Jane 19, 1668. ] 



JOURNAL OP HOBTICULTDRB AND COTTAGE GAEDENEB. 



449 



WEEKLY CALENDAR. 



MAKING A LAWN 



mm 



EFOKE sowinff p-ass seeds 

 ^ to form a lawn the roots of 

 all perennial weeds should 

 be forked out and cleared 

 away. The ground should 

 also be drained effectually, 

 and be made level, or even in siu'face, whether it rise or fall. 

 It is not necessary to have a lawn level, hut whether on the 

 level or on an incline it should he even in surface — regularly 

 level or regularly sloping. 



To secure a line grassy surface free from irregularities it 

 is necessary to have the ground formed to the outline 

 desired some time prior to sowing the grass seeds. This 

 is particularly the ease when the general surface is reduced 

 in some places, and lioUows are made up in other parts. 

 The made gi-ound will settle ccmsiderably ; it should, there- 

 fore, not onlv he made firm by treading or ramming, but 

 be left for a vluie to settle, and after rain has fallen upon it 

 for some tiiii,; it is an ensy matter to talce awaj' the heights 

 and iill up the hollows, but very anmmng after having 

 been at great trouble to level the surface to lind it, after 

 the lawn is formed, irregular and full of holes. In levelling 

 care should be taken to use firm soil. It is a common 

 practice to fill up the holes with any kind of nibbish, cover- 

 ing it with a coat of soil for the grasses to root in ; but 

 however level it may be at first, that part formed of rub- 

 bish will invariably settle in time, leaving a hollow, and 

 spoil the whole. 



The ground being drained, free from perennial weeds, 

 and ha'i'ing a firm even surface, it should be raked fine, and 

 the seeds sown when the soil is in good order, choosing 

 a calm day with an early prospect of rain. Gently rake 

 the seed in with a light wooden rake, and roll firm. The 

 best time to sow the seed is in April, for the soil is mostly 

 then in good tilth after exposm'e to a winter's fi-ost ; but 

 if the gi-oimd is verj- weedy it would be well to let it 

 lie fallow par't of the summer, and the weeds could then 

 be more easily foi-ked out. In that case the first week in 

 September would be a more suitable period for sowing, 

 omitting the Clover seed, which should invariably he sown 

 in April, or at latest by the middle of August, so that the 

 plants may become established before winter, as thev are 

 liable to Euffer if this prove severe. Composed as the 

 grasses to he recommended for lawns are of the smaller 

 and finer lands, it should he borne in mind that they 

 should not be sown in autumn on cold soils or in bleak 

 situations, spring being the only suitable seed-time for 

 such soils and situations. 



Wlien the seed has brairded, and the plant is an inch or 

 two high, roll the ground twice a-week ; tins will tend to 

 make a firm surface, cause the plant to branch, and pro- 

 duce a closer turf. Do not mow the grass until July. Bear 



No. 27&— Vc& X.t Hbw Series, 



^•ith its unlawn-like appearance, lmo^ving that every in- 

 crease of head gives increase of root, and to get the roots 

 do«Ti is a grand point in forming a lawn to look well dm-ing 

 hot dry weather. Mow it if possible during showery wea- 

 ther, but if the weather be dry afterwards give it a sprink- 

 ling of rich compost ; or, if the lawn be intended for playing 

 at croquet upon, and have a damp bottom, ashes passed 

 through a half-inch riddle, and soaked in liquid manure, 

 should be used : sufficient to cover the ground half an inch 

 will do much towards rendering the sm'face dry. and after 

 rain there will be little of eitlier the soil or ashes to be 

 seen. Now is the time to roll. Roll whilst the ground is 

 wet, for with the loose soil there is no fear of its cracking. 

 After this roll twice a-wcek, and cut the gi'ass even,' three 

 weeks \^•ith the machine set an inch higher tlian for ordinary 

 lawns, or if cut with the scythe cut liigher, switching off 

 the tops only. Leave off mowing, or cut for the last time 

 in the third or fourth week in September ; the gi'ass being 

 rather long, the taller sorts will serve as a sort of protection 

 for those of less growth. 



In March apply a dressing of rich compost, or if the 

 ground is of a strong nature and wet, ashes mixed ^rith 

 half their bulk of well-rotteJ manure will be better, 

 especially where a dry surface is desired. Enough of 

 either of" these to just cover the surface sliould be equally 

 distributed with the back of a rake. When the gi-ass 

 comes through roll it well, and by the beginnmg of May 

 there will be'a turf fi'ce from Daisies, Dandelions, Butter- 

 cups, other perennial weeds, and coarse gi-asses. Thus 

 in little more than twelve months a better tiui can be 

 obtained by sowing seed than by laying turf. 



Afterwards the lawn shoidd be treated the same as 

 lawns generally, and if any weeds appeal- upon it they 

 ought to be rooted up before they have become strong, the 

 ground being looked over occasionally for the pui-pose. 

 It is a great evU to allow perennial weeds to grow year 

 after year without making any attempt to destroy them, 

 except by cutting off then- heads. This is a very im- 

 certain method of destroying tham, and very often more 

 time is spent in cutting off Daisy heads during summer 

 than would make theii- appearance impossible were half the 

 tim e spent in taking up the roots with an old table-luiife 

 in spring. Worse even than Daisies are the coarse 

 grasses. They grow much more rapidly tlian the finer 

 sorts, and only a few days after mowing those rough erect 

 blades give such a ragged appearance to a lawn that it 

 seems none the better of mowing, and all the labour that 

 has been bestowed upon it in rolling, sweeping, &c. 



The beauty and perfection of a lawn consists in the even- 

 ness of the sm-face, whether on a level or slope; the 

 absence of weeds, such as the Daisy, I'lantain, &c., and 

 of coarse grasses, such as Dactylis glomcrata and many 

 others that might be named, .also moss. The advantages 

 obtained bv sowing grass seeds to form a lawn are as 

 follow : — Greater opportunities are aftbrded for clearing 

 the gi-ound of the roots of weeds, for draining, for improving 

 the ground, and for levelling the surface; and we can 

 select the most permanent grasses havuig fine short foliage, 

 evergi-een, of one shade of coloui- (tliose of a blue or yellow 



M«. ML-ToL. SXXV., Ou> SSUES. 



