The Canadian Horticulturist. 195 



LAWN MAKING. 



AVING secured our seed, such as it is, the next question is. 

 In what quantities and how shall we sow it ? Again comes 

 in the question of the quality of soil, its comparative mois- 

 ture and its cleanness. Under the most favorable circum- 

 stances a large proportion of the seed sown will fail to 

 germinate. It is, therefore, wise to sow grass seed liberally. 

 The price of grass seed is comparatively low. I have consequently not hesitated 

 to use, in some cases, six bushels of Kentucky blue grass or red top to the acre, 

 although seedmen only advise two or three The art of sowing grass seed 

 properly requires some experience to acquire. The great difficulty is to sow it 

 evenly. Like mowing and other farming operations, it takes trouble to learn 

 how to sow grass seed properly. You must get up early in the morning before 

 the wind has risen . You must consider the direction from which the wind 

 blows, and do a good many things that can hardly be set down intelligently on 

 paper. 



When the seed is sown the next thing is to rake with a fine-toothed iron 

 rake the entire lawn over thoroughly. Some people content themselves with a 

 harrow for such work, but it does imperfect work at best. After the raking a 

 heavy iron roller should be used at once over every part where the seed is sown. 

 This sets the seed in the ground firmly and helps wonderfully to secure an even 

 mat of grass, especially if a drought sets in soon after the sowing. It is a good 

 plan also to continue this rolling once or twice after the grass has started and 

 before it is fit to mow. 



The first cutting with the mowing machine should come as soon as the 

 grass is high enough for the knives of the machine to fairly take hold. Frequent 

 mowing during the early development of the lawn tends to thicken and 

 strengthen the growth of lawn grass and thus keep down objectionable wild 

 grasses and weeds. 



Viewing the matter in this light, we should not hesitate to weed the lawn 

 all summer if necessary, to water it daily in dry weather, and yearly renew bare 

 spots with better soil, to cover it with seed again, and fertilize the entire surface 

 with frequent applications of manure, and in addition to roll it from time to 

 time when the ground is soft- In the course of years, however, the good results 

 of such work must tell, and the necessity for it become much diminished ; but 

 vigilance and intelligent culture will be always and continually required under 

 the most favorable circumstances. — Samuel Parsons, Jr-, in I^andscape 

 Gardening. 



If the ground, which has been appropriated to the orchard, be also occu- 

 pied as farming land, as is usually done for a few years after planting, while the 

 trees are small, it should be exclusively devoted to hoed crops ; by which is 

 meant those that require constant cultivation and stirring of the soil. — John A. 

 Warher, Apples, 1867. 



