378 STATE P0310L0GICAL SOCIETY 



should suffice to grow a thick, velvety turf. Weeds iire the great enemies of 

 good turf, and every la^yn should be kept as free from these pests as a flower 

 garden. The employment of good artificial fertilizers greatly helps to secure 

 permanent freedom from weeds, since foul weed seeds cannot very well lurk 

 in them. — Scribncf s Monthly. 



MY LAWN. 



A year ago I wrote an account of my plan for securing a lawn out of a 

 rough piece of ground close about the house that had been allowed to grow 

 up to brush, bouncing botts, and weeds. I will recapitulate a little and tell 

 you of my success. I turned under the brush, weeds, and rough sod, gave the 

 ground a thorough cultivation and planted to garden truck, securing excellent 

 vegetables for the table, and by good culture a thorough subduing of the 

 land. Everybody criticised me upon the taste displayed in having a vege- 

 table garden in the front yard, but all conceded the good character of the 

 vegetables. Late in the autumn, after the corn was husked and other fall 

 Avork out of the way, with the team and tools in one day we put that infty rods 

 of gr«und into a smooth, nice condition for seed, and in another day a drive 

 was made to the barn, a walk to the front door with a nice border of sod on 

 either side. Fortunately, the gravel for the walk and drive was within a 

 stone's throw, so it could be scraped into place at slight expense. 



But what I wish to speak of particularly is that the vegetables, at the low 

 prices paid last season, paid for fitting the lawn and building the drives. 

 Everyday I see farm yards that are eye sores which in the same manner could 

 be converted into beautiful lawns, the actual expense being nothing and the 

 result a satisfaction beyond computation. This spring I sowed thickly upon 

 the prepared ground a mixture of Kentucky blue grass and red-top, giving the 

 whole a top dressing of fine compost, and to-da}^ while I write, a tint of 

 green gives promise of the velvet turf I hope to have bv autumn. 



May, 1879. "^ S. Q. Lent. 



ORNAMENTAL PLANTING. 



LOW-BRAXCTIED LAWX TllEES. 



Is it generally understood tliat no lawn tree properly trained can be allowed 

 to lose its lower branches? In a general way it is. Many people recognize 

 the importance of this system of training lawn trees ; that is, they recognize it in 

 a limited way. They tliink a purple beech should be trained low, and a sugar 

 or Norway maple high. On the other hand, the majority probably give little 

 thought to the matter when they come to plant their lawns. Let us consider 

 the question a moment. It would be, perhaps, generally conceded that the 

 most perfectly grown tree is the one that attains the most pleasing and com- 



