LAWNS 61 



soil will, under the sun's rays, quickly dry out and become pow- 

 dery. It is best to obtain, if possible, a sandy muck or black soil 

 of a vegetable nature and not of a woody nature. This can be obtained 

 from the edges of the hammock lands. This type of muck does not 

 dry out. Good muck, taken from the upper layers of swamp areas, 

 ought to be mixed thoroughly with a generous amount of lime and the 

 entire mixture ought to remain for two or three months before it is 

 applied to the lawn area. The mucks to be avoided are the woody and 

 very sour types, 



Planting and Seeding Lawns. The season for making a lawn 

 varies with the kind of a lawn which is desired, and also with the 

 season of the year when the lawn is to be used. Especially in the far 

 southern states, some lawns may be intended for use and enjoyment 

 throughout the entire year, while another group of lawns may be in- 

 tended to be at their best during the winter months. 



With the lawn developed from Bermuda grass or St. Augustine grass 

 the period required for the development of a good turf averages from 

 three months to four months. Therefore, if a lawn of this type is to be 

 developed as a lawn to be maintained throughout the entire year 

 the Bermuda grass or St. Augustine grass can be planted at any 

 time. The ideal time just prior to the rainy season in June or 

 July should be selected so that the roots of this grass can have the 

 benefit of the heavy rains. If a lawn of this character is to be developed 

 as an asset to a distinctly winter home, and artificial watering condi- 

 tions are immediately available, the Bermuda grass or St. Augustine 

 grass can be planted at any time during the growing season. It is not 

 advisable to plant either of these grasses during the winter months from 

 December to February when temperature conditions are apt to be 

 so low that growth is not encouraged. On the other hand, Italian 

 rye, which is distinctly a grass for winter lawns, cannot be seeded 

 to advantage in the summer months from April to October. 



Lawns composed of Italian rye may be seeded at any time of the 

 year from the first of November to the first of March. The time re- 

 quired for Italian rye to establish itself, and to produce a green lawn 

 area, averages from three to five weeks. An excellent way in which to 

 obtain a green lawn during the winter months is to seed a Bermuda 

 grass lawn, which is at least three months old, with Italian rye at the 

 rate of one pound for every one hundred square feet. In the middle and 



