336 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



be devoted to it for a satisfactory result. Our advice to a beginner, 

 tired with enthusiasm on the subject, would be to select a compara- 

 tively small piece of ground in the first instance, in order to obtain 

 a perfect sample of spergula turf in the shortest possible time, and 

 acquire thereby the experience needful for a greater effort. For 

 those who practise " rough-and-ready gardening " spergula is of no 

 use at all, except as a rock plant or to cover a knoll on which a tree 

 is planted, and for such other odd purposes, where a close turf 

 capable of enduring the wear and tear of turf constantly trodden on 

 is not required. 



For all good loamy garden soils, the best grasses to form a 

 close, fine sward are the following : — Cynosurus cristatus, the crested 

 dog's-tail ; Festuca ovina, the sheep's fescue ; F. tenuifolia, the fine- 

 leaved fescue ; Lolium perenne tenue, perennial rye grass ; Poa 

 pratensis, smooth-stalked meadow grass ; Poa sempervirens, ever- 

 green meadow grass ; Poa nemoralis, woodside meadow grass ; Tri- 

 folium repens perenne, perennial white clover ; Trifolium minus, 

 yellow suckling. Sow the mixture at the rate of 3 bushels (60 lbs.) 

 to the English acre, or 1 gallon (2| lbs.) to 6 rods or perches. 



For a stiff soil resting on clay, a good mixture would consist 

 of Lolium perenne, perennial rye grass ; Poa pratensis, smooth-stalked 

 meadow grass ; Poa trivialis, rough-stalked meadow grass ; Lolium 

 perenne tenue, fine rye grass ; Festuca duriuscula, hard fescue; Tri- 

 folium repens, white clover; Trifolium minus, yellow suckling. 



For a light sandy soil the mixture should consist of, or at least 

 comprise, Lolium perenne tenue, Poa pratensis, Festuca duriuscula, 

 Avena flavescens, the yellowish oat grass ; Trifolium repens, Lotus 

 corniculatus, the bircl's-foot ; Achillea millefolia, the common yarrow. 



For a thin soil besting on chalk or limestone, the selection 

 should comprise Lolium perenne tenue, Festuca duriuscula, F. ovina, 

 Poa trivialis, Cynosurus cristatus, Medicago hipulina, the yellow 

 medick ; Trifolium repens, T. minus, Lotus corniculatus. 



For a collective prescription we cannot do better than adopt that 

 recommended by Messrs. Lawson and Son, the eminent seedsmen of 

 London and Edinburgh. The several quantities of the several sorts 

 named constitute a mixture for one English acre. 



Light Soil. Medium Soil. Heavy Soil, 



lbs. lbs. lbs. 

 Avena flavescens ... ... 1 



Cynosurus cristatus ... ... 5 6 7 



Festuca duriuscula ... ... 3 • 3 4 



Festuca tenuifolia ... ... 2 2 1 



Lolium perenne tenue ... ... 20 20 20 



Poanemoralis ... ... 1^ 1-j- 2 



Poa nemoralis sempervirens ... li If 2 



Poa trivialis ... ••• . ... 1^ lj 



Trifolium repens ... ... 7 7 7 



Trifolium minus ... ... 2 2 1 



Under trees a little variation of the mixture must be adopted. 

 Leave out the two species of Fescus, and substitute similar quantities 



