io6 IE be Xawn. 



natural meadow or in a level field near a lake or liver are 

 less liable to suffer from drought than those situated on a 

 higher level or on a hillside. As to the nature of the sur- 

 face soil itself, a sandy loam will make the best and most 

 durable lawn. Where the soil is sandy or gravelly, too 

 much cannot be done to enrich it by means of additions of 

 rich loam and thick dressings of manure. The surface soil 

 should be rich and friable to a depth of at least eighteen 

 inches. The more liable a place is to the exposure of ex- 

 cessive heat and drought, the more thoroughly should the 

 ground be worked and prepared before sodding and sowing, 

 as a porous, well-worked soil will retain moisture much 

 longer than a badly-worked, close, and heavy soil. It is 

 therefore a good practice to dig and break up the soil to a 

 sufficient depth, after the grading has been done, without 

 disturbing the general surface of the ground. The soil 

 must be worked fine by means of a stout iron rake. Of 

 course where deep fillings of good soil have been deposited 

 this digging is seldom necessary, but where the fillings are 

 thin it is essential that they should be worked in and mixed 

 with the old soil, as the)' would otherwise form a layer by 

 themselves insufficient to resist even short spells of dry 

 weather. By subsoiling, during which operation plenty of 

 manure is dug in and mixed with the soil to a depth of 

 two or three feet, even the poorest and least promising soil 

 may be improved. Light soil is made more solid in this 

 way, and heavy clay, if mixed with turfy loam, decayed 

 manure, and sand or gravel, may be made quite porous. 



If the soil is considered satisfactory in every way and 

 has been thoroughly worked, and the trees and shrubs are 



