GRASSES OF IOWA. 493 



Fertilizers. — "Reference has already been made to the use of 

 well -rotted barnyard or stable manure in the preparation of 

 the land for lawns. This is the best fertilizer to apply when 

 it is to be plowed under, but only old and well-composted 

 manure should be used. Whei such cannot be obtained, com- 

 mercial fertilizers may be substituted, and with these a liberal 

 supply of lime and bone meal can be worked into the soil before 

 seeding. Where it is necessiry to apply fertilizers after the 

 grass has started in order to maintain fertility, land -plaster, 

 bone meal, nitrate of soda and hard wood ashes are most com- 

 monly employed. A full dressing of cleir sheep manure, three 

 to five tons per acre, followed by aa early spring dressing of 

 unbleached hard wood ashes (containing ^ per cent potash) at 

 the rate of thre3 to five tons per acre, acco-ding to the fertil- 

 ity of the soil, is advise! by one correspondent. 



" A common practice is to top dress lawns in the fall or early 

 winter with a compost, adding in the spring a dressing of bone 

 meal and hard wood ashes; ia the place of the fall dressing of 

 compost, hard wood ashes may be substituted A too frequent 

 use of hard wood ashes, however, is to be avoided, as it will 

 induce the growth of clover at the expense of the grasses. 

 Bone meal, hard wood ashes and lime are the fertilizers most 

 generally used to maintain the fertility of the lawn, whether 

 shaded or exposed to the sun. When the soil has been prop- 

 erly prepared and eariched, th-re is little difficulty in securing 

 a good growth of grass under the trees if the branches are not 

 too low. 



Selection of Lawn Grasses. — " The value and beauty of a lawn 

 depends upon the color, t9xture and turf-forming habit of the 

 grass selected. A grass may be of good color but harsh in 

 texture and incapable of producing a turf, or it may form a 

 good sward and have a satisfactory texture, but be deficient or 

 even unsightly in color. " 



Kijici of Lawn Grass for Iowa — The value and beauty of a 

 lawn grass depends upon the texture and color of the grass, 

 one that forms a good turf. In Iowa we have but one species 

 that is generally used, namely, blue grass. In the tropical 

 countries turf-forming grasses are almost unknown, so in the 

 warmer parts of our owa country the good turf -forming grasses 

 are less common than in Iowa. Tne chief glory of our north- 

 ern landscapes are the fine turf-forming grasses, and in the 

 Mississippi valley blue grass is preeminent. "Turf grasses 



