OBSEKVATIONS ON THE LAWNS OF 

 CHAPEL HILL 



BY W. C. COKER AND E. O. RANDOLPH 



In connection with tlie study of the grass and lawn prob- 

 lem in the South that has been undertaken by the Botanical 

 Department of the L^niversity of North Carolina, we have 

 thought it helpful to make some accurate observations on the 

 actual preparation, situation and constitution of a number 

 of Chapel Hill lawns. Most of the observations were made 

 in the spring of 1914, some in the spring of 1915. They 

 were made too early in the growing season to take account 

 of the strictly summer grasses and weeds, such as crab grass, 

 foxtail grass, crowfoot grass, Japan clover, etc., which are 

 abundant in many of our lawns. Bermuda, though still brown 

 could usually be detected and noted. The observations fol- 

 low: 



1. This lawn was sown in the fall of 1912 with Woods 

 lawn mixture. It is a good garden loam, has little shade, 

 and is moderately watered. Results : 



Red top 40% 



Rye grass 40% 



Sheep fescue 8% 



Blue grass in shade (little elsewhere) 90% 



Weeds : Plantain, chickweed, mouse-ear chickweed. 



2. This lawn has not been sown for many years. The 

 soil is of good texture, but now rather poor; not fertilized, 

 and not watered or regularly mowed. Results : 



Blue grass in shade 90% 



Sweet vernal grass in partial shade 90% or less 



Weeds: Hop clover (Trifolium procumbens), and black medic 

 (Medicago lupulina) form most of the sod in open places. They come 

 up in January or February, flower in April and May, and die in May 

 and June. 



3. This lawn was sown with Woods lawn mixture in 

 the fall of 1912. The soil is a rather poor gravelly loam. 



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