The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-10-07
Come thoughts About Lawns.

InOukuJS AOO4b A-c1 w ASs
n the matter of lawns, want particu-
t. ~ sneak of the lonely grass patches
- the farm and suburban houses
naople of moderate means, and to
Iast simple ways of caring for and i'm
'si,o them at a small expense, says 7.
Hoskins, in Weeks Monthly. And,
- about the grass-the peculiar feature
lawn-June grass, Kentucky blue
ss Poa pratensis), is distinctly the
s-,arican lawn grass. 1t is really more
Ian that. for anywhere north Of the Gulf
,s+as we would have to fight hard to pre-
~ this peristent and beautiful grass from
Linz nossession of any spot where we
Mid not subject it to the pillow. [ know Of
,,lv one grass that can hold its own on a
- ,;obt soil. such as is everywhere COM
~ aud when possible is preferred for the
ito If dwellings, against the June grass.
orchard grass spreads only by seeding. as it
Las No running root stocks, but a tuft of it
200 in nossession, cannot be killed out by
the crowding of other grasses. Such tuft
- 10 almost impossible to run lawn mower
oro- and to dispose of it effectually the
Id mist be resorted to. On close sod
~ lime grass, however. it is difficult for the
Eobt seeds of orchard grass to get hold.
AS June grass will take possession at last,
and is really the best grass, and the only
one that will hold on where the soil is light
and there is mucn treading, it might be and
hos bean said that we should sow it alone.
vst though so persistent and prevailing,
Tune grass starts rather weakly, and l be-
lieve that the ordinary lawn mixtures are
hest although only white clover land
dandelion) will long remain where June
grass mas chance tosspread.
Bat in order to have good lawn quickly
IN dry soil, the ground must be enriched
and we'll plowed. To avoid weed seeds, this
enriching had best be done with ground
bone, sown ON the furrow at the rate of
eight or ten pounds to the square rod.
Along with this, either good wood ashes in
atout the double quantity, or muriate of
potash in the same quantity is necessary.
1t is worth taking considerable time and
trouble, when preparing to seed, to get the
ground level, or evenly graded, as depres-
SONS are not only unsightly, but as they col
lect water they are usually weedy spots.
After blowing, harrow well, sow the seed
and board down. the surface in the ordi-
nary way in which gardens are smoothed
for fine seeds. Then keep off the surface
until the grass is large enough to be safely
walked upon.
A we'll set lawn will not get weedy if fire.
quently mown, yet it may be mown too fire.
queltly for the good of the grass. Around
the doors, where there is much treading,
plantain and door-weed, polygonum
aviculare, are sure to appear. These may
be fought away in nicely kept grounds; but
am not at all averse to them about the
farm house doors, or those of plain subur-
ban places. The door-weed, or knot-weed,
as some call it, seems to me well suited to
the very place it takes. Plantain, especially
where it grows very rank, is not exactly
nice, yet 1t is better than bare ground, and
that is what would be there, usually. Still,
if one has time TO fight the plantain, and
let the dOor-weed take its place, so far as it
will, it is better to do SO. But the Indians
show their usual shrewd observation when
they call the Plantain ''the white mans
foot"
After lawn has been neatly leveled,
sown, and become well set in grass, the
main point is its preservation. This is in
no way difficult, if frequent applications of
fertilizers are made, and severe wear is not
allowed in particular spots, for games or
otherwise. Though fine bone is the best to
seed down with when it is narrowed into
the soil, it is of little or no use when sown
upon the grass. Instead of that, a good
complete fertilizer. using about five pounds
to the square rod, once in a season, after the
first spring moving will keep it up. An
odorless brand is to be preferred. Wood
ashes alone will keep up the grass for some
time; but when this Is used it is we'll to ap-
ply some nitrous fertilizer occasionally-say
apound of nitrate of soda to the rod, when
and where the grass lacks greenness.
M@s-