26 MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN 
cowpeas (Vigna sinensis) or crimson elover (Trifolium pra- 
tense), turning this crop under, and adding bone meal at the 
rate of 600 pounds to the acre. 
Having brought the surface to a very fine and mellow con- 
dition we are ready for seeding. Kentucky blue-grass (Poa 
pratensis) is the ideal lawn grass for this section of the coun- 
try, but owing to its slow growth during the early stages of 
‘ts life it must be mixed with some more robust-growing kind 
which will protect the blue-grass by its shade and prevent 
the growing of weeds. This is particularly important if the 
seed is planted in the spring of the year, when all sorts of 
weeds are competing with the growth of the grasses. One of 
the best varieties for this purpose is the red-top (Agrostis 
alba var. vulgaris), which is used in mixture with the blue- 
grass in the ratio of one to two or one to three. For quick 
results English rye grass (Lolawm perenne var. tenue) may 
be used, making the mixture: blue-grass 50 per cent, red-top 
25 per cent, English rye grass 25 per cent. On sloping 
grounds where heavy rains may wash out the seeds or young 
grasses before they have become thoroughly established a 
slight sprinkling of oats should be given. They germinate 
quickly and their roots hold the soil until the grasses become 
established. A few cuttings with the mower will eliminate 
the oats. 
Plenty of seed should be used in starting a new lawn, 60 
pounds to the acre being about the minimum. Care should be 
taken to apply the seed evenly, this being accomplished either 
by hand seeding or by the use of special seeders manufac- 
tured for the purpose. The best time for seeding is gen- 
erally either early in the morning or near evening on a 
day when there is little or comparatively no wind. August 
or early September are the best months for seeding. At that 
time the grass seed will have very little competition with 
germinating weed seed and enough moisture is generally sup- 
plied by nature to establish the grasses sufficiently to stand 
the winter, provided a slight top dressing of well-decomposed 
manure or bone meal mixed with soil is applied in late 
autumn. The bone meal should be given at the rate of 400 
pounds to the acre. If it is not possible, however, to sow seed 
in the autumn almost any month during the growing season 
will do, particularly the spring months, March, April and 
May. Reseeding the bare spots on the lawn may be done at 
any time during the year when the surface of the soil can be 
worked into a mellow condition with a rake. Seed should 
always be kept on hand for this purpose, and whenever a bare 
spot is noticed it should be seeded at once. 
