The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1915-09-02
HOW TO MAKE LAWNS GROW
Way to Prepare, Seed and Cultivate
For Heavy Sod and Rich Green.
BY Perley A. Hill, Secretary Amateur
Gardeners Association.

~ way 49, AAAi, SOSiCtdiy Amateur
Gardeners Association.
Kentucky blue or lawn grass is a
natural grass found in mountain mead.
ows and commonly used in making
lawns on account of its brilliant color
and easy cultivation. 1t will grow III
any place where heat and moisture
prevail. Being a perennial, its in
crease is from multiplication of
root fibers and from seed. It's seed
| ing period is in July and August, and
as lawns are seldom allowed to go to
seed, but are kept cut, the result is
that we defeat nature in her process
of reproduction by means of seed, so
she applies her other resource in
creasing her root system. This is
shown in a gray or brown condition
of the root crowns, and as this oc-
ours in hot dry weather, it looks bad.
The best restorative is to apply water
directly to the roots. Take an ordi-
nary garden digging fork and drive
it into the lawn about five inches deep.
then ease it out so as not to disturb
the sod. Move back six inches and
drive it in again. Continue this until
you have "filled it full Of holes" You
will be surprised how green it be-
comes and how little water you will
use.
Cut your lawn often-every four or
five days.
Making New Lawn.
This is done in the spring and fall,
but the lawn that is planted in Sep
ltember misses the weeds, requires less
water and can be rolled to an even sur
face in the spring, together with the
chance of reseeding all missed places.
The base of lawn should be open
porous soil, freely mixed with gravel.
On top of this, if possible, have three
inches Of mountain clay. On top of
the clay put four to six inches Of top
soil. This means any good, light, fri
able soil taken from the grass roots
Always look for vegetation when hunt
ing good soil. The place where some
thing grows is proof of quality. Ideal
soil is found where winter SHOWS melt
ing and running down over rocks car
~ silt and make deposits in little
r valleys. This soil is always rich il
r phosphate. Don't dig stop soil" dowr
and base soil up, as is usually done il
digging a garden for vegetables. Grass
y seed requires top soils, which contain
nitrogren and phosphate.
e Planting Grass.
Y Give the average man forty differ
; TENT kinds of seeds and he will plan
everyone of them underground, bu
give him lawn seeds and he will throw
:. them on top. Why he will do this no
body knows-he doesn It himself. H,
does it simply because his father die
it, and the result is a lawn of shred.
and patches.
Every little seed is tiny egg ani
should be planted an eighth of an incl
in depth and the soil firmed all arouni
it, touching it on all sides, 50 as to in
sure perfect Insulation.
Sow your seed in finely pulverize,
. soil that has been raked smooth. Us
. plenty Of eeed-use at least half
pound TO every 100 square feet. Use
lplank to walk on-lx12x16 is a goo,
, size. Sow a strip in front of you
2 Bake it in by using your rake point
; vertically with very short strokes
I Then with your rake handle straigh
J: up use the head of the rake as tam
:. and firm the surface. This not onl,
1 packs the soil around the seeds, Blu
= it also drives the little rocks down
. helps in leveling and prevents wash
y ing the seeds in patches while sprink
ling. Keep the surface damp. D
not let it become dry under any ci,
cumstances while terminating. Thi
process usually takes from nine t
eleven days.
Spring Treatment.
Now the lawn as soon as possible
Don t use catcher or rake on a ney
A0AA lawn. Wien Iuc I1fSC 1rOSt come
apply a thin dressing of old an,
screened COW manure. Don I sow clov
er seed in your fall lawn if you mus
have it, wait until spring, then it ca,
be easily raked in. The reason TO
this is an uneven distribution and tina
young clover will sometimes winter
kill.
Phosphate, nitrogen and potash ar
the three elements Of lawn food. Phos
plate and potash are usually available
in the soil; nitrogren is supplied from
the air and continued decay Of roo
fiber underground, but lawn grass, i
continually cut, becomes a gross feed
er and soon exhausts its natural sun
ply Of food.