274 THE YEAR-BOOK OF AGRICULTURE. 



25. Tripsacum dactyloides : Gama Grass. This is a very productive, but a rather coarse 

 grass. It requires to be cut when its leaves are young and tender. 



26. Digitaria dactylon: Bermuda Grass. This species produces, short grass, not fit for 

 mowing, but it affords good pasturage for cattle and sheep, and is a somewhat inferior sub- 

 stitute for the blue grass. 



27. The Minnesota Rice: Zizania aquatica. This species has no affinity with the true 

 rice, which belongs to a genus widely removed, notwithstanding its common 'iiame. It is 

 more nearly allied to the oat, although it differs even widely from that. It is not only found 

 in Minnesota, but abounds on all the shores of the Northern and Western lakes and rivers, 

 and also grows in all the Atlantic States. It ripens irregularly, and drops its seed at the 

 slightest touch. The grain is small, and the hull very adhesive. It is doubtful whether it 

 can ever be brought into successful cultivation. Southern Agriculturalist. 



Grasses for Lawns. 



THE extreme beauty, evenness, and velvety softness of English lawns have been the theme 

 of admiration of all travellers through the United Kingdom. In our landscape gardening 

 these lawns are the models we strive to equal, no arrangement of trees and shrubbery, and 

 otherwise picturesque location of buildings, producing the proper effect without a well-set, 

 compact, and even sod of green grass. It is but seldom, in this country, a lawn or grass- 

 plot, either large or small, is to be seen what it ought to be and what it may be. The differ- 

 ence in this particular between here and England is partially owing to her more moist and 

 humid climate ; but more to other causes we shall now advert to, and first and most especially 

 the determination in this country to do every thing fast. We do not take the time, and will 

 not incur the expense, in our agricultural and horticultural operations, as well as in other 

 branches of business, to do things well, but only wish to do them soon. In England, the for- 

 mation of a good lawn, intended to be permanently laid down to grass, is considered an 

 expensive operation, and one requiring the greatest skill. The subsoil is first, if it requires 

 it, thoroughly drained, and the surface made entirely level. Subsoil, or trench-plowing, is 

 of course adopted, to guard against the effect of drought, and the greatest care taken during 

 the process of levelling and preparing to give it a uniform foundation at a uniform depth ; 

 particularly to make the upper six inches everywhere the same, and of a uniform structure 

 of good garden soil. In this way they avoid the uneven spots, hills, and hollows which so 

 disfigure our own lawns, and make a variety of tints in different parts. 



A mistake is often made here, in having the soil too poor to produce a constant and luxu- 

 riant growth of grass, levelling being often done with the earth out of the cellar of the build- 

 ing just erected. We would recommend, after plowing to the depth of ten to twelve inches, 

 if the soil is thin, it should be covered with a plentiful coat of good barn-yard manure, to be 

 plowed down to the depth of five inches, and the surface afterwards covered with good 

 surface soil at least a couple of inches, to serve as a recipient seed-bed for the young grass- 

 seeds. 



Much of the outlay may be reduced, where circumstances admit of taking off, previously to 

 laying down the lawn, a crop of potatoes or other roots, which have the effect of making the 

 soil mellow and friable. Previous to seeding, all stones must of course be picked off, and 

 the harrow passed over repeatedly, to pulverize all lumps and reduce all inequalities. 



The fall of the year is decidedly preferable for forming a lawn, and it is a great advantage 

 to sow, at the same time with the grass-seed, a small quantity of rye, wheat, or oats, for pro- 

 tection during the winter and succeeding spring, but which must be mowed off when six or 

 eight inches high, to avoid any interference with the growth of the grasses. 



The quantity of grass-seed used to the acre for lawn purposes is much greater in England 

 than many persons seem willing to incur the expense of here. Out of six different mixtures 

 of lawn grass-seed recommended for an acre by some English authorities, we find not one to 

 contain less than forty pounds. As there is no use in more than enough, we would say if the 

 ground is properly prepared, and the above precautions attended to, twenty to twenty-five 

 Ibs. of seed are sufficient for an acre. 



