The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-05-09
A WORK FOR BEAUTY
Wide Interest Evinced in the I'M
provsment Leagues Campaign,
SEEDS FOR 1890 CHILDREN
At Yesterdays Meeting Prof. s. b
Green Told How to Have
Fine Lawn.

At the last meeting Of the Improvement
$40 school children had applied for garden
seeds this year. Contributions Of seeds and
plants have been made by Miss
Emma V. White, Mrs T. F. Quinby,
Professor W. M Hays of the agri-
cultural school, Mrs. Katherine Larsen and
Congressman Fletcher. Professor Hays has
furnished seventy-fve packages of wheat,
with directions for planting and care. Mrs,
Larsens donation was lilac and rose bushes
and strawberry plants. Provision has been
made for buying seeds for 10000 and the
flower committee is relying upon the dues OF
the $50 members of the league that should
he paid at the annual meeting this month to
meet the expense for seeds. The league is en-
/ tirely free from debt and expects to expend the
greater part of it's next years regular income
i'll flower work Contributions of about $40
| in the. last month have wiped out the out
| standing obligations of the flower committee.
The seeds and shrubs will be distributed on
Friday in the forty schools applying.
Mrs NJ. D. Shutter, chairman of the vaca-
ton school and Fairgrounds committee, re-
| ported the proposition made to the board of
! education. The committee has asked for two
| rooms each in the Franklin and Clay build
! ings, one equipped for manual training and
| the other for industrial work. for water and
| for janitor service. In return for these con-
cessions the committee agrees to provide COM
petent teachers for manual and industrial
training and nature study In each school and
general supervisor; to equip the grounds
| with materials for healthfu sport, and to
maintain the schools for six weeks beginning
| the Monday after the Fourth of July. The
committee has in hand for the vacation school
| fund $3.50, about half of what will be required.
Lawns and Lawn Planting
The remainder of the meeting was devoted
! to a talk on Lawns and Lawn Planting u
! by Professor S. B. Green of the agricultural
school. Although most of those present were
people who have long been interested in the
! identifying of homes, they got many valuable
| points on the subject and piled the speaker
| with questions The directions were prac,
| tical and simple. He advised, first, the
avoiding of steep slopes, curves being more
beautiful and easier to take care
Of On a large lawn he thought it more at.
| tractive to leave some of the hollows, filling
| them with shrubbery. He would not employ
| an engineer for laying out lawn any more
| than carpenter, as the effect wanted was. an
| artistic, not mechanical one.
| Soil, seed and fertilizers were then given
| extended consideration, as essential factors
Any economy or neglect in providing suitable
| surface soil is paid for dearly in the end
and the speaker insisted upon at least foot
| OF good black loan, while two feet is still
| better. However, yellow clay may be slbsti-
| tuted for the loan except the top six
| inches, with fairly satisfactory results. The
| best lawns for this section were pronounced
| to- be solid blue grass, but this starts
| slowly, the mixture advised was one pound
| each Of red top and white clover to a bushe
| OF cleaned blue grass seed. In time the blue
grass will run the others out. For STEEP
slopes an adrnxture Of timothy helps to. hold
| the soil and grows rapidly. For quick sod
! cats were recommended, but require frequen,
! cutting. Fall sowing or very early sowing
was recommended but seed may be planted
at any time. 1T is a. good plan to-. roll the
seed in, but watering will answer instead.
Professor Green said he supposed every one
shared the impulse to fix up a lawn in the
spring, and gave as the best method, he knew
the spreading on of about an inch Of good
black loam instead of stable manure, which
| is apt ito be a nuisance and unsatisfactory
| AS a rich food for quick results, he recon-
mended nitrate Of soda as a fertilizer. About
| five or six pounds is. needed for an application
| to ffty-foot lawn, and it should be scat
| tered carefully and wet down. The effect O.
this will be exhausted in about three weeks
For a permanent effect, he advised tankage
a preparation somewhat similar to bone meal
OF this, about fifty pounds is needed for al
application on "a city lot, but it is needed onl,
about once in two years. There is little dan
ger OF too much cutting or too much water
ing, Professor Green thought. Lawns ar
sometimes cropped too closely; they should
always be green after the process. Water
ing of lawns and gardens is better done il
the evening. but'watering during the day doe
not injure lawns and hardy plants like &c
ranuns and coleus.
In considering the treatment Of city lot
hedges were recommended of buckthorn, spi
! rea Won Houttei, Buffalo berry and red cedar
Gardeners were advised to stick to absolutel
hardy shrubs and plants in arranging thei
permanent beds. h. .-.. .''- -.-.--
Mrs. H. A. Towne called attention to tn
degenerate condition Of Hawthorn park, an,
wanted to know if nothing could be done abou
it. The trees have been untrimmed for tw
years and must remain so this year for wan
of funds, the raking is badly done, ball play
ing by the boys. OF the neghborhood is ruin
ing the turf and the custodian is reporte,
incompetent. The discussion brought out tn
fact that all 'of. the park board property i
suffering from lack Of funds to take care O
it properly. ?
Professor Maria L.. Sanford thought tn
league just the place to call attention to ba.
conditions, and she protested against the prac
tice of spelling the university campus. b
paths across all of the lawns.