232 ANNUAL REPORT. 



any way mar the beauty of llie place should be concealed by screens of vines or 

 trees. In the arrangement of trees Ije careful not to shade the house too much, 

 never planting trees ©r allowing them to grow so near the house or so thick that 

 grass will not gro^; sunshine is more necessary than sliade. Draw your plans care- 

 fully, picture to yourself just what the use and effect of each walk, tree, or shrub 

 will be, never forgetting that grass is the most important factor in the arrangement. 

 When your plans are completed and revised to your satisfaction, the next thing is 

 the preparation of the soil. Here very much will depend upon conditions. A rich, 

 dark loam, with a slight mixture of clay, is best; if you have this, all that is neces- 

 sar}' is to work it deep (eighteen inches to two feet); but if the soil is poor and 

 sandy you must add clay and manure; if cold, heavy clay, add sand and manure. 



LAWNS. 



How can I best obtain a fine lawn? is a common question, and one that should 

 be carefully studied, for it is the crowning feature of any rural home. This cannot 

 be obtained by laying down some sod on a sand bank, with perhaps a few inches of 

 soil; nor by heavy surface manuring. The ideal lawn is smooth, velvety, rich, dark 

 green, from April to November. To obtain this, good rich soil is e9.sential, and the 

 right kind of grass and frecjuent manuring. 



If the soil is not good make it so. I consider cow manure the best to be had. 

 Don't forget to work the ground two feet deep on small plats; this can be done 

 with the spade; and larger ones, with the subsoil plow, using the manure while 

 .subsoiling. Let the surface l)e made smooth, rolled evenly, all stones raked off, 

 andj you are read}' for the seed. Use about two bushels of red top, three of blue 

 grass, and ten pounds of white clover to the acre. Some will say this is too much, 

 l)ut what is wanted is a smooth, velvety surface. Do not sow any oats, timothy, or 

 any other coarse grain, or grass, and never allow your lawn to go to seed; never 

 mow it after October 1st. Give a dressing of well rotted manure in November; do 

 not walk or drive on it in the winter; never allow slops to be thrown on the lawn 

 in winter; it will injure it worse than in summer. If there are patches that annu- 

 ally turn brown in July and August, dig them up, work in cow manure quite freel}' 

 two feet deep and re- seed it. If little hollows appear gradually fill them up, add- 

 ing one-half inch or more of loam at a time. Do not water in the middle of the 

 day; if you use water apply it freely in the evening, but if the ground is properly 

 prepared nature will provide all the water that is necessary. Having your lawn 

 once in good condition go over it once every two weeks with the lawn-mower, and 

 at least four or five times each summer with a heav}^ roller. One who has never 

 tried rolling a lawn will be surprised to see how much it adds to the smooth, vel- 

 vety appearance so much to be desired, so greatly admired and so seldom acquired. 



WALKS. 



Having thoroughly marked the soil and got it in proper condition, lay out your 

 walks and'drives; ordinarily tliese will be graveled. The soil should be excavated 

 four to six inches for walks, and eight to twelve inches for carriage ways, and filled 

 even with the surface with gravel ; never raise the walk above the level of the 

 lawn nor leave it, as is sometimes done, a few inches below. It is the least orna- 

 mental part of the grounds and should attract as little attention as possible. 

 Walks should lie not less than three nor more than five feet in width ; nine feet is 



