The Washington herald., 1922-06-27
MesHe7hE
JGdeyzANC
a@A0leS
TUESDAY. JUNE q. lssi

TUESDAY. JUNE 81. 1874.
LAWNS THAT DON'T
GROW IN THE sPBINc.
II that lawn OF yours that you
have been manicuring ever since
the flowers bioomed in the spring
is not doing as well as it should. u
II has a NANCY look. II you are dis
eusted with IL. take heart The
Department OF Agriculture SAYS
that lawns. like wheat and some
other field crops. grow green and
flourish IL they are planted in the
I fall. not the spring. So you have
another chance this year. Here 10
how:
Young grass does not settle itself
well in spring and summer and is
not sufficiently aggressive TO com
bat crab-grass and other summer
annual weeds. In this area the time
to plant is early in September. The
reseeding OF an old lawn should be
done at the same season as new
seeding.
A suitable soil is of frst import
snce. especially where the climate
is not particularly favorable 10 the
I formation Of good turf. Most soil
can be improved by drainage. ma
nuring, fertilizing, and lining. A
. deep losmy soil is easily prepared.
as IL already has the right texture,
but II may need fertilizing with barn
yard manure, or bone-meal in spplica-
tions OF two pounds to 100 square
feet Stiff ciays need both sand
and vegetable matter before they
/ are ready 20 support a good turf.
and there is little danger Of over
doing the use OF either OF them. An
inch layer of sand worked into the
clay will produce a permanent i'm
provement in texture. Conversely.
clay may be used to improve light
sandy soils. Decayed vegetable
matter lightens the texture Of clay
( soils. increases their water-holdinE
| capacity. and improves their drain
age; IL also improves sandy soils
and makes them more retentive Of
moisture. About 100 pounds TO 100
square feet ordinarily is SUFFICIENT
When white clover and bluegrass
do not ero~ well. Il is probable tha:
lime Is needed Ten pounds OF air
slsked lime TO 100 square feet Of
lawn. well worked in before the
seed is planted. is a satisfactory
application in most cases. II is not
recommended as a top-dressing for
turf. and should not be used for
bent grasses or fescues unless the
soil Is very acid. The soil should
be thoroughly prepared for plant
ing several weeks before the seed
ing takes place in order that there
will be time for il to settle and for
weed seeds to germinate.
4 Kentucky bluegrass is the most
ern States. but best results are OBJ
tained when II is used in a mixture
with other grasses. A mixture
containing seventeen parts OF blue
grass. four parts Of reclesned red
top. three parts of perennial rye
grass. and one part of white clover
has been found TO be as good as
any. A mistake is often made In
seeding to thinly. At least two
pounds of this mixture should be
used on 1000 square feet Of coil.
The rye-grass and redtop grow
quickly and form a nurse crop for
the slower growing bluegrass and
white clover. After the lawn has
been cut for a time Il will consist
almost entirely Of bluegrass and
clover. Hti-l
Patch lawns may be repaired. but
when the turf is very poor IL usual
ly pays better TO remake the lawn
entirely. The areas to be improved
should be scratched up withNs steel
rake and dressed with a mixture
OF good loan or compost with
which the seed is mixed.
| Good turf requires frequent clip
ping, say twice a week. during the
season Of rapid growth. and IL is
advisable 20 remove the cut grass.
In dry periods il is impossible to
keep lawns in good shape without
watering. and an occasional thor
ough soaking is better than fire.
quent light waterings. Although
there Is little definite informat.on
on the subject, IL Is generally
thought best to put on the water
late in the afternoon.
i Fifteen years ago many British
railroad cars were heated by foot
warmers. These devices Were oval
shaped iron cans containing either
hot water or a chemical substance
and did not retain heat long.
In Japan a vegetable leather is
made from the inner bark OF a
plant called the mitsumata.
Before he invented the steamboat
Robert Fulton experimental with
a submarine at the bottom OF Brest
Harbor in France using funds OBJ
tained by portraiC painting in Paris.
Police OF scotland Yard have been
experimenting to test the use Of
wireless In directing the movements