The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1903-10-08
Seeding Down the Lawn.

Unless a lawn is seeded to grasses
that can endure constant moving, as
well as remain green during dry sea-
son. it becomes unsightly instead Of or
namental. When seeded down in the
spring it becomes at times necessary
to grow oats. wheat or some grain crop
on the lawn, in order to shelter the
young grass from the effects of the
MONDAY sun in dry weather. This may
be avoided if the seed is sown in the
fall. August being suitable month, ut
'ghich period of the year the rains are
Usually plentiful, and tie young grass
Is not then so easily Overrun with
weeds. Should the grass not make
good "catch" the ground may again be
seeded over in the spring by simply
scratching the surface with rake, but
it is seldom that seed sown in August
or September fails, if q plentiful sup
ply of seed be used and the ground
properly prepared.
1t is customary to use mixed seed
for lawns, which is proper, but some
times too many kinds are used, and the
best grasses are crowded out by those
not so desirable. Blue grass alone
makes an excellent lawn grass. but
blue grass and white clover, equal pro-
portions Of seed Of each, are sufficient,
and the seed should be used literally,
four ounces to the square rod not being
too much, as some of the seed will fail
to germinate, while birds and parasites
will destroy a proportion. The lawn
plot should be first spaded (or plowed.
if very large), and raked over until the
soil is made as fine as possible. Lime,
at the rate of forty bushels per acre,
should be broadcasted over the plot,
the ground rolled and the seed sown.
The ground may then be simply
brushed over so as to barely cover the
seed. or the seed may be sown and
rolled down. No other work will be
necessary until spring, and the grass
will thicken every year. Blue grass is
capable Of withstanding considerable
drought, and though apparently dead,
If the drought is continued, it takes
new life after the slightest shower. 1t
is not so easily injured by trampling
as some other grasses, and does not
grow in stools, or tussocks, as is the
case with orchard grass, while its ap-
pearance Is deep green. White clover
is also hardy, and as its leaves dfer
entirely from those Of blue grass, the
two kinds answer all the purposes Of
lawn, and will thrive we'll together.
The fall is the time to manure the
lawn. as the frost will pulverize the
manure and render it fine. If fresh
manure is applied in the spring it will
sometimes do injury, unless before
frost disappears. The manure used in
spring, if any, should be we'll rotted.
Re-seed all bare places as soon as the
grass begins to grow, and in April ap-
ply potash in some form literally, as
both blue grass and white clover de-
light in lime and potash. Do not be
tempted to NOW the grass too early in
the spring, but give it time to become
we'll rooted before the first cutting.
Moving will then keep down the
weeds. An application of saltpetre.
early in the spring, at the rate Of
pound per square rod. will also prove
advantageous. If all the grass seed
usually sown were to germinate there
would be about 1000 plants to the
square foot. 1t takes about $4,000
seeds of timothy to weigh an ounce.
Careful experiments have shown that
timothy seed covered by two inches Of
dirt cannot shoot into growth. Gov.
cred from three-quarters to an inch
only about one.half Of the good seeds
will come forth. Red clover seed cap.
not get through two inches Of covering
and, other small seeds have even more
difnculU In that respect. hence Do not
cover the seed but llghtly.-Phiiadei.
phia Record
The feilaW who 70 centinnAaiY tfy.