CHAP. 15.] THE LAWN, ETC. 257 



mo wino -machines. In whatever way, however, 

 the operation may be performed, it should be 

 repeated very frequently. In large establish- 

 ments, the lawn is always mown every week 

 during; summer; and, even in the smallest 

 gardens, the grass should never be suffered to 

 remain more than a fortnight during summer 

 without mowing. The roots will thus become 

 weakened, and will not be able to send up any 

 but dwarf and fine blades of grass, which will 

 form in a few years that beautifully smooth and 

 soft velvet-like turf which it is the principal 

 merit of a lawn to possess. " It is a great mis- 

 take," says Mr. Loudon in his Villa Gardener, 

 " to suppose that anything is gained in the way 

 of economy by suffering the grass of lawns to 

 grow lono- before mowing:, in order to save the 

 expense of once or twice mowing during the 

 season ; for, in proportion as the grass is allowed 

 to grow long before mowing, in the same propor- 

 tion are the rcots strengthened, and enabled to 

 send up still longer leaves and stems ; whereas, 

 if a lawn were kept short by frequent mowing 

 for two or three years in succession, the plants 

 of grass would at last become so weak that not 

 one half the mowing usually required for even 

 slovenly-kept lawns would be necessary, and the 

 turf would be much finer and neater in appear- 

 ance." 



I have dwelt longer than I otherwise should 

 have done on the management of lawns, not 

 only because I am a great admirer of a smooth 

 green turf, but because I believe it is a subject 

 not generally understood. Most persons ima- 

 gine that if they lay down turf, or sow grass 



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