IRISH GARDENING 



103 



treated as meadow land. The ])hotograi)hs were 

 taken a little over three months froni the date of 

 sowing. 



The space selected was partly orchard and 

 partly arable land, with an irregularly undulating 

 surface. The trees in the orchard were care- 

 fully rooted out and burnt, and every ])article of 

 rubbish cleared away from the arable land. 

 Levels were then taken, and the whole area 

 bastard trenched, taking care to retain the best 

 soil on the top. 



Frequently when this stage has been reached 

 the ground is raked over and the grass seed 

 sown. This method may be expeditious, but it 

 is the cause of inany failures. The grasses ger- 

 nunate and grow for a time, but in a few 

 months — except in exceptional cases— the finer 

 grasses die away, and only the coarser and 

 stronger varie- 



but if the ground has been thoroughly prepared, 

 and suitable varieties of grass seed sown, dry 

 weather need cause very little trouble. At such 

 times, if watering is resorted to, the result is 

 almost certain to be anything but pleasing. A 

 dry spell may delay the germination, but that 

 should be all. 



Like all other plants, the early days of grasses 

 are times when care and gentle culture are a 

 necessity. As soon as they are sufficiently long 

 and strong to cut, this should be done with a 

 sharp scythe, and the cut grass raked off — not 

 swept, as is freqviently the case. In all proba- 

 bility the mowing will have to be done with a 

 scythe for some time, until the plants have 

 thickened sufficiently for a lawn mower to be 

 used. A common mistake in lawn turf culti- 

 vation is to consider that when the grasses have 



reached this 



t-T-nw* 



ties remain. 

 if grass seeds 

 are good they 

 may be sown 

 on a ploughed - 

 up furrow, and 

 they will grow 

 and look well 

 for a time, but 

 they will never 

 make a lawn. 



Instead of 

 adopting this 

 rough - a n d - 

 ready method, 

 the whole of 

 the ground was 

 sifted to a 

 depth of about 

 three or four 

 inches. This 

 may seem to 

 some an elabo- 

 rate system of 

 pre ])aration. 

 t)ut if a good 

 result is de- 

 sired no detail 

 of cultivation 

 should be con- 

 sidered too much trouble. Besides, it is the 

 cheapest way in the long run. The ideal 

 lawn must possess a perfectly smooth face, 

 covered with a thick, close growth of grass. 

 To obtain this result the sifting was neces- 

 sary, and after it was done a sprinkling o f 

 chemical manure, consisting of 20 per cent, 

 phosphates (mostly soluble), 7 percent, nitrogen, 

 10 per cent, potash, mixed with a local ]ive- 

 [jaration, was sown over the ground, and 

 lightly raked in. Now, if instead of sifting the 

 soil to get an ideal surface before sowing the 

 seed, this important detail of cultivation was 

 left until the seed had been sown, and a smooth 

 surface tried to be got by the agency of a roller, 

 the result could not have been nearly so good. 

 There is only one way of getting a good lawn 

 from seed, and that is the right way. (ict the 

 surface perfect before sowing the seed, and tiic 

 after-process is easy. 



In a few weeks, according to the weather 

 conditions, the seeds will germinate, and growtli 

 should be ra])ld. Sometimes a spell of dry 

 Wfathrr Slice. '(mIs the sowiiiL;- and causes anxiety. 



AXDROSACE SARMENTOSA VAR. WATKINSII. 



stage they can 

 take care of 



the.uselv.-S, if 



they aiv groom- 

 ed occasionally 

 with the roller 

 a n d mowing 

 III a chine . 

 T hey resent 

 such treatment. 

 At this stage 

 it is inostessen- 

 t i a 1 to give 

 grasses suitable 

 nourishment 

 siuular to that 

 already re- 

 c o m me nded, 

 but it must be 

 given very 

 carefully. The 

 advantage of 

 beginning to 

 feed the grasses 

 so early is 

 that the roots 

 are retained on 

 the surface, 

 and a finer, 

 closer growth 



of grass is developed than if they were allowed 

 to grow on without this attention. But, in 

 api living the jilant food, care must be observed 

 to sijrinkle it frequently on favour able occa- 

 sions, instead of as an annual or biennial 

 dressing. 



The period in which a lawn, after sowing, may 

 be considered fit for use depends, as has already 

 been mentioned, verv nuich on the treatment it 

 has received (Fig. 97). Indifferent prejiaration 

 of the ground and inadequate attention after- 

 wards can onlv result in failure. The great 

 defect of seeding by the ordinary method is the 

 length of time before the surface soil is a net- 

 work of health V roots, and covered with fine 

 grass, so that it can be walked or played on, 

 without mud being too strongly in evidence. 

 This, bv the usual system, will always be a 

 (liawl)ai"k to it lieing so extensively done as it 

 might be. , 41 • ^■ 



For many years we have recognised this dis- 

 advantage, and exiieriment after experiment has 

 been tried to remedv the defect, and at last we 



A fabri 



;i.ecially prep 



d. and 



