The Holly chieftain., 1908-08-14
GRASS SHOULD BE CUT FIRE.
QUENTLY AND REMOVED
FROM THE GROUNDS.
FALL MANURINC BEST
NEAT APPEARANCE REQUIRES
CAREFUL TRIMMING OF
BORDERS.
By Leslie f. Paul, Colorado Agricui-
tural College.


tural College.
The surroundings of the home gen
orally indicate the artistic ability, or
lack of it, of the dweller. The picture
OF the home is spread upon the canvas
of the lawn, and we unconsciously
size up the dweller by his success in
presenting this picture TO us. In this
endeavor the care of the lawn plays an
important part
Leaving, at present, the question Of
planting the lawn for consideration at
another time. the following hints re-
garding care of lawns may be helptut-
Lawns in Colorado are best watered
with the hose if water supply of that
character is available. One of the
many styles of sprinklers attached to
the end of the hose is desirable as ::
time saver. If there is no hydrant. the
lawn should be flooded every ten days
or two weeks If rain does not occur
meanwhile. The water in this case
should not be allowed to stay on for
a great while. especially if there is
much shade, or the grass roots will be
destroyed wholly or in part and yellow
spots will appear here and there in
the sward. OF whatever character il
is, thorough watering best follows i'm
mediately after moving.
Ordinarily the lawn should be gone
over every week or ten days with the
lawn mower, the shorter period being
better where the water supply is con
slant. The appearance of the swarG
is greatly improved by observing the
FOL e
the grass. catcher" attachment to the
machine for the removal of the cut
grass; second, moving in straight
lines, and, SO far as possible, in the
same direction; third, lap.,ing the lna-
chine only one-half the width of the
swath; fourth trimming out with siclt-
lie ond sheep shears all grass which
cannot be reached with the mower. The
following comments may be made upon
the preceding statements. In the use
of the apron or 'catchS !" il should be
remembered that the removal of the
grass at every moving means the re-
moval of fertility which should be re-
stored by late fall manuring. but the
Velvety appearance which we so much
admire is secured better than by let
ting the grass lie where it falls. From
new lawn, however, i. e., one planted
in the current season. the grass should
not be removed, but allowed to lie
where it falls for its value as a mulch.
The direction of the moving should
be alternated in successive mowincs,
preferably at right angles to the pre-
vious moving Trees. buildings. etc.
are left by the machine with an uu-
slightly fringe of tall grass, which q
little extra time with sickle and sciS-
sors will vastly improve. The sward
about a bed or border should end i'll
an abrupt edge and this edge should be
trimmed with shears. Pushing the
soil back toward the middle of the bed
gives the edge its desirable abrupt
ness. Walks should be similarly
edged.
While moving. high and low places
and holes should be noted for subse-
quent correction. The man with the
mower learns one reason why ter
races and abrupt banks are undesir-
able. When these are run over bS-
the mower the knives bite so deeply
that these high points become sore
spots due to the killing out of the
too closely shorn grass. Holes may
be filled with prepared soil garden
loan and sand in equal parts) and the
grass will shortly come up through it.
Probably the correction of high ana
low areas may better be deferred un-
til spring. Such corrections involve
the lifting of the sod and the addition
or removal of soil. Occasionally high
places may be corrected by the use Of
a heavy roller.
Attention to such minute details as
above described insure that we'll
crOOmed apDearance in lawns which
everyone admireS.