228 State Horticultural Society. 



The surface of the lawn should be very carefully prepared, both with 

 regard to the artistic effect of the curves of the surface, and with regard 

 to the seed-bed furnished by the top soil. It should be fine, friable, warm, 

 and adapted to germinating seeds quickly. 



The lawn should be sown in early spring — the earlier the better. An 

 abundance of seed should be used. The best lawns in middle latitudes 

 are made of June grass, sometimes known as Kentucky blue grass. In 

 southern states, the Bermuda grass is best. This often gives a fairly good 

 lawn, though inferior to the June grass. June grass should be sown at 

 the rate of three bushels to the acre, often more. Four bushels will not 

 hurt. Bermuda grass should be sown at the rate of fifteen pounds to the 

 acre. Seedsmen offer for sale various lawn grass mixtures, all of which 

 are good, providing they are made up of good seed. Still none of them 

 is better than pure June grass, at least for most conditions. Unfortu- 

 nately, some of the less scrupulous dealers dump their refuse grass seed 

 into their lawn-grass mixtures. If any one prefers to use a mixture of 

 grass seed, he may as well make it himself. The following formula will 

 be satisfactory in most places : June grass, three quarts ; red top, one 

 bushel ; timothy, three quarts ; and white clover, two quarts. 



There are nearly always patches which do not catch well at the first 

 sowing. Resowings may be made two or three times during the first 

 year, choosing cool rainy weather for the work. Similar resowings un- 

 der certain circumstances will probably be required for two or three years. 

 Even when a lawn has been established for many years it sometimes be- 

 comes dead in patches during very dry summers. 



The lawn should be liberally fed. It should be well fertilized when 

 it is sown, or preferably the fall before. So far as the best plant food is 

 concerned, there can be no doubt but that well-rotted stable manure is best. 

 It has this drawback, however — it is likely to be contaminated with weed 

 seeds. On this account chemical fertilizers are largely used. These must 

 be strong in nitrogen. Many dozen of these are prepared and sold by the 

 leading dealers in fertilizing chemicals. The rule should be to use these 

 liberally. 



REPAIRING OLD LAWNS. 



There are thousands of people in this country who have lawns already 

 fairly established that need frequent and more or less expensive repairs. 

 Some of them show yellow patches, where grass is often absent, and some 

 are badly infested with weeds. The majority of cases are hopeless, 

 and the most effective thing would be to plow up the entire lawn and begin 

 again. In some cases this treatment can be limited to the worst spots in 



