Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-04-30

Notice Of poor lawns has come to this
desk In unusual number this Spring
/ There are always bad lawns. but this
season the drought has taken particu-
! lar toll.
Two main reasons may be given for
the failure which is causing so much
perturbation among nome owners. The
first is the inimical effect of the
| drought on the grass roots. The Sec
/ ond is the slow start of new grass
plants.
The season to date in this vicinity
has been a curious one. early enough.
in the main. but complicated and held
back by a period Of dryness following
good rains, and by return of cold
weather
The net result has been a sluggish
growth of old and new grass. Many
houSeholderS have felt compelled TO
have their lawns dug up and entirely
reSeeded. Now this is an extreme ac-
ton, only to be taken when one decides
that there is no chance otherwise:
,oS Several era e.. OF the public parks have
entire remaking. so that the home
owner who digs up his grass and tries
all over again for new has plenty of
official backing.
Many will prefer, however, to stick
to the time tried and less drastic
method Of putting seed into bare spots
and trying to bring them along with
the old grass.
This system of renovating an old
lawn Is by far the less painful, and
has the merit OF being easier on the
purse.
1t is a more soothing process. too, on
the mind which finds itself disturbed
by any upheaval. This is q very wide
spread type OF human being, after all.
Many men prefer old clothes. old
houses, because they hate change. They
resent the disturbance in their ways
and habits which is caused by renova-
ton.
A complete renovation Of a lawn is
a drastic step, to be undertaken only
by the man who does not mind dras.
tic steps, and perhaps then only when
ne gives up hoping for the good lawn
by ordinary methods.
Most will prefer to keep on trying
with grass seed. carefully placed in
such bare spots as shown. This is not
dramatic way of making a good
lawn. So far this year 1t has been
something of a failure.
seed placed in the ground as long
ago as March has come up but sparse
ly. The rains of that month and early
April gave such grass seedlings a good
start. but the dryneSS which followed
seemed to nip them in the bud.
1t Is a question whether the use of
the hose upon starting grass is helpful
or not. Perhaps 1t might be. II the
householder were willing to devote
enough time to 1t and be steadfast in
the devotion.
But the weather, with a few weeks
exception, has not been such as to draw
one into the Use Of the hose. The sea-
son Is bit early for that. There are
seasons for garden processes. tust as
there are for the wearing Of certain
kinds of hats
Evergreens which ought to have been
watered in the Winter, owing to the ex-
IRENE drynesS which prevailed. suffered
severely. mainly because most owners
did not feel that 1t would be seemly to
use the old hose at the time.
Such feelings may be absurd, but they
are tangible and very real, nevertheless.
and no doubt account for the thousands
OF frayed and Drowned evergreens seen
everywhere.
Before getting back to the grass. let
us consider what may be done to poor
looking evergreens by the simple ex-
pedient OF Sousing them with water.
One home owner had two common
Arboryitae which had become thin and
brown, owing to the lack OF water last