PROCEEDINGS OF THE FARMERS' CLUB. 95 



must be deeply trenched and underdrained so that it will bear to 

 be cut in hot weather. Grass will grow under locust trees even 

 better than in the sunshine. 



Mr. Pardee cited the lawn of Mr. John C. Green, on the 

 northern border of Staten Island, as one constantly beautiful, a 

 velvetty green, and made so by being shaved every week. By 

 proper preparation he believed that a lawn might be made as 

 perfect in this country as in England. If we have not suffi- 

 cient moisture, the defect can be supplied by an occasional water- 

 inc:, and if with manured water so much the better. The new 

 English lawn grass, the Spergula prolijica, which grows but two 

 inches high, and needs no cutting, does not succeed here. 



Mr. Fuller inquired what was the proper way to make a lawn. 



Mr. Carpenter. — I would sow white clover principally, with a 

 little mixture of timothy. It may be better to seed it down with 

 some cereal, oats, wheat or rye, for they seem to protect the 

 young plant; but the ground should be thoroughly trenched, and 

 well underdrained, if necessary. 



Dr. Trimble. — The first thing that is wanted for a good lawn 

 is a great deal of money, 



Mr. Gale objected to the plan pursued in the Central Park, 

 because it would be impossible to obtain any depth of sod, com- 

 mencing in that way. To make a lawn, it should first be under- 

 drained, and made very rich. We should then sow four or five 

 kinds of grass seed — red clover, white clover, red top, and several 

 others. Let that grow the first year and rot on the ground. The 

 roots would then have an opportunity to penetrate and permeate 

 the ground, and the next season there would be twice as much 

 foliage, as if the grass were cut every week the first year. Even 

 the Canada thistle cannot live two years if cut three times a year. 

 Even allowing cattle to pasture upon mowing land in the fall 

 injures the sod. 



Mr. Carpenter said that meadows would frequently have but 

 little grass after a few years, while pasture lands never became 

 void of a sod. Yet pasture land is nipped oftener than once in 

 five days. Meadow lands not 'pastured eventually run to weeds. 

 When tlie grass is cut, the weeds and coarse grass are the first 

 to start. If cattle are turned in, they are nipped off first. 



Dr. Trimble said that sheep or deer were much better upon 

 lawns than cattle. In the lawn near Windsor Castle, sheep are 



