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the grass has become well established it will be greatly 

 improved by an occasional top-dressing with nitrate of soda 

 and cottonseed meal. On small lawns old plastering from 

 the walls of buildings, when well pulverized, makes an ex- 

 cellent top-dressing, when applied in December or January. 

 The winter rains will soon beat the plaster into the soil 

 around the roots of the plants. Wood ashes are also excel- 

 lent fertilizers. 



Immediately after the grass seeds are sown, the roller 

 must be run over the lawn, so that the soil will be packed 

 around the small seeds to insure germination. Care must be 

 exercised, however, not to cover deeper than one eighth to 

 one-quarter of an inch; otherwise the vitality will be ex- 

 hausted before the young plants reach the surface of the 

 ground. The roller is the best and most satisfactory way of 

 covering the seeds. During the growing season, and just 

 after the mowing, it will improve the lawn to run the roller 

 over the grass occasionally. Early in the fall the mowing 

 must be discontniued, so that the grass will recuperate for 

 the winter's cold. 



Selection of Seed and the Time for Sowing. 



The heat of the summer's sun is so great and long-con- 

 tinued in many sections of the South, most of the grasses so 

 popular in the northern portions of the country are destroyed, 

 and their cultivation, except in shaded yards, becomes almost 

 impossible. The summer months are also so often deficient 

 in rainfall, it is important that provision should be made for 

 the frequent watering of the lawn, if a green, vigorous con- 

 dition is to be preserved. For these reasons it becomes 

 necessary to select those grasses which will best stand the 

 heat of the Southern sun, and will also live through the dry 

 seasons. Among the number of the best lawn grasses suited 

 to Alabama soils and climate may be mentioned the following. 

 Only five species and one variety are given, because, in the 

 opinion of the author, these are sufficient for general de- 

 mands. The list will produce lawns of even texture, uniform 

 sward and permanency : 



