Omaha daily bee., 1910-01-09

more Of the bents or red tops, quickly
terminating creeping grasses. These are
expressly adapted to the drier sandy soils
OF the seacoast, which are usually too acid
for the perfect growth OF the Kentucky
grass.
Where a greensward for immediate ef-
feet is wanted I SOW to each acre I'm the
fall a mixture OF ten quarts Of Kentucky
bluegrass, eight quarts of Rhode Island
bent and three quarts OF English rye. The
English rye will begin to grow almost as
soon as It is planted and by the end of
the first month will make a presentable
sheet Of soft green. The Rhode Island
bent comes along soon after the rye and
IL the soil is not just what it should be in
the way Of fertility it will take hold and
form a good, close turf where the blue
grass would hardly make a showing. The
English rye. unfortunately, is a biennial
and will disappear during the second sum-
mer.
Eventually the lawn will be OF blue
grass and some persons seem to think
that planting these quicker terminating
grasses is only a waste, but they forget
that the Kentucky blue will not make a
turf before the third year and in the mean
time you have been enjoying a beautiful
temporary lawn.
There are other grasses put into mix
lures for various reasons. The swaet
vernal is to give the odor of new mown
hay when the lawn is moved. Under the
shade Of trees where other grasses fail
the wood meadow grass makes a very
satisfactory lawn.
white clover is added to nearly all the
mixtures at the rate of about one quart
to an acre. Whether this is an advantage
depends entirely on the taste of the owner
Of the lawn. Many persons tell me
they think It lucky to rave clover growing
on their lawns.
I'm the southern states the blue grass
is killed out by the sun and about the
best and only grass that can be con-
sidered permanent for lawn purposes there
is the Bermuda grass. This is a rapid
creeping grass and is propagated by
planting sections Of the root. In spite Of
the name Of this grass it does not grow
well in the island Of ermuda There all
who care for a lawn must depend on the
st. Augustine grass.
Now as to making a lawn by soddlng
1 never recommend it unless the lawn is
small and immediate effect is desired.
In the first place 1t is next to impossible
to get good sod in any great quantity;
in the second there is the expense Of ,ut-
ting, lifting, carting and laying down the
turf and then beating 1t down, and in the
third place it is impossible to make perfect
unions between different sods. II the sods
are laid in the autumn it Is likely to lie
seriously injured by heaving during the
winter, while IL it is laid in the spring
it is equally as certain to be so dried out
that great gaping channels will be made
where the sods should Join,
After a lawn Is we'll started there comes
the question Of keeping 1t in condition.
Other crops are not only fertilized, but
the ground is kept constantly stirred by
repeated workings. You can't work the
lawn as you do other crops, so that is all
the more reason why you should be gener-
Gus in giving it the necessary fertilizer.
IF the land has been thoroughly en-
riched before the lawn was made the
autumn following a top mulch of we'll
rotted manure should be put on. This not
only keeps the roots of the young grass
in proper condition, but supplies food for
the coming spring.
"In some parts Of the country where
tobacco stems can be had readily they
are used for mvlchlng the lawns to good
advantage. As this does not enrich the
land when they are raked off in the spring
a surface of wood ashes and ground bone
should be supplied. On old lawns this
annual top dressing should never be
omitted. 1t should always be remembered
that these chemical foods should be scat
tered on just before a rain, or in a liquid
form, using one pound to forty gallons Of
water.
'As to moving, I have seldom known a
lawn sown in the fall to need to be moved
| haRoasa tho navf anrtpO or summer Than
the grass should be cut as soon as 1t has
attained the height of three or four inches
and the cut grass left on the lawn to act
as a mulch for the roots. After the grass
has begun to grow freely it may be cut
once every ten days or so.
During the first season the grass will
not be rooted very firmly and the pulling
OF the knives Of the lawn mower will not
help things along. II 1t is possible use a
scythe. The grass then will not be cut
too close, bat IL a lawn mower is the only
way be careful to see that the knives
are set high and keep the grass about two
inches high all the season. During the
hot weather stop moving and use the
roller.
"All new lawns need rolling frequently
to make the roots take firm hold and the
heavier the roller the better. A thousand
pound roller is none too heavy, though
many lawns get along very we'll that nave
to be %contented with only 800 pounds.
The texture Of the turf on a lawn made
as 1 have described will improve for the
first four years OF its existence. AS the
Kentucky grass grows and crowds out the
other kinds the surface will become more
and more beautifully uniform, and firm
I, under the tread. To keep it in condition
r it should have its annual top dressing,
should be moved sufficiently often to
keep the grass under three inches and
a should be rolled early In the spring and
z again in the autumn Lawns should not
be moved after the middle OF September"
BATTLESHlP OF CONCRETE