Evening star., 1946-09-17
This and That
BIZ Charles E. Trdce1UeU

This is the best season of the year
to plant grass seed.
A trite statement, but its truth seems
to be unknown to many householders.
Now that fall is just around the corner,
as testified by falling dogWood leaves, red
and autumnal looking, We must hurry to
get in the seed.
Given good rains, and not too cold
weather, there will be a month or two
of good grass-growing weather
Seeds that do not germinate may rest
until next spring, but the point is that
bare spots can be filled in.
But that is not all.
Grass which sprouts and gets good
start has every chance of remaining fair
ly green all winter, except in the very
coldest weather.
Thus gray grass, unfortunately all too
common in and around Washington,
may be avoided, at least to a certain
extent.
The last weeks Of August and the
first of September were very dry.
This caused certain oak leaves to fall,
as well as the leaflets OF the locusts.
Drifting locust leaves. carpeting the
grass. always spell autumn.
There is feel to the very air, known
to all persons interested in natural facts.
Political facts, art facts, building facts
hundreds of different facts-these are
not to be compared, in some ways, with
natural facts, for the latter are those
with which each human being must go
through life.
Yet it seems at times that all too many
persons spend their lives trying to
escape natural facts, only to be f1oored
by one of the mightiest of all in the
end
1t is useless, there is no escape from
nature: we might as well face her, and
her facts, and make the best of them.
If you have not yet begun, but only
know nature through listening to the
wind and rain at the window, autumn
offers a marvellous chance to get ac-
quainted.
1t Is more conscious recognition. after
all, than anything else, for all of us
are exposed to a certain amount of
natural facts-mere living, and manv
more.
The main thing is to recognize that
city living tends to dull nature. We
must work, think-maybe they are the
same-to realize. at the very time real
ization is necessary, that nature Is with
us always
Autumn grass sowing is a good intro
duction 1t is good to put in the seed,
an eighth Of an inch down, and cover
1t with soil. A good plan is to poke
holes IN The bare spots in lawn with
the ends of fork of some sort, and
put little seed into each hole, then
drag the earth over and stamp down.
Sx
If rains do not come. some water must
be put on at regular intervals.
This is where too many persons fail
with fall grass making.
II there is not enough water. water
must be put on, but at the same time
It is not the right season, it must be
admitted, for getting out with hose.
But 1t must be done, every other day.
until the grass gets a good start, real
start, two or three weeks of good water
ing will suffice
In normal seasons there will be
enough rain to make sprinkling unnec-
essary.
Where crabgrass dies out, good grass
seed should be put In, so that in time
the unwsnted sorts may be crowded
out This is more a hope than any,
thing else, but If even half of the
crabgrass is gone next summer, a great
deal will have been done.
The prevalent idea of roofing out
crabgrass is bad. 1t is much better to
crowd it out, but to do so requires a
great deal of grass seed, and a great
deal of persistence in watering" the
seed after it has been planted. Just
scattering seed and forgetting it is
better than nothing. but it will not take
the place Of properly sown and properly
watered seed.