200 THE PLAN OF THE PLACE 



tile drain affords a permanent amelioration of the 

 under soil. Soils which are naturally loose and 

 porous may not need this extra attention. In 

 fact, lands which are very loose and sandy may 

 require to be packed or cemented rather than 

 loosened. One of the best means of doing this 

 is to fill them with humus, so that the water will 

 not leach through them rapidly. Nearly all lands 

 which are designed for lawns are greatly benefited 

 by heavy dressings of manure thoroughly worked 

 into them in the beginning. 



The first grading operation is the plowing of 

 the surface. If the area is large enough to admit 

 a team, the surface is worked down by means 

 of harrows of various kinds. Afterwards it is 

 leveled by means of shovels and hoes, and finally 

 by garden rakes. The more finely and completely 

 the soil is pulverized, the quicker the lawn may be 

 obtained, and the more permanent are the results. 



The best grass for the body or foundation of 

 lawns in the North is June -grass or Kentucky 

 blue grass (Poa pratensis) . Inasmuch as we de- 

 sire to obtain many very fine stalks of grass 

 rather than a few large ones, it is essential that 

 the seed be sown very thick. Pains should also 

 be taken to distribute the seed evenly over the 

 area, thereby avoiding bare and weedy spots. 

 From three to four bushels to the acre is the 

 ordinary application of grass seed. The question 

 as to whether white clover or other seed should 



