DIVISION OF GARDENS AND GROUNDS. 677 
small, and, third, the oat-seed allowance was so large that, even if the other two 
factors had been of the best, the oat crop would have rendered it a failure. 
To secure a good lawn the primary requisite is proper preparation of the soil. 
Where this can be done by the plow a deep furrow should be thrown out with the 
turning plow and a subsoil plow run into the bottom of each furrow. This will 
turn and loosen to a depth of from 15 to 18 inches, according to the thoroughness 
of the work. If done by hand labor, it should be spaded as deep as the spade can 
penetrate and the subsoil loosened with a pick, but in no case should the subsoil be 
brought to the surface if the sowing is to be immediate. 
The next operation is to level the surface so that it may be made smooth and 
regular. No pains or expense should be grudged to make the surfaee grade perfect 
at this stage of the work, as it will be difficult to make corrections after sowing. 
If good barn-yard manure can be provided a heavy dressing of it should be spread 
over the surface and plowed in. This soil preparation is best when done in the fall, 
and the surface left rough during the winter. 
Even with the above manuring the second plowing should not be omitted. Asa 
substitute for the fall manuring apply bone dust at the rate of at least one-half ton 
per acre in the spring on the surface and harrow it in. Before sowing, the surface 
should be harrowed and cross-harrowed until a smooth, even surface is produced; 
then sow the seed, and cover it by rolling. 
The best lawn grass is Poa pratensis, variously known as blue grass, green grass, * 
. and June grass, and the many mixtures sold as lawn grasses are largely composed 
of this species. A good mixture is two bushels of the above, one bushel of red top 
(Agrostis vulgaris), and one quart of timothy (Phieum pratense). This is sufficient 
for 1 acre, and should be properly mixed before sowing. The timothy seed is in- 
cludetl because it vegetates quickly and strongly, loosens the surface soil, and thus 
facilitates the growth of the other grasses, and soon disappears. If sown under good 
conditions from ist of March to middle of April it will be fit for the lawn mower 
by ist of June, and by the end of that month will present the appearance of a good 
lawn. 
A fine lawn can not be maintained without frequent mowing, and now that numer- 
ous and cheap and efficient lawn mowers are to be found everywhere, there is really 
no excuse for imperfectly kept lawns. 
During the first summer the cuttings of the mower may be allowed to remain on 
the surface as a mulch, but experience shows that the practice is not to be com- 
mended after the first year. 
It is pernicious to sow oats, rye, barley, or other grains with the grass seed. These 
strong-growing plants rob the soil and injure the growth of the lower grasses. They 
do not require any protection of this kind, and many failures in lawn making can 
be traced to the practice of mixing these with the grass seeds. 
BRAZIL NUT. 
W. W. W., Iowa. 
T wish to know whether the tree that bears Brazil nuts will thrive in the United 
States, and whether they will bear much, if any, frost without injury, and whether 
they will thrive where oranges and almonds do, Also best mode of starting young 
trees from the nuts. . : 
Answer.—The tree that yields these nuts is the Bertholletia excelsa, a native of 
Guiana, Venezuela, and Brazil. ti is found in large forests on the banks of the 
Amazon, and is therefore strictly a tropical tree, and would not be at all likely to 
grow to any degree of perfection in Florida. 
Climates suited to almonds and oranges are no criterion for tropical vegetation. 
The former will grow wherever ‘peaches do well, and a bearing orange tree will 
withstand 10° of frost without injury. 
CHICLE GUM. 
R. P., NEw YORK CITY. 
Among the importations at this port there is an article called Chicle Gum. After 
considerable inquiry I have not been able to find the name of the plant which pro- 
duces it, but have learned that it comes from Mexico. If you can tell me the name 
of the tree or plant, and where it can be obtained, I wouid try it in Clay County, 
Fla., where I have interests. 
