12 THE LA WN. 



growing variety that may come in by accident. The 

 important thing is to secure a variety that will spring up 

 vigorously and take possession of the soil before other less 

 attractive grasses and weeds occupy the ground. 



In order to accomplish this, we may be even obliged to 

 select a somewhat coarse variety. On the lawns of Central 

 Park, for instance, a great deal of Kentucky blue grass has 

 been used, not because it is, by any means, the most attrac- 

 tive of grasses, but because it is vigorous and holds its own 

 even on sandy ground, and makes a fairly good-looking sod. 

 This kind and herds' grass, or red top, form the staple of 

 most lawn-grass mixtures used in the United States. Rhode 

 Island bent grass is highly valued by many, and makes an 

 excellent sod, particularly in a moist climate. Red top in 

 a sandy soil is apt to die off in droughts occurring just after 

 germination. Its first growth is not, in such cases, quite 

 vigorous enough, although the quality of the sod it produces 

 is much finer than that of Kentucky blue grass. Another 

 objection to red top seed is its general impurity as found 

 in the market. 



Having secured our seed, such as it is, the next question 

 is, in what quantities and how shall we sow it ? Again comes 

 in the question of the quality of soil, its comparative moist- 

 ure, and its cleanness. Under the most favorable circum- 

 stances a large proportion of the seed sown will fail to 

 germinate. It is therefore wise to sow grass seed liberally. 

 The price of grass seed is comparatively low. I have con- 

 sequently not hesitated to use, in some cases, six bushels 

 of Kentucky blue grass or red top to the acre, although 

 seedsmen only advise two or three. The art of sowing 



