Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-03-01
HOW TO MAKE A LAWN.

An Interesting Paper BY MI. WIN.
SaandsFs Read Before the Horticul.
tural SecieU-The Time 20 Sew and
the Time 20 M0w-Tho Rest Grasses
for Lawn Purposes and the Methods
Of Treatment, &c.
st the meeting OF the District Horticultural
Society, Wednesday evening. the following paper
upon Making. Keeping and Furnishing I.awns."
prepared by Mr. VIM. Saunders, of the Agricul-
tural department. was read:
A fine lawn Is the most beautiful OF external
ornaments. Soft, velvety. elastic turf. smoothly
trimmed and of fine color. is always beautiful.
and is looked upon with pleasure when attained.
Lord Bacon, nearly three centuries ago. said
that nothing is more pleasant to the eye than
green grass kept finely shorn." Much has been
said about the emerald lawns of Europe. and Of
their superiority as compared with the lawns Of
other countries. It was long said that nothing
approaching TO their beauty could be similarly
realized in this country of fervid suns and scorch
drouths. but it has been sufficiently demon
strated that We can produce and maintain lawns
as fine as those to be found in any country.
The foundation of lawn is in
THE PREPARATION OF THE SOIL.
Unless this Ia thorough. failure may be prob
able; but II the ground Is fitted in proper
manner at the outset success is almost a Ger
tainty, provided it is under intelligent manage
ment. The foundation for all successful culture
whether for grass or for any otter crop, depends
upon the physical or mechanical and the chem
ical enrichment of the soil. If it is wet it must
be drained. il hard and compact it must be
trenched and loosened, and if poor it must be
enriched. In small lawns the spade and digging
fork will effect this purpose of culture but
where the space is sufficiently extensive TO allow
the operations of culture to be executed with
plow and other similar implements, the work
can be done more rapidly, and with equal
thoroughness under proper direction. Ii
depth of eighteen inches is well loosened, and
the surface enriched as for a corn crop, 1t
may be considered as ample preparation for
producing good crop Of grass, and that is all
that is wanted in permanent lawn. 1t must be
remembered, however, that nothing less will
suffice, there are no halfway compromises in
this matter it must be genuine and complete,
otherwise few weeks of dry weather i'm sum-
mer Will tell the tale In a way not to be mis-
taken The final preparation is to procure a
smooth and regular surface. Careful blowing
and narrowing can do much towards making
smooth surface, but If more than these are
needed, or whatever expense may be re-
qulred to procure perfect finish before SOW
ing the grass seed, should be allowed as
matter of economy; inequalities Of surface can
not so well be remedied after the grass has
vegetated.
THE SEASONS FOR SOWING.
There are two seasons In this section for SOW
ing the seed-autumn and spring. Either Will
be appropriate, and the choice will depend upon
circumstances and is of secondary consideration
as compared to the preparation of the ground.
II the soil is compact. or OF q clayey character,
making it difficult to obtain finely comminu-
ted and level surface it will be advisable to pre-
pare it just before winter. Clay soils are al
ways improved by draining, and where practica-
bic, drains should be made to carry off surplus
water; then subsoiling should not be omitted,
not bringing up the poor subsOii to the immedi-
ate surface. but stirring it with proper subsoil
pioW. Then use the common pillow and turn the
ground over, leaving it rough, so as to expose
the greatest part to the action OF the frosts and
thaws of winter. This will cause a friabity of
surface, which it is hardly possible to obtain BY
mechanical means on tenacious Soils In spring.
by taking advantage when the ground Is In the
proper condition OF dryness. the surface will
crumble as fine as powder under the harrow
The only criterion as to the best time to SOW the
seeds is when the ground is in good condition
Nothing will be gained, but everything which
has been secured by the action of the weather
upon the land, will be lost by tramping on it be-
fore II Is as dry and clean to walk over as a bed
of sand. 1t is better to delay sowing until the
middle OF April. Or even later. than to attempt to
work upon the land before it is dry. During the
Centennial year 10 had occasion to prepare
few acres of lawn around the government
building in Paramount park, but owing to the
wetness of the spring and the naturally low,
wet, tenacious and muddy condition of the
ground. it was we'll up in April, if my memory
is not at fault before | considered it in fit con-
dti0n to sow, and even when sown it was not
covered for several days afterwards, and then
by passing light roller over it only. Notwith-
standing all the disadvantages under which the
work was done. the seeds soon vegetated and
before month had elapsed after seeding it was
necessary to run over 1t with a moving ma
chine. This attracted considerable attention,
because OF its contrast with other lawns around
it, which were sOwn weeks BEFORE and other
wise under more suspicious circumstances SO
far as preparation OF the soil was concerned.
This lawn was awarded a premium as the
quickest made and the best kept lawn on the
grounds.
cropping the ground with early potatoes In
ordinary loamy soils this crop, il fairly Guilt
waited. will soon cover the ground with leaves
and stems which prevents the growth Of weeds,
and the operation of digging up the crop tends
to pulyerize and prepare the soil for the grass
seed.
The potatoes can be removed and the grasses
sown from the middle Of August to the middle
of September. In few weeks the surface will
become green. and if a thin sprinkling of
manure is thrown over the surface before freez-
ing weather good, weii-set lawn will be Sc
cured early during the following summer.
THE BEST LAWN GRASS
for this climate is the Poa prGtensis. variously
known as green meadow grass. June grass,
common spear grass, and Kentucky blue grass
This is the most common Of all grasses on the
road-sides or in pasture fields that have been In
grass for years. The finest lawns / have seen
were made with this grass alone, but as the
seed vegetables somewhat slowly and the
ground may become hard and baked before it
terminates il is safer to mix it with other
grasses.
For thirty years have used about the follow
ing mixture, and always produce fine lawns:
For one acre take two bushels of the blue grass. |
one bushel Of red top 4g-ostis ctisa,is and one
quart Of timothy grass. Where unusual rapid |
ity Is required. add one bushel Of POd dnnud |
the annual spear grass. which will give green |
lawn within two weeks after sowing If the |
weather is favorable.
These different grasses should be very thor |
oughly mixed before sowing. This will appear |
to be very heavy seeding, but experiments have |
proved that good lawn can only be quickly Sc
cured by seeding heavily. The timothy seed is |
added on account Of its quick and robust germ |
mating qualities as it breaks the ground. and /
facilitates the progress of the weaker germinat-
ing kinds; it soon disappears from the lawn. !
Some persons add two pounds of white clover |
to the acre. but clover, in my opinion, destroys /
a lawn; it Is an aggressive plant. and kills out |
the finer grass. and when it is in flower it detracts
from the verdant beauty of wel-kept lawn.
RUIN0US PRACTICE.
n