LAWIT MAKING. 325 



dnimals, by their liabit of biting close to tlie ground, de- 

 stroy the coarse weeds. The better way of taking up the 

 turf is to have the sods in long pieces, and to roll them 

 up. In cutting the sod some gardeners use the line, and 

 others a board with a straight edge, in order that the 

 catting may be accurate. The board has this advantage, 

 that it may be a foot wide, and tlicn it can serve as a 

 gnage for width without any further measuring, by cut- 

 ting closely along the sides. First, the cut should be made 

 lengthwise with a sharp spade or turfing iron. Then 

 starting at one end, one man w^ith a sharp spade should 

 cut the roots, so that the sod will be about an inch and a 

 half thick, the assistant grasping the end and rolling it 

 up, the grass side inwards, keeping on as the cutting 

 proceeds, until a roll as large as it is convenient to han- 

 dle is gathered. AYhere one man works alone, he may 

 separate the sod by thrusting the spade in from the side, 

 afterwards rolling it up. These rolls are readily trans- 

 ported, and quickly unrolled and laid, leaving the lawn 

 sui'face with few seams, as compared with cutting the 

 turf in square pieces. Sodding may also be as well 

 done by using square sods that are cut about a foot or 

 fifteen inches square. 



In laying the sod, join all edges carefully, using a large 

 knife in cutting. As the laying proceeds, if some 

 portions of the turf happen to be a little thinner than 

 others, soil should be worked underneath such parts. 

 The different pieces should all be snugly pushed togethe:* 

 as the work goes on. After being properly laid, all parts 

 should l)e beaten with a w^ooden beetle, and afterwards 

 well rolled. All of these operations are to be followed by 

 a heavy sprinkling of water to encourage a new growth. 

 Along the line of walks, drives, and borders, the turfing 

 should be carried a little beyond the line, as it will be 

 when finished, so that in dressing down the edges 

 afterwards, the cutting will be through good, strong sod. 



