334 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



THE LAWN. 



Nothing contributes more to the beauty of a place than a well 

 kept lawn, and every person who aiins to make hotne attractive 

 should give this matter considerable attention. A perfect lawn, 

 such as one may see on Euclid Avenue, in Cleveland, is ob- 

 tained at heavy expense, but, fortunately for us, a very good sub- 

 stitute is within the reach of nearly every one. Here, in northern 

 Ohio, grass seems to be nature's covering for the soil. Any place 

 left to itself will come into grass or white clover, but it is not best 

 to depend solely on nature. 



It is better to prepare the soil and sow the seed. If the plot to be 

 seeded is a small one so that it can not be plowed, it should be 

 spaded deeply, and the good soil turned txnder. Great care will be 

 required to get the surface even. Anj' parts that are too high must be 

 lowered, and the surplus earth carried to the points where it is most 

 needed. In filling up low places the soil should be tramped 

 thoroughly so that when all is settled it may still present an even 

 surface. 



After the grading is completed, the surface should be enriched 

 with whatever fertilizer is most convenient. There is nothing 

 better than old, rotted manure. Bonedvist and wood ashes will 

 answer. After the ground is graded and enriched — and there is no 

 better time for this than early spring — a lawn maj'' be had at once 

 by sodding, but this is expensive. 



A very reliable method, and yet not a costly one, is to get a 

 quantity of sod and cut it into pieces about three inches square and 

 place them a foot apart all over the surface, and press them into the 

 ground. They will commence to grow at once and soon run togeth- 

 er if the ground be moist enough. 



The common way is to sow grass seed quite thickly, rake it in and 

 then roll the surface. If this be done in the early spring, it is usually 

 a success. Later in the season when the weather is dry and hot, the 

 conditions are less favorable. At such a time it is a good plan to 

 cover the surface lightly with straw to shade the ground until the 

 seed is coming up. 



For this climate there is nothing better than Kentucky blue grass. 

 Redtop is nearly as good. The mixtures sold under the names of 

 lawn grass are probably all good, but often too costly. The writer 

 has made many a good lawn by simply using the seed found under 

 the hay in the barn. The important thing is to use enough. 



While a thorough preparation of the soil is indispensable where 

 the best results are desired, any piece of ground, whether rich or 

 poor, may be seeded down and made beautiful. Mr. T. B. Terry, the 

 well known writer and lecturer, has the road in front of his place 

 carefully graded and seeded from fence to fence, except the wagon 

 track. This grass is kept clipped with the lawn mower, giving the 

 road the appearance of a drive through a well kept i)ark. 



Prof. L,az.enhy saj'S that the lawn is to anj- place what the carpet 

 is to a furnished room — indispensable. Prof, liailey calls it the 

 ground work upon which you can put trees, shrubbery and llower 

 beds and make such a picture as 3'ou see fit. 



Whatever the situation or surroundings may be, certaini}' no place 

 in the countr}' can be at its best without grass. This is a ilirectiou 

 in which nearly every place may be improved with but little labor 

 or expense. 



