LAWNS AND PLAYGROUNDS. 251 



turf, or there are small grassy spaces near the house or the garden, 

 on the good effect of which depends very much the beauty of the 



home landscape, as coming so much into the fore- 

 Fine turf. ground of what should be pictures. One reason 



why we should take care to get the best turf 

 which the conditions of soil or climate allow is that no other 

 country but ours can have such good turf. In many countries, even 

 in Europe, they cannot have it at all, but grass seed has to be sown 

 every year to get some semblance of turf. Where, however, our 

 natural advantages are so great, our care should be to get the full 

 benefit of them ; and though in many places the turf, through 

 the goodness of the soil, is all that could be desired even in 

 Britain, in others a very poor turf is often seen, and much effort 

 is often given in vain attempts to get a turf worthy of a flower 

 garden. 



Many people think that any rough preparation will secure them a 

 good sward, and merely trench and turf the ground ; even experienced 

 ground workmen fail to get a fine turf for the flower garden, though 

 they may lay turf well enough for a cricket ground. Others think 

 that turf will come of itself, but are often rudely disappointed ; and 

 therefore some instructions as to the best way of laying down turf, 

 where the work has to be done from the beginning, and also for 

 repairing it when out of order, may be useful to some readers. 

 The following is written by Mr James Burnham, who has made 

 for me some of the most beautiful garden lawns I have seen, 

 some of them laid in hot spring weather. 



" Should the spot chosen be on heavy soil, such as clay, take 

 the levels and fix them 16 feet apart around the outside of the 



piece intended for a lawn. Take some levels 



Formation of across the piece, then take 12 inches of earth out 



good turf . below the levels. Should any of these 12 inches 



contain good soil, wheel that on to the outside 

 of the piece, removing all the clay to a place near and burning 

 it into ballast, using slack coal. Find the natural fall of the 

 ground, and place pegs 16 feet apart in lines from top to bottom 

 the way it falls, then dig out the soil in line of pegs with 

 a draining tool, 12 inches deep at top end, bottom end 18 inches 

 deep. This will give a fall of 6 inches. Then lay in 2-inch drain 

 pipes, with a 3-inch pipe at the bottom end for a main to take 

 the water that drains from the sub-soil. See that this main is 

 taken to some outlet. Cover the pipes with 3 inches of burnt 

 ballast, and spread 3 inches of burnt ballast all over the piece of 

 ground. Dig the ground over 12 inches deep, at the same time 

 mixing the 3 inches of burnt ballast with the clay, taking care not 



