The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-03-28
= :. X
RALEIGH LAWNS AND GARDENS.
nation to Civic Department of
The Womans Club.

The Woman's Club is doing a great
work in securing practical and liter
airy addresses which stimulate thought
and viii result in a more beautiful
Raleigh. One of the most appropriate
addresses made was by Prof w. F..
Massey, of the A. and M. College, on
Lawns, Trees, Flowers and Walks F"
Just at this season of the year the in
formation contained in that address
is particularly timely, and by request
of some of the ladies it is printed be-
low:
Prof. Massey's Address.
Our natural soil here is rather thin
and inclined to get gravelly, and right
under the surface is very compact
clay, which is really the best soil
we have. The main difficulty in the
making of lawns in Raleigh has been
that the preparation has seldom been
deep enough. The soil is chopped over
and the surface put in order and the
seed SoWn. Then when the weather gets
dry the shallow light soil gets very
dry and the undisturbed clay below
is too hard for the roots to enter, and
the grass dries out. If in the prepa-
ration the clay is deeply loosened up
and mixed with the upper soil and
then properly fortified there would
be better success. There is q general
impression that Kentucky blue grass
will not thrive here in the open sun.
There is no finer blue grass sod any
where here than that on the bare
open hill at the Experiment farm
where the sod is about IS years old
and is SO thick that it springs like a
mattress under the foot. 1t was deep
breaking that gave it the start. If
the soil is loose the blue grass roots
will run down two feet and will at
once recover after a dry spell has
Drowned It, Another trouble is lack
of thick seeding. TO make q good
lawn the seed should be sown thick
enough to make the surface look grey
or fully six bushels of seed per acre
about one ounce to six feet square.
This should be raked in lightly and
the soil rolled smooth to retain the
moisture for termination. Blue grass
terminates very irregularly. Some Of
the seed come up soon and others fol-
low for months after. Hence | like
to SOW some quickly terminating seed
with the blue grass and find that red
top is one Of the best. Then having
a good stand of grass start the lawn
mower as soon Us it is tall enough to
catch and never let it grow up to seed
as some do, for the seed making is a
weakening process. to any plant. Cut
so often that there is no need for rak-
ing the cut grass off. but let it lie as
il will soon disappear and will form
a mulch to thicllen the sod Never
buy the advertised lawn grass mixtures
for they consist largely of cheap seed
and are sold at fancy prices. Never
sow white clover oh lawn, for it
will grow over and smother the grass
and then die out Itself. White clover
is merely q nuisance on a lawn. Then
If you have wide area in grass do
not be bothered with signs to keep off
the grass. for general tramping over
a lawn improves the grass. OF course
we should not tramp in the same place
and wear the grass out into paths, but
lounging over the grass is an improve
ment rather than damage as it
presses the running stems of the blue
grass to the earth and thickens the
sod.
Walks and drives are matters of
utility rather than ornament Hence
they should be no more nor no wider
than needed. The walks in the capitol
square are three times as wide as need
ed. Gravel is not pretty but grass is.
and we want a good sweep of green
in front of our windows unbroken by
trees or gaudy flower beds. In grounds
large enough for a carriage drive
never pass in front of the house till
the house is reached. Hence an en-
trance right in front and a circular
drive is bad. Come in from one side
and sweep past the front of the house
so as to leave good sweep of green
from the windows.
The general practice in Raleigh in
planting lawns is to dot trees all over
them without any real design IN the
planting. Where the trees are sur
face roofing sorts like naples and
magnolias the result is that the soil
is dried out so that the grass fails.
Grass will not grow under the dense
and constant shade of a magnolia and