CHAPTER XXIX 

 TREATMENT OF LAWNS* 



AS a lawn is the ground-work of a landscape garden, 

 and as the management of a dressed grass surface 

 is still a somewhat ill-understood subject with us, 

 some of our readers will, perhaps, be glad to receive a very 

 few hints on this subject. 



The unrivalled beauty of the "velvet lawns" of England 

 has passed into a proverb. This is undoubtedly owing, in 

 some measure, to their superior care and keeping, but 

 mainly to the highly favorable climate of that moist and 

 sea-girt land. In a very dry climate it is nearly impos- 

 sible to preserve that emerald freshness in a grass surface, 

 that belongs only to a country of "weeping skies." During 

 all the present season, on the Hudson, where we write, the 

 constant succession of showers has given us, even in the 

 heat of midsummer, a softness and verdure of lawn that 

 can scarcely be surpassed in any climate or country. 



Our climate, however, is in the middle states one of too 

 much heat and brilliancy of sun, to allow us to keep our 

 lawns in the best condition without considerable care. 

 Beautifully verdant in spring and autumn, they are often 

 liable to suffer from drought in midsummer. On sandy 

 soils, this is especially the case, while on strong loamy soils, 

 a considerable drought will be endured without injury to 

 the good appearance of the grass. It therefore is a sugges- 

 tion worthy of the attention of the lover of a fine lawn, who 

 is looking about for a country residence, to carefully avoid 

 one where the soil is sandy. The only remedy in such a 

 soil is a tedious and expensive one, that of constant and 

 plentiful top-dressing with a compost of manure and heavy 



* From the Appendix to " Landscape Gardening." 



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