JULY. 217 



In the first place the children did not die, though the moss did. 

 The gases are all very volatile, and the water-pots had hardly ceased 

 their work when the horrible stench Had dissipated itself. But, under 

 the influence of the stimulant, the grass, each part as it was watered, 

 assumed the delicate green of fresh growth, all the more striking from 

 the general stagnation around, owing to the long drought and the cold 

 north-east winds. But, by the next day, this had changed to a 

 suspicious apple green ; by the day after to a decided yellow, which 

 finally turned to the brown of death ; in which state it continued a 

 full fortnight. Oh, that fortnight ! The titterings of the family might 

 be silenced by the voice of authority ; but it required the self-conmiand 

 of a courtier to answer, with an unruffled mind, the condolence of one 

 friend at the extent to which my beautiful lawn had suffered by the 

 trying spring ; the enquiries of another, who called on purpose to know 

 whether I had been using arsenic to poison the worms ; and the 

 impertinence of a third who thought I had done it to have it all gravel. 

 I almost myself believed at last that the grass was injured. That, 

 however, was not to be added to the list of my annoyances. The 

 Gardeners' Chronicle was right. The moss has slowly perished, and 

 the grass has still more slowly shown an intention of supplying its 

 place, though it seems more rank than it was and less velvety. But 

 the unkindest cut of all was still to come ; and that was a question put 

 to me by a knowing one, " But why did you wish to get rid of it ? 

 Beaton considers moss good for a lawn, as he stated not long ago in 

 the Cottage Gardener, in reply to some one who asked how to 

 destroy it ? " Really the question never occurred to me before. Will 

 you kindly answer it for me, and tell me whether I ought to have 

 wished to destroy it ; for certainly the moss is both the softest and the 

 driest part to walk upon. It is gone now, every shred of it, and for 

 twenty-four hours after every mowing the places look patchy, where 

 it once did its best to please me. And is it absolutely true that I have 

 spent fifteen shillings, incurred much of domestic reproach, and trial 

 of the serenity of my temper, and encouraged sympathizing or 

 facetious remarks from neighbours, all to get rid of my best friend ? 

 In other words — is moss bad for a lawn ? 



Iota. 



[On lawns which have been mown for a number of years. Moss is 

 frequently met with, particularly when the soil is dry and sandy. We 

 do not consider it objectionable, as it assumes its greatest luxuriance in 

 the autumn and winter months, when the natural Grasses go into a 

 state of rest ; and as the Grasses grow in the spring, the Mosses mostly 

 die away, and are soon hidden. Unless, therefore, its growth pre- 

 ponderated greatly, and was destroying the Grass, we do not recommend 

 it to be eradicated ; and not then by such a dangerous remedy as gas 

 water, whose effects are worse a hundred times than the disease. 

 Where the Grass on lawns gets thin, sow among it in April or August 

 a mixture of Crested Dog's-tail, Sheep's Fescue, and Wood Meadow 

 Grass, with a little Trifolium minus — these will spring up and thicken 

 the bottom ; or dress your lawns over in April with a mixture of 

 guano, superphosphate of lime, and nitrate of soda. Any respectable 



