The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1913-03-12
SOIL IMPORTANT
TO la WV CARING

ne Gay AOdu SOllSi Wuen wen
drained and carefully handled, are
well suited for the establishment OF
an excellent greensward. The silt
loan soils are Ideally adapted to lawn
making but they must have good
drainage and be literally supplied
with organic matter. The loan soils,
when they have good drainage and
contain sufficient organic matter will
maintain good lawns. The coarse
sandy soils are unsuitable for lawn
purposes, although certain grasses
will grow upon them. Affair lawn
may be established on soils of the fine
sandy type by paying especial atten-
ton to the preparation of the soil
and by the introduction of manure or
green manure together with bone
phosphate and lime in some cases
and copious watering during the dry
seasons. The sandy loan soils make
very good lawns when well drained
and well supplied with organic mat
ter.
Since the lawn is intended to be a
permanent feature Of the decoration
of the place, It's endurance or span OF
life is OF great Importance. In gem
Eeral, grass seeds are small and
the surface seed bed for the recep-
ton of these seeds need not be more
than one niche in depth; but since the
grasses as they become established,
send out long lateral feeding roots,
1T is necessary that the soil area
available for these plants should be as
great as possible. This object can
only be obtained by deep cultivation
and thorough preparation of at least
eight or ten. inches of the surface
soil. The soil to this depth should
be made rich and put into an ideal
condition for the development OF
plant roots"
Since the lawn is a permanent
feature. it is hardly possible co make
the soil for the reception of the lawn
too rich. Stable manure which has
been thoroughly composted and rotted
and which is as free as possible from
detrimental weed seeds is undoubted-
| ly the best materiallto use in produc-
ing the desired fertility of the soil
Forty to sixty loads Of well decom-
posed stable manure are not too
much to use upon an acre of land de-
signed for the greensward'
Not all grasses are adapted to lawn
making. Only such kinds as are cap
able of making close turf are ideal
for lawns. Most grasses which have
creeping root stocks, short joints, and
produce long, narrow leaves in
abundance about the crown of the
plant adapt themselves well to lawn
making. Besides this, a desirable
tlawn grass possesses a pleasing col
or, which does not change decidedly
from season to season, is drought re-
sistant, responds quickly to a change
Of conditions from winter to spring,
and bears repeated clippings with a
lawn mower. The requirements of
these grasses are exceedingly exact
ing, and it is not surprising to find
the list of such grasses compare
lively short and meager one"
I'm producing seed for a lawn, too
great care can not be exercised. Pure
seed is the keynote to clean lawn,
PROVIDED the work of preparing the
land has been efficiently done. Thor
ough preparation involves not merely
the mechanical treatment OF the soil
to reduce it to proper seed bed, but
tie use of weed-free manure and the
adoption of a course OF treatment
previous to preparing for the lawn
which shall serve to eradicate weeds.
Such preparation, coupled with pure
seed, should give satisfactory stand
of grass which shall need only the
usual care necessary to maintain a
lawn after it is once established.
Too much can not be said in favor of
securing pure seed, and, If possible,
specially selected seed. This is of
course of considerable Importance
with light seeds like bluegrass, red
top, and seeds of the bent grasses.
In the case of bluegrass, select seed
weights about twenty-five pounds to
the bushel, while the ordinary grass
of bluegrass although it may be
called pure averages about twelve
pounds to the bushel."
1T is better to use an excessive
amount of seed and allow natural Sc
lection to eliminate the weak speci-
mems rather than to seed sparcely
with the hope that the natural hab-
its of the plants will be sufficient to
enable them to take possession OF
the entire area
Bluegrass bent grass, and the fes-