BOTANICAL DEPARTMENT. 155 



THE "HENDEKSON" LAWX GRASS SEED. 



Sold hy Peter Henderson & Co., New York. 



Table showing the proportions : 



Brown or Creeping Bent or Red Top, Ayrodif>, in chaff 880 



June Grass or Kentucky Bhie Grass, Poa pratensis, L., in chaff 715 



White Clover, Trifolium rej^ens, L., clean 120 



Sheep's or Hard Fescue, Festuca ovina or var. duriuscula, L., in chaff. 110 



Perennial Rye Grass, Lolhun j^erenne, L. , in chaff' 95 



Sweet Vernal, Anthoxanthum odoratum, L., var. Puellii, in chaff' 17 



Timothy, Phleum pratense, L., clean 10 



A few seeds of Chickweed, some Panicum, Mallow, Malva rotundifolia, 

 L., (a weed). Ergot, some other weeds not recognized. 



This is much like the Central Park lawn grass previously noticed. This 

 one contains some seeds of small fescues apj)arently mixed, a little perennial 

 rye grass, which is no benefit to it, and a very little Timothy, which would 

 be better to omit, and a small amount of sweet vernal, which apparently is 

 the annual variety and of no value. The three leading ingredients are the 

 June grass. Bent grass, and white clover. The seller claims this as a new 

 mixture for lawns, and the successful result of two years' (I) experimenting. 



It Avas the freest from weeds of any mixture examined. It is sold for 25 

 cts. per quart or S5.50 per bushel. The same house sells June grass for 

 82.25 per bushel. Bent grass for $4.00 per bushel, white clover for 40 cts. 

 per pound. 



The preceding tables and the remarks below each should be studied in 

 connection with what follows : 



The lawn surrounding the State capitol in Lansing has been much admired. 

 To begin with, the land is clay, and was thoroughly tile-drained, deeply 

 trenched and well fitted in every respect. I am not certain what mixture 

 of seeds was sown, but for a few years, the lawn contained much perennial 

 rye grass, none of which now remains alive, at least none to amount to any- 

 thing. There Avas some ribbed grass and other weeds which have been carc- 

 fally removed at a great expense of labor. The main things to be seen in 

 the land this season were June grass and white clover, with some fine red 

 top or bent grass. 



At the Agricultural College, numerous plats in various seasons and soils, 

 mixed and separate, have been tried, and those grasses of most value are 

 June grass and a small red top. White clover often thrives well with these, 

 but it varies much with the change of seasons. Sod taken from a rich old 

 pasture or the roadside usually makes an excellent lawn as soon as laid, but 

 it is too expensive for a large plat. The main grasses making such a turf 

 are those last mentioned, June grass and red top, with jjerhaps some white 

 clover. 



In making a lawn, too little stress is usually placed on thorough trenching 

 or subsoiling and enriching the land. The surface should be harrowed and 

 hand-raked till it is in the finest condition. 



Our experience fully accords with the following from A. J. Downing, who 



long ago wrote on many rural topics : 



" Now for the sowing : and here a farmer would advise you to ' seed down with oats', 

 or some such estabUshed agricultural precept. Do not listen to him for a moment. Do 

 not suppose you are going to assist a weak growing plant by sowing along with it a 

 coarser growing one to starve it."' 



