The sun., 1910-01-09
MAKING THE PERFECT LAWN
FIRST PREPARE THE GROUND
PROPERLY.
EerS RIch Soil Needed for the Best ne
suIts-AdVAntagos Of the sOwn over
the sOdded LAwn-keeplng the Lawn
In Condition Seeds ana Fertilizers.

the SOdded LAwn-keeplng the Lawn
In Condition Seeds and FERTILIZERS.
1T is easy enough to have a perfect
lawn IL you will only go about it right,
declared a nurseryman who has to his
credit some Of the most beautiful lawns
in .Westchester county. -Shrubbery can
be replanted, flower beds rearranged every
year with very little trouble, but the
making OF lawn requires the uproOting
OF the entire groundwork.
"A lawn is expected to look attractive
from all points OF view and at all times
OF the year, For that reason the land
must be prepared and the seed 80 selected
as to give the be- results at ali seasons.
l say seed. becaISe for all lawns larger
than a city lot the planted lawn is much
more desirable as well as more economical
than a sodded lawn
For a good lawn you must get the
very richest soil. II is impossible to get
soil too rich for a good lawn. II the land
Is naturally fertile the proper soil can
be made by deep ploughing without sub
soiling. IL on the other hand the land
is poor. as most land is. the first step ls
heavily manuring or dressing with COM
mercial fertilizer. On light soils manure
il much to be preferred to commercial
fertilizer. as it not only helps TO retain
the moisture but in much more enduring.
The land must first he cleared OF all
roots OF trees and weeds az far az possible.
The heavy dressing OF fertilizer should
then be spread on and ploughed under.
The ground should then he gone over with
a harrow, graded, raked and then the
seed sown.
Immediately after the seeds are sown
the ground must again be narrowed and
raked 80 as just to cover the seed. AZ a
finishing touch it must all be gone over
with good heavy roller. to make the sur
face compact apd insure contact Of the
seed with the soil.
when IL is possible advise growing a
crop OF corn. potatoes or some other farm
crop that requires constant cultivation of
the land the year before the actual lawn
making begins. Attention to the growing
farm crop assures the cultivation Of the
land without the labor being a dead loss.
IL also destroys the weeds that will spring
up in any newly turned soil.
After this crop is harvested spread
manure at the rate OF twenty tons to the
acre. turn il under with the plough and
harrow thoroughly. This narrowing can
not be too thoroughly done. Care should
be taken to 20 over each spot two or three
times. removing all stones and roots. II
IL In early enough In the season to allow
the first crop OF weeds TO germinate. 50
much the better. After this crop Of weeds
| in well up but still less than an inch high
give the ground another thorough har-
rowing.
-Whsre the land is not dry or holds
ga p at raj la n
think Of making a lawn without altering
| this condition. Drain tiles should be laid
! three feet apart, smaller tilee leading into
larger main drains. and the whole giving
| a gradual fall to the lowest portion OF the
grounds or the natural outlet. Uniform
! ity in the finished surface before the seed
I is sown is one OF the essentials TO a perfect
lawn.
ITO insure this. grading is necessary
Where there is no engineer or landscape
grading is to drive stakes in the ground
and sight from one TO another by a car
penter's level. The earth can then be
moved from the places that are too high
snd put in the hollows that are too pro-
nounced.
! This grading is usually done after
, the land has received its first ploughing
end narrowing. i do the grading first.
then j do the ploughing. following the
plough with subsoiler in the same fur
II
The next step with me is the harrow
ing. then the clearing OF all roots and
stones; nett the seeding. followed by a
light narrowing to cover the seed about
half On inch; next q second seeding. sow
ing the seed at right sngles to the first:
then \ second light narrowing. and last
heavy rolling.
Besides having the surface Of your
lawn perfectly smooth you want to have
the gre.ss Of a uniform color and thick
L..
riched by bringing the top soil from other
places it should be put over the entire
! surface as a top dressing rather than
/ filling in in patches.
Where top soil is drawn from several
sources and is Consequently Of neither
uniform quality nor even texture
that which is brought from each place
should be distributed over the entire
area. In doing this the heavier soil should
be first distributed. finishing on with the
lighter. To make a lawn SO that one part
is top dressed with heavy soil and the
other with light loan is to insure its
having patchy appearance.
| There are two seasons at which lawn
may be successfully seeded. In the spring
in April and May and in September.
The ideal lawn grass ls one with creep
ing permanent stems. Kentucky blue grass
though slow in terminating makes a strong
permanent turf, but it does not attain
It's proper development until the third
year AFTER SOWING. Wnere imfnedlate
| results are wanted the mixtures Offer
distinct advantages, because all contain
some quicker terminating varieties. II
the quality OF the land is uncertain OF
mixed the grass mixtures are sRain
valuable. because one grass or another
will surely suit each special soil condi'
tion.
AS the Kentucky blue grass will thrive
in any but an acid soil IL ls the ground
work of all lawn mixtures The most
| common addition to the blue grass Il
one or more OF the bents or red tops
quickly terminating creeping grasses
These are expressly adapted to the drieI
sandy soils Of the seacoast, which are
usually too acid for the perfect growth
| OF the Kentucky grass.
where a greensward for immediate
effect is wanted / SOW to each acre in tbs
4 fall a mixture OF ten quarts OF Kentucky
I blue grass. eight quarts OF Rhode Island
bent and three quarts Of English rye
The English rye will begin to grow almost
as soon as 1t Is planted and by the enc
OF the flrst. month will make a presenta bl,
sheet OF soft green. The Rhode IsIanc
bent comes along soon after the rye anc
II the soil il not Just what il should be II
the way of fertility il will take hold anc
= Il Il ~.