Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1914-05-20
EXPERT ADVISES
 ABOUT THE LAWN
Bermuda Grass Makes Best Summer Lawn in South
 ern Staten.

Washington, May 19.-Even though the lawn has not been seeded during the early spring, it is well worth while to apply seed to it later. This, however, should not be done during a drought. All lawns should have some application of seed in the spring that they may appear well during the rest of the season, according to the United States department of Agricultures landscape gardner.
 Blue Grass and Red Top Good.
 The best and most widely used mixture for seeding lawn is one of Kentucky blue grass and red top, equal parts by weight. On absolute ly bare soil pound of seed should be sown to every 200 square feet. Only one-fourth of that amount is necessary on moderately good lawns. Only the very best seed should be used. Seed that is furnished by a reliable seedsman is likely to be good Thin places should be heavily seed ed, and when there are considerable areas almost without grass, it is ad visable to SOW white clover seed in addition to the mixture already recommended.
 Pulverize Soil.
 Poor preparation of the soil is much more often the cause for poor results than the quality of seed. Where the surface of the ground is not, loosened up and we'll pulvefiZed so that the grass seeds may come in contract with the soil, the best of seed will not germinate. There should also be plenty of vegetable matter (humus) in the ground for the seed to give the best results.
 Sometimes bad weather conditions, as drought, will affect results, even though the seed is good and the soil has been we'll prepared; nor is a quick rain at the time of sowing an undoubted blessing, for if such rain just causes the seeds to sprOut, and is then followed by dry weather, the weed seeds. already plentiful in the soil, will also sprout and being stronger to resist the dry weather than the grass seed, will crowd out the latter The. seedman in such an instance may be blamed without reason for selling an inferior pro- duct.
 In the Southern state, on lighter soils the grasses that are generally recommended are not likely to suc- ceed and Bermuda grass roots should be planted on such lawns instead. On clay soils in the South, especially those that are in partial shade, the bluegrass-red top mixtures should grow satisfactorily, but seeding with this had better be delayed until fall.
 Bermuda grass at the first ap- proach of Aold weather turns an ugly brown, so that in those sections Of the South where it is used 1t is best to SOW additional grass seeds along in September, such white clover and possibly Italian rye seed, which will come up and keep the lawn green all winter and cover the dried-up Der muda grass until spring, Italian rye grass comes up quickly but does not present as attractive an appearance as the white clover.
 Bermuda Grass Weed Farther North
 Farther north the Bermuda grass which, in many southern sections. is the only one that will keep green during the hot months, is regarded as weed. h the latitude of Washing ton Bermuda grass, which turns brown at the first frost, disfigures many lawns during the greater part of the fall i
 It is true that the Bermuda grass will stay green when hot suns turn other grasses brown, but except in the Southern states the bluegrass red top mixture, under ordinary cir