Evening star., 1928-03-24
Care Of the Lawn.

The soil improvement committee oi
The National Fertilizer Association has
released the following timely and VAL
liable information concerning the care
OF the lawn:
Poor soil need no longer be a handi-
cap TO the urban 6weller who wants
dense. velvety growth Of dark green
grass in his lawn, say agricultural SCI
entiStS. who find that the crops Of the
city man are affected by the same prin-
ciples Of plant nutrition as are those
OF the man who grows corn, wheat or
cotton. The desirable lawn grasses arc
in reality sisters under the skin 10 the
other members of the great grass fam
,ly from which We deriv our daily
bread and rolled oats, and their plant
food needs are much alike.
The sweet soil lawn. or one which
Is rich in lime favorS the cloVerS and
Kentucky blue grass. but likewise invites
some Of the most mSightlv and perSlS-
tent weeds like crab grass. dandClions
and certain of the chlc6weedS and
Maintains Since blue grass Is not Serl-
ously affected by moderately acid con-
0itionS. provided there is plenty OF
nitrogen available. il is best 10 omit
nnling as one Of the fertility treatments
unless The soil Is strongly acid. The
bent grasses and feSeueS require an acid
condition which can be produced in the
soil BY repeated applications Of am
raonium Sullate or fertilizers containing
their nitrogen in that form.
"An desirable lawn grasses are heavy
nitrogen consumers and a deficiency o.
This element will quickly make itself
known hy the light green or yellowlSh
color and the poor growth Of the grass
PhoSphorle acid and potash are also
essential. but the proportion OF these
rlsnf foods in the lawn fertilizer should
loe cut down because OF their tendency
TO favor cloverS and the less desirable
grasses.
: IT is recommended that the first ap-
plicstion Of fertilizer be made IN late
Winter or very early IL the Spring.
This may consist Of high-nltrogen
mixed fertilizer at the rate Of to
mounds r>er square rod of lawn. or a
straight nitrogen fertilizer Ike am
moniI,r sulfate or nitrate Of soda at
/ 10 . pounds per square rod. For
fertilizer TO use generally throughout
the season IL is doubtful Il there Is
ANYTHING better than one containing
Sulfate Of ammonium and cottonseed
meal half and half.
The United States Department OF
Agriculture has made extensive lnVeSu-
cations into the fertilization OF lawns
and finds the Sulfate-cottonseed mixture
mentioned above superior 10 most 9TH
ers fer lawn grasses, This mixture
makes an almost odorless fertilizer and
cne that can be easily applied With
little or no danger Of burning the
grass as may sometimes be done with
Tllfate or nitrate alone Thorough
watering immediately following the ap-
plication Of any lawn fertilizer is ad-
vlse5. This practice will practically
preclude any possibility % burning and
zlu al once put the soluble plant foods
in a condition 10 be taken up by the
grass roots.
Where lawn fertilizers are applied BY
hand q more even distribution may be
secured By mixing the fertilizer with
drv sand or sifted soil. Then by sowing
half the amount in one direction and
the other half al right angles the most
uniform distribution viii be secured.
Stable manure, which formerly vas
widely used for lawns has become SO
costly in cities as 10 be almost pro-
h3b!tlve The offensive odor and the
prevalence Of weed seed in manure also
add 10 its unpopularify among urban
Gwellers
The demand for package lots Of
commercial fertilizer for use on city
and suburban lawns has become so
great N recent years that nlanufactur-
e-s have found it necessary to make
EpscisI mixtures 10 take care OF this