MAKING AND CARE 



beginning to clip it. It should be allowed to 

 get such a start that mowing off the top of it 

 will not interfere with root-action sufficiently to 

 injure it. About all that should be done in the 

 early stages of mowing a newly made lawn is 

 to clip off the blades of grass, leaving the crown 

 of each plant untouched. Later, when the 

 stooling-out process has taken place, you can 

 set the mower-knives to cut lower without any 

 risk to the health of the plants, and the result 

 will be a sward that looks and feels like velvet. 

 A lawn with such a sward is good for years if 

 proper care is taken of it. But never shave it, 

 as many do, thus destroying the greatest charm 

 of it. If you cut it too close, it will take on a 

 rusty, brown look from the dead grass-leaves 

 which are always to be found at the bottom of 

 the sward. There should always be grass 

 enough left standing to hide this collection of 

 debris, which cannot be prevented from accu- 

 mulating. If the season is a rather wet one, it 

 may be necessary to use the lawn-mower three 

 times a week, but in an ordinary season twice 

 a week will be quite enough. Never allow the 

 grass to get the start of you if you want your 

 lawn to have the attractiveness every well-kept 

 lawn ought to possess, for it will be found im- 



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