of Rural Art and Taste. 



167 



strict in their habit of growth, or which grow 

 in tufts. Timothy grows somewhat in this 

 way, and, consequently, hists but a short time 

 under the scythe, and even while it does last, 

 contrasts unfavorably with some of the finer- 

 leaved varieties. 



Looking impartially at the subject, it seems 

 that no species do better in this climate of 

 ours, than Poa pratensis and Agrostis vulgaris, 

 or form such a close-matted carpet of green 

 from early sjiring until late in the fall. They 

 will grow together for years in the most of 

 situations without the one gaining much 

 advantage over the other. But should they 

 be sown on land of unequal depth and fer- 

 tility, or where a gravelly or sandy subsoil in 

 some places mars the surface, the Agrostis 

 would be likely to predominate on the poorest 

 places before many yeai*s, whilst on the better 

 portions the other would take its place. 



Striking examples of this are sometimes to 

 be met with on pasture lands, and may be 

 accounted for on the supposition, that as the 

 Poa is the most luxuriant grower, is also first 

 in motion in the spring, and comes into flower 

 several weeks before the other, it thus gains 

 an advantage which tells upon its more tardy 

 neighbor. But although this difterence of 

 character is quite apparent, no harm results 

 therefrom, as either the one or the other is all, 

 or nearly all, that can be desired to make a 

 lawn as attractive as it possibly can be. 



As the Agrostis has the finest foliage of 

 the two, and is adapted to as great a diversity 

 of soil and climate as any other, I have in 

 years past used nothing else in lawn-making, 

 with the exception, of course, of Wliite Clover, 

 and am persuaded that with these alone, as 

 fine a sward can be obtained as with any 

 mixture whatever, either on land that is dry, 

 or where it is as wet as ever a lawn should be. 



The proportions generally sown have been 

 two and a half bushels, or thirty pounds to 

 the acre, and three pounds of White Clover per 

 bushel. This looks like an excessive fjuautity, 

 and so it is, when it is remembered that at 

 this rate, the lied Top alone gives no less 

 than 33 seeds to the square inch. But as 

 there are nnmerous chances against its equal 



distribution, it is better to sow a little too thick 

 than too thin ; as overcrowding amongst the 

 plants will speedily be corrected by the strongest 

 bearing down those that are weak and unable 

 to hold their own in the struggle of life. 



Seeds for the Lawns.— Some of the 

 fittest seeds for a lawn are Poa pratensis and 

 trivialis, Festnca ovina, Cynosurus cristatus, 

 A vena Jlavescens, Trifolium minus, and 

 White Dutch clover. Some nurserymen have 

 mixtures of their own adapted to particular 

 soils. But the smaller the proportion of the 

 stronger growing kinds that is admitted, the 

 finer, and smoother, and softer will be the 

 grass, and the less mowing will be required. 

 — Journal of Horticulture. 



Clonatis Jackinanni. — The hardiness of 

 this variety near New York is well tested, as 

 appears from a letter written recently to the 

 Lo7i(lon Florist, in which the writer says he 

 had a plant of Clematis Jackmanni, on a pillar, 

 which withstood entirely unprotected, a tem- 

 perature of 14 degrees below zero during the 

 winter, and 110 degrees above during the 

 summer, subject to wind and storm. 



liuUimj the Ground. — A correspondent 

 of the Germantown Telegraph writes : " On 

 dry or wet ground the effect of the roller is 

 found to be salutary. Plowed and prepared 

 for sowing, dry land is much helped by the 

 roller. The blades of grass spring up sooner 

 and retain a firmer hold in the earth. In 

 wet and heavy ground it is believed the roller, 

 smoothing and hardening the surface, will 

 leave the soil immediately beneath the surface 

 in a better condition to generate the seed. 

 On grass ground that has been heaved by the 

 frost, the roller has an excellent eff"ect in fix- 

 ing the roots. Boiling the ground is also 

 good when the land has been laid down un- 

 evenly the previous year. If the land is too 

 dry, wait till just after a soaking rain, and it will 

 work capitally. It is a good idea to roll plowed 

 sowed ground before harrowing, as it presses 

 down the furrows that would be turned back, 

 and makes the surface less uneven, and the 

 harrow pulverizes it much. We find that on an 

 average not one farmer in four has a roller." 



