Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-02-27
GOOD LAWNS VALUABLE
HELP TO HAPPINESS
of City Folks, Suburbanites and
Countrymcn rs Well.
\ PERFECT LAWN a NECESSITY
How to Get 1t and Then How to Keep
it-NIan Who Knows Whereof lie
Speaks-Gives Some Pointers That
Are Worth While.


Speaks-Gives Some Pointers That
Are Worth While.
CHAPEL HILL. y. c., February GO
The Lawn Problem in the South" is
the subject OF very interesting arti-
Gle by Professor w. e. Cocker. head Of
the Department of Botany. Univcrsity
of North Carolina. which has recently
appeared in the Journal Of the Elisha
Mitchell Society OF the university
Professor Cocker discusses the factors
necessary 10 the making of good
lawn. the proper care to be taken, and
the means OF disposine OF weeds.
perfect lawn he says. las under
stood in our Northern and Middle
states Great Britain and Europe gen.
orally, is dcusc, homogeneous ever.
green carpet composed OF single
species OF grass. Only in rare circum-
stances can such an ideal he fully at
tanned. and II cannot be ever, aplaoXi-
mated without good soil water In dry
periods. and constant care against the
eNcroachmcnt of weeds. AS we arc
seriously handicapped by long hot and
dry summers, the ownership of Il good
lawn In tn" South will never be easy
ana Viii always b" the evidence of in
telliSence and care.
ADVICE no THOSE WHO
WANT 10 60 RIGHT
'e ihSloiS lnat are necessary
the making OF good lawn are: ,n "a
fich and well-draincd soil: o. tho RICH,
grass or grasses: go water: a. care
removal OF weeds, frequent mowiuss
,op dressings etc. AS We usually neg
lec' an or these essential factors. il is
not hard TO explain our failure
10 those who arc willing 10 give
their lawns the proper start and S,ib
seQuent care. We suggest the following
procedure; see that the soil is we'll
GRAINED and all rocks. stumps and trash
are removed and IL the surface is
,,s u'nr, with ridges aud sinks. a drag
shonld he used to produce Il perfec,lv
'eNe' surface or even slope. Give the
area heavy application of stable
manure in the spring. at the rat, of
hitH two-horsc wagon louds 10 m.
"cre. ana turn under deeply: put ON
i,,, a'"nE applica ION OF water Stacked
i'ne or OF ground limestone at the rate
OF about three tons to the acre ana
marrow repeatedly with - cutaway har.
~" continue this narrowing every two
or three weeks during the summer
Nn""' september - TO the first Of
"uo ground hone or cottonsecd
mea! AT the rate o. 900 pounds ,o
'he acre, and harrow again. folIowinr
lht cutaWay with u tooth b,rroy.
Niter TINS give finishing touch nv
rhk'nS by hand with a fine toot,, r,l.n
men TINS is done SOW. at the rate or
w ''""n"H per acre. 1t mixture OF cu,laI
parts OF Kentucky blue grass. crecn,nr
bent grass. sheep tcscue and perrnninI
rye grass and cover with "A compact
cedar brush or by rakinr again bv
mana. The rye grass viii grow ranid1v
ana VIII give good effect tho mrs,
"Ih'er oelore the other slower grow
ing grasses make much show The
'H.S Era"s' " adapted 10 the situation
VIII grow stronger and denser each
year. whils tho rye grass will nrc,tv
m"ch All disappear after two o. three
Years IN" fcsCue aud bent grasses
arc added IN expectation that thev viii
eSt"" iish themselves in certain sno,
10 winch tho blue grass is no, adapted
Neither is 50 good for lawns as hlnn
grass, ana whcr. the conJi,ion,. .r
iusi right 70: the lat,e.. tic fesc,!e and
h|h' %rasscs mas be omitted
Uses or TUE MOWER
N INPORTAN NJ IBJEt"r
~ early spring. when tue cround &c
nor 700 Wet. run roller over tho lawn
on" "eSlh 10 MS" \ mower as soon as
INC grass is high enough TO cur. The
'Eo grass Will need cutting once or
t"Ie" during Tho late fail Look ont
10Y 'l"'eS' and Kill them. Water fro
Hueht!y during the first summer. and
axe out the weeds by hand I'm DC
toner give a..other dressing of cot,ou
Sced meal 81 bone meal. Look on, for
INN and poor SPOTS, and so more socd
after scratching he surface with ;;
"a IKE giving extra fertilization to these
places. This will Civ, the lawn . st,r,
It's successfui continuance. viii renn;r.
an equal amount OF attention and c,re
ia ~aterih-; the lawn do MOI sprinkle
!'ShtiE every dan, but water thorough
IS every four or live DAYS In large
lawns IL Is good plan to water a part
every daE. SettinE al! over in four
Or hve days The amount Of water
necessary varies OF course with soil
shade and season. and must be deter
mined b. watching the grass
me worst lawn WEEDS are the per-
eHh!al ones. certain Of which are con-
s'antly appearing even in the best kent
lawns. They must ne watched for. ana
kept out by hand rhc worst through
nearly III OF our territory are lance
ieaNtd nian'nin tpInntnSo lanceolata)
smut grass tsporonc!us indicus) and
the clovers. Locally. wild onions and
mat grass are pcstifevous Tie nut
grass Is almost incradicahie and when
II Is thoroughly established ono should
proceed with tho Lawn exactly as If
IL were not present. Ori.-ns. while vnry
tenacious, can and should be removed
one way IS 10 loosen up tn" bulbs with
long. marrow mattock and lit each
c!ump as IL appears II is also claimed
that onions can bc killed r., squirtinr
Il half teaspoonfUl Of crude carboIic
acid down int tho center OF each clulnp
With an oil can. Dandclions are not
! tho pe!t with MS that they are in the
North. hat thcy become somewhat
tr9VDleFome near the northern limit of
! our range. They should bc removed
with the sharp corner Of u hoe rs
should also ih> ,!aniains and smut
grass.
bermuda grass as It weed is Of such
a nature ~ 10 warrant special re-
11s z. R1e8
Into He NocI>