La Junta tribune., 1916-09-23
FIN UP YOUR LAWN
FIN Up YOUR LAWN
Re-Scedng Bare spots should Be
Done In eptcmbcr-Feriilizin
and Needing Necessary.

The work OF lawn repair. like that
OF making a new lawn, declare spec
ialists OF the United States Depart
ment OF Agriculture. is the best per
formed in early September in the
Central states
To improve an old lawn that has
run down Is often more difficult
than to make a new one. but II rea-
scnably good turf exists it can be
bettercd materially by rcsecding and
fertllizng. II the lawn is patchy, the
small areas should be scratched with
a steel rake. dressed with loan and
compost, and the seed sown on this.
II large areas OF the lawn have a
thin covering Of turf II will be ad-
vantagcous to use disk seedcr, Al
ter seeding, a second dressing Of
loan or compost should be applied
and the areas rolled lightly.
Lawn Needs Constant Care
Careful attention Is necessary II a
lawn is to be kept in good condition.
Most lawns need an occasional appli-
cation OF some good fertilizer re-
rardless OF the kind OF soil on which
they exist. Thoroughly rOtted stable
manure Is excellent for this purpose.
Another good dressing is a mixture
OF manure well composed with sod
and leaf mold and sifted before US
ing.
II is desirable that the material
be- applied in such condition that
there Is nothing TO rake off Coarse
humus dressing should never be used
as the grass is almost Invariably
killed in small patches beneath the
Jumps The humus dressing should
be applied In the autumn or winter
and again IN the spring Bone meal
Is one OF the best commercial fer
,ilizcrs for the lawn. When used II
should be applied IN winter or ear
~ spring at rate Of ten to fifteen
pounds to the thousand square feet
Lawns are benefited by frequent
clipping During the rapid growing
season. mowinEs twice a week are not
too frequent II usually makes little
difforeucewhethcr the clipped grass
Is removed or allowed to remain on
the lawn. II is coming TO be cousid-
cred the best practice TO remove the
grass. however. Il is neither ncrcs-
sary nor advisable 10 roll lawns
during the summer.
Lawns should De we'll uatered
during dry periods and should DE
soaked thoroughly twice or three
times each week. rather than lightly
sprlHbloI a. more frequent inter
vols Later afternoon or ulEht ls the
best tlmr FOR watering ou bright
bot days weeds ore troublesome iu
ail auns during rhr growing season.
but particularly a0 from ,Ha latter
part NJ June until frost Pulling or
cutting these plant pests from tha
turf Is the most unsatisfactory way
OF Kidding a lawn Of them.
The control ~ trailing weeds and
undesirable grasses can best be- ac-
complishod by raking prior 10 now
inr the intruders thus being raised
so that the mower blades viii cut
them.
The use OF chemical sprays on
lawn weeds has not given very salts
factory results on the whole. the
weed problem can best be solved by
making the conditions as favorable
as possible for the turf grasses and
maintaining strict watch at all
times to remove troublesome weeds
as they appear.
A grass seed mixture. rich In red
fescue. viii grow better In shady
places probably than other mixtures.
by thorough watering and the liber.
al use of fertilizers and lime. how
ever, the evil effects of shade on the
growth OF all lawn grasses largely
can be overcome in many cases.