IRISH GARDENING 



narrow section (of the lawn as it should be when 

 finished) made across the centre will be of great 

 assistance : it will be easy to work from, and 

 mistakes will less likely occur. Should the lawn 

 be sloping the total fall should be ascertained 

 and graduated, so thai when finished a proper 

 tailing level will be the result. When adjusting 

 heights and depths it will not do to remove all 

 the top soil to one end of the lawn, leaving nothing 

 but poor subsoil, which may not be lit to grow 

 grass on the other : therefore it must be borne in 

 mind that poor subsoil must be replaced to the 

 depth of six or eight inches by good soil, and this 

 tad should be remembered when calculating th< 

 levels : when the levels have been decided on. and 

 pegs (good stout ones) put in to mark them, the 

 soil should be got into position as soon as possible. 

 with no great length 

 of time elapsing be- 

 tween the different 

 portions, so that il 

 may all settle down 

 equally. 



The foregoing pre- 

 parations are best 

 made during the 

 autumn months, and 

 left until the spring 

 following. when it 

 should be dug over, 

 and when dry enough 

 it should be raked to 

 a fine surface and left 

 until April, .lust pre- 

 vious to sowing any 

 weeds showing should 

 be removed and the 

 ground raked clear of 

 all stones and rough 

 material. About ( | ) 

 three-quarters of a 

 bushel of seed to 100 

 feet square. The very 

 best and cleanest seed 

 should be procured 

 from a reliable seed 

 merchant, and sown 

 on a calm day during 

 the end of March or 

 beginning of April : il 

 a grass seed barrow 

 be convenient it can 



be sown more regularly from it than by the hand. 

 but failing the machine, the garden line should be 

 used to mark off strips about eight feet wide : it 

 is advisable to sow across, thereby ensuring a 

 thorough seeding. The seed should be well raked 

 in. or lightly covered with some finely sifted soil, 

 and thoroughly rolled. I think it is a mistake to 

 have clover mixed with the grass, except it be on 

 a slope or bank which is liable to scorch : in that 

 case the deep rooting clover will stand the sun 

 better ; sown on lawns it generally gives a patchy 

 appearance, and on a tennis court is very un- 

 desirable, as it renders the court very slippery 

 if at all damp. Towards the end of June the 

 young grass should be cut with the scythe for the 

 first few occasions, the machine being likely to 

 pull up the young seedlings. The lawn should 

 be frequently rolled (provided it be not too wet 

 or too dry) and cut at least once a week during 

 the summer and autumn months. It will be a 

 few years before it becomes what may be termed 

 a thick velvety lawn ; but I prefer to sow a lawn 

 rather than turf it. except that the sods can be 

 had from a mountain pasture on which sheep 



has been grazing for a few years : if this can be 

 had there is nothing to beat it. as it will be 

 possible to have a lirst-rate lawn in six months. 

 Turf cut and laid during November or December 

 and well rolled will be fit for anything by April 

 or May. but whether it be sown or sodded the 

 preparation should be the same. 



To remove inequalities from old lawns it will 

 be necessary to remove the top sod. which should 

 be cut about one foot wide, three feel long anil 

 about one inch thick, care being taken to cut an 

 equal thickness. If soil has to be added to till up 

 hollows it should not be too rich, or the grass 

 will grow coarse and a different colour. A board 

 about fifteen feet long, to act as a straight edge, 

 will be necessary to show when the pari under- 

 going alterations is level with the surrounding 



Olemiia ramtjlosa. 



ground, the turf when being replaced should be 

 well beaten down and any interstices filled in by 

 having fine dry soil swept over it. To renovate 

 an old lawn which may have become mossy, give a 

 thorough scratching with a steel rake, some fresh 

 seed added, and a light top-dressing of good, 

 finely-sifted soil, to which has been added some 

 grass manure. If this be done during the winter 

 or early spring months a distinct improvement 

 will be the result. 



Where daisies, plantain, and other weeds are 

 plentiful, it will be necessary to apply a good 

 daisy sand during a dry warm period. Should 

 rain follow close on the application of the sand, 

 it becomes washed off, and the result will not be 

 satisfactory. If the daisy sand be persisted with 

 for a year or two a vast improvement will be 

 noticeable on the lawns, the sand usually acting 

 as a stimulant to the grass as well as destroying 

 the weeds. If worms are plentiful they will ruin 

 a lawn if not destroyed. There is a fluid prepared 

 bv Bentleys which, although expensive, is first 

 class; it certainly does all that is required if 

 applied on a dull warm morning. 



