THE GRASS QUESTION". 213 



dred pounds of superphosphate, three hundred pounds 

 dried meat, blood or fish, and four hundred pounds 

 refuse common salt. The quantity of superphosphate 

 and nitrogenous matter may be doubled, to advantage, 

 or even made stronger, as grass will stand almost any 

 amount of fertilizer. The common salt, used as an 

 alterative and solvent, will be found to have a decided 

 influence in keeping up the emerald green condition so 

 desirable on a perfect lawn. Not more than three 

 bushels to the acre should be applied in a season, and 

 then best during a rain — never under a hot sun. 



Old lawns, much in decay, are better if plowed up, 

 leveled and resown, but often this course is not conven- 

 ient, certainly not if the lawn can be renovated by a sys- 

 tem taking less time. In that case, when prompt results 

 are desirable, the old sod should be well combed by a 

 harrow, to tear out the dried grass and easily extracted 

 dead roots. This operation also breaks the earth, put- 

 ting it in a pulverized condition to receive seed, which 

 may be sown broadcast, which, falling between the living 

 grass, roots into the friable and fresh soil, and is at once 

 in position to germinate and occupy the space. On 

 many lawns cut with the lawn mower there appear many 

 pests — the Creeping Veronica and the Mouse-Eared 

 Chickweed being prominent — which crowd out desirable 

 grasses and mar the appearance of the sward. Under 

 such circumstances it is advised to break up the parts 

 affected and sow with seed of the Sheep Fescue, which 

 will admit of such close cutting as to destroy all of the 

 pestiferous plants. 



