The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1916-03-17
SPRING CARE OF LAWNS.
Now Is the Time to Apply Fertilizer
Grass Seed Should be Sown.

Home owners who wish to get the
best results from their lawns should
begin to work on them early in
March, according to the lawn special
lists of the department. Too many
people delay giving any attention to
their grass plots until the weather be-
comes warm, and thus lose an oppor-
tunity to take advantage of melting
snow and the alternate night freezing
and thawing of the ground.
Apply Fertilizer at Once.
If the lawn has not already been
fertilized, some form of commercial
fertilizer should be used at once.
Manure applied this late will not be
effective in most cases Ground bone
is probably the best fertilizer to use,
although tankage and fish scraps,
some of which, however, have an un-
pleasant smell, also give good results.
Prepared sheep manure is an excellent
fertilizer for use at this season. Cot
ton-seed meal. where obtainable at
low enough price, may be used to adj
vantage. In connection with these
fertilizers, however, it is desirable to
use some wood ashes or other fertili-
ger containing potash. AS fertilizers
with this element are unusually high
priced this year, the natural inclina-
ton will be to use minimum quant-
ties. With soils that have been we'll
fertilized in the past, failure to use
normal amount of potash will probab
ly not affect the lawn badly in one
season. These fertilizers should be
applied at the earliest possible mo-
ment.
Temptation to get on the lawn and
clean it up is strong as soon as the
snow is gone and the weather begins
to settle. Impatience however, should
be curbed until the ground is settled
fairly we'll, so that footmarks will not
shown in the turf. Where lawn has
been trampled down during the win
ter or played upon when it was soft in
winter or early spring. the owner
should take steps to compact its sur
face at the earliest possible moment.
This compacting, however, should
removed. AS soon as the ground is
sufficiently settled SO that rake does
not dig into the turf. the owner should
rake it gently with wood-toothed
rake. Frequently, however, all that is
necessary is TO pick off the litter. If
lawn has been covered with manure
in the fall, it will be necessary to
break up the manure with a rake in
the spring and remove some of the
coarser portions. A wooden rake is
best for this purpose, as it will leave
so much more Of the fine material
upon the ground Do not rake off so
much of the manure that the lawn
will have thoroughly clean appear
ance. All of the fine manure that the
summer growth of grass can possibly
hide should be left. 1t is surprising
how much litter the grass will obscure
in "a lawn as one or two heavy rains
will beat down quantity of such ma
terial.
When to Sow Grass Seed.
Before freezing weather is entire
ly over fresh grass should be sown,
for it must be remembered that only
by repeated applications of grass
seed can a good lawn be produced
The ordinary seeding of grass on a
new lawn is one pound of seed to
every 400 square feet-that is. to a
piece 20 feet square. For re-seeding
a lawn, one-tenth to one-half of this
amount should be used, according tc
the condition of the lawn at the time
For the northern part of the United
States Kentucky blue grass and red
top are the standard varieties. How
ever, where there are many bar,
spaces it will be found we'll to US,
some white clover. About one-tentl
the quantity of clover as of othe
grasses mentioned will be required.
Probably as good time as any t
!, apply grass seed will be some morn
, ing when the ground is frozen. S,
. that when the ground thaws durini
! the middle Of the day the sown see,
: will be covered sufficiently to germin
. ate we'll. The most successful seed
ing is that done while the ground |
; freezing little each night and the
| Al a..