THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



271 



LAWNS 



AS PREPARED AND KEPT ON THE GOVERNMRNT 

 GROUNDS, OTTAWA. 



Much has been written on tlie sub- 

 ject of the best methods of preparing 

 for lawns and keeping them ; mine is 

 nothing new. Having proved so suc- 

 cessful, many inquiries are made what 

 has constituted my success, under so 

 unfavorable circumstances, and as they 

 are always a very noticeable feature by 

 visitors, 1 give you my treatment. 



The position and material on which 

 they are could hardly be worse, stand- 

 ing high above all other surroundings, 

 exposed to every gale, without any 

 shelter, mostly excavated from the 

 rock, no fresh soil having been drawn 

 to them ; what was found on them was 

 so mixed up with the refuse from the 

 buildings in their construction, such as 

 sandstone cuttings and other material, 

 as to be almost unfit for such a purpose. 



In the excavation, great care had to 

 be taken of the soil found on them j 

 of it I made three sorts, putting the 

 first and second qualities into separate 

 piles, and the worse carted away. A 

 large portion of this excavation was 

 from the solid rock over six feet deep, 

 taking nearly two years to do it in, 

 which gave ample time for sod and 

 such like material as I had in my first 

 quality of soil to be well rotted. 



In putting on the soil I laid first a 

 foot of second quality, finishing with 

 another foot of best. In carting it on 

 I took care that the carts passed all 

 over, not allowing them to make roads, 

 so that it would be equally pressed 

 down, so that at the present time, six 

 years since, there is not the slightest 

 sag in any part of it. When perfectly 

 level I put on a heavy coat of well 

 rotted manure (I prefer cow manure, 

 with no straw) ; 1 then gave it two 

 good plowiugs, cross harrowed it, and 

 raked it; then I was ready for the 



grass- seed. Much diversity of opinion 

 here exists as to when is the best time 

 to sow it J portions were done four 

 different years, always with the same 

 success. I sow in the fall as late as I 

 possibly can, so that the seed will not 

 germinate till the spring. In sowing, 

 I have it sowed first one way and 

 then crossed, being sure that it is all 

 covered, using plenty of seed with a 

 good share of white clover. I make a 

 harrow of inch boards driving in five- 

 inch nails ; this is drawn by a man and 

 again cross-harrowed, and if any small 

 stones should turn up pick them up, 

 and give a good roll with a heavy 

 hand-roller. 



When spring comes, before the frost 

 is out of the ground, you will see it 

 green, and will soon be fit for the lawn 

 mower. Now, as soon as the mower 

 will catch it, continue this all the sea- 

 son, and by the fall of the first year 

 you will have a lawn as close as it is 

 possible to make it, provided you use 

 plenty of water during the warm 

 months ; never wait till it begins to 

 show signs of burning before you water 

 and once get it stunted ; water when 

 the appearance of dry weather sets in ; 

 it is much easier to keep it wet than 

 wet it after it gets dry. 



I give a good top-dressing of well 

 rotted cow manure, with no straw only 

 what is well rotted, taking care that 

 no fresh is used, for you will get weeds 

 fast enough into a lawn without that. 

 In the fall I put on the manure roughly, 

 so as that it will help to catch the first 

 snow. In stopping mowing be sure to 

 leave a fair fleece of grass ; if too 

 much your fii-st mowing in the spring 

 will be difficult, if too close you expose 

 the roots of the gniss. In the spring, 

 whilst the manure is wet, break it all 

 as fine as you cim, then rake ; this 

 manuie will not rake off* if properly 

 managed, only the dead grass ; after 



