Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-26
HOW TO GROW GRASS
Advice Given Citizens by c. R.
Ball, Landscape Artist.
FIRST WORK ON THE LAWN
Piney Branch Association Changes
Name for Subdivision Known
as Saul's Addition.

While three centuries may be required
to grow sward-as stated on English
authority-a good article in lawns can
be produced in about one-tenth of that
time, according to C. r. Ball, a landscape
artist. formerly of the Department of
Agriculture. He lectured on lawn Gull
ture last night before the Piney Branch
Citizens Association, in the Iowa Ave
nue. NJ. E. Church.
Piney Branch Park. by edict of the
citizens of what is known as Saul's
Addition. is to be the name Of the COM
munity which they will recognize. Op-
portunity was taken last night by the
Association to discard the old and objsc-
tonable designation and to substitute
the misunderstanding name chosen
Planting. growing, watering and trim
ming OF grass is all done wrong by the
average amateur lawn grower, accord
ing to Mr.. Ball. He had advice to give
that indicated that grass culture. as gen.
orally practiced is just the method not to
bring up lawn in the way it should
grow.
Should Dig Deep.
Beneath a lawn intended in thirty or
more years to be something Of velvet
carpet under foot the substratas Of soil
and clay should be loosened for a depth
of several feet. Grass will not grow
upon a foundation of bricks, gravel or
packed clay, Mr.. Ball informed his au-
ditors. There must be a spongy body
to serve as a reservoir for water from
which the grass growing above can gain
sustenance. and also soil sufficient to
give the roots a chance to spread Wig
OrouSly.
Sprinkling grass is waste of time. ac-
cording to Mr.. Ball. A good thing to
do, he suggests. would be to put the
get where. BY the sprinkling method
less than a half inch of soil Is saturated
with water. and in this moistened space
the grass roots must confine their growth,
continual supply for sustenance Of the
grass.
An Ideal Way.
The end of the hose. nozzleless, set In
a box with holes in it that will allow
the water to run off nearly as fast as
it runs in. is an ideal way to water
grass. Start the hose in the morning,
before departure for daily labors, and
shut it off, if you think of it. when you
come home, suggests Mr.. Ball.
BY this method the earth for a distance
under the surface of twenty-four or more
inches can be thoroughly saturated with
water and the supply viii last for
months. even over hot, dry summer,
and the grass keep on growing The
box should be moved from one part to
another of the lawn for better distrtbu-
ton, he suggests.
AS to cutting lawns. the young grass
grown from seed should not have an
early moving, 1T needs all it's leaves
for aer>:ion necessary to it's growth
especially so when young. Even when
the grass has grown up the lawnmower
should he used Sparingly, primarily to
keep the grass and possible weeds from
going to seed.
The clippings should not be raked I'D.
was another lesson inculcatad by Mr.
Ball The shaved grass needs protection
for the roots, and the cuttings. working
into the earth, serve this purpose and
also enrich the soil
Fertilizers should be used with caution.
What is sold as rich SOIL is something
to be avoided as full of perEicious weed
seeds. So are some forms Of fertilizer
Others. II not used with the light of ex-
periance. will burn up grass and roots.