The Donaldsonville chief., 1913-05-10
Interesting Pointers on Garden
ing for the City Man or
Suburbanite.
WHAT TO PLANT AND WHEN
Advice by an Expert on Agricultural
Matters-Making a Good Lawn
Rules for Feeding Horses
Growing BIackberries.
BY PROF. JOHN WILLARD RoLTE.

about our homes with grass sod OF
lawn is a very old one. Lawns are
mentioned in one way or other in the
histories Of practically every nation
with which we are familiar. In early
days they were used only by the
mighty in the land, the reigning fam
lilies and the nobility. principally be-
cause no one else possessed sufficient
land to grow grass or anything else
on.
Probably these lawns were rather
rough in contour, and we imagine that
they were not Of very great extent,
as they had to be clipped by means of
sickles or hand shears. Later on in
England and France it became custom
ary to pasture d flock Of sheep on the
| lawns and park grounds about the
country homes, and this charming pas
| toral custom still maintains in many
places. Quite a number Of cur city
parks and clubs in this country follow
this practice to advantage.
The sheep eat the herbage close to
the ground, and they clean up grass
|
rich the soil, they are not heavy
! enough to cut up Or pack the surfafce.
and their appearance and associations
cannot but give keen enjoyment to all
| lovers Of nature.
If your grass stand is thin, patchy
or weedy, it will be a good plan to
sow some grass seed on the moist
ground as early as possible, having
first raked it over and scratched up
the surface Sow the seed broadcast
and sow it thickly. A good CONNER
ciaI fertilizer sown at this time will
help the old sod and the new seed.
lings. It is not advisable to use barn.
yard manure in the spring under most
circumstances, but 1t will have an ex.
| cellent effect on any lawn il spread on
| thickly in the fall. When this has
| been done, rake it off as early as pos
| sible in the spring and sow your grass
/ seed over the bare spots as soon as
| the manure has been raked off. Horse
manure is better than cow manure
for almost any gardea or lawn pur
poses, because 1t is lighter and more
porous, warns up quicker and its fer
tilizing elements are much more
I quickly available. Be careful about
the sources which you secure ma
4 nure, as itmay contain live weed seeds
which will take possession Of youl
lawn in very short time. It is ar
excellent plan to roll the lawn thor
/ 10 yrrT1i il
in a reasonably moist condition. The
rough places will be leveled, the whole
sod will be smoothed, and better con
nection will be formed between the
sod and the water contained in the
subsoil,
AS soon as the snow is gone and the
sod is firm enough to walk on, i
sAould be raked thoroughly with al
iron rake, to remove the dead grass
and leaves from the roots of the grass
Be careful not to drive or walk on The
lawn at any time when it is sof
enough to show the tracks, as an ir
reparable amount Of damage can be
done in this way.
The grass should not be cut until i
has secured a good lush growth, bu
after the first cutting and Throughout
the spring months, it should be KEEP
trimmed short and the clippings shoult
be caught in carrier of your mower
so as to prevent them from covering
up the growing grass. After tht
weather becomes hot, and particular
ly if it is dry, it Is not well to cut tbs
lawn SO often, as the sun is liable tt
kill the roots If they are too much ex
posed.