is to make a falow of it. This will give a
chance to work in manure, and time to decOm-
pose and unite wi h the soil also to work in
sand or clay as wanted, and thus improve the
texture. 1t also admits of understanding if re.
quired and not yet done. The last work is a
coat OF manure in the fall, leaving the ground
unsurpassed in the spring for early working
with the harrow and the reception Of the seed
Sow plenty OF seed, sow evenly and follow
with roller or light harrow. A lawn is intended
to be permanent, and therefore requires pains
taken with it, not only in the start when estab-
lished, but to keep it established 1t then be
comes the great attraction of the homestead
| Country Gentleman.