METHODS OF LAWN MAKING 121 



soil is full of weed seeds. It is impossible to make them all germinate at 

 the same time, even though the ground has been thoroughly prepared. 

 The remaining seeds will germinate gradually while the new lawn is in 

 process of growing. If lawn seed is not used in good proportions, or if the 

 seed is of a poor quality, these weed seeds will predominate and get ahead 

 of the lawn seed." 



Why Clover With the Blue Grass. Mr. Winsell also gives reasons 

 for this mixture of seed: "In places which are most exposed to the sun, 

 weak spots will appear in the lawn if it is not watched very carefully. It 

 is only a matter of time when devil grass will appear in such places and 

 soon spread throughout the lawn. To remedy this, the white clover is used 

 in connection with the blue grass. The blue grass is slow to germinate, 

 especially when the nights are cold. In fact, it takes nearly a year to stool 

 out enough to make a good start. The clover will germinate readily in 

 either warm or cool weather. It will shelter the blue grass and crowd out 

 the weeds, and in the meantime the blue grass will be stooling out, leaving 

 no room for devil grass or other undesirable weeds. These conditions 

 prevail around places that are inland. However, the conditions differ as 

 we near the ocean. Clover will stand the ocean breeze much better than 

 blue grass. It will stool out more, and will not grow as rank as the blue 

 grass. Neither does it require the moisture that it does when grown 

 inland." 



Poultry Manure for the Lawn. Poultry manure, if kept in good 

 condition, free of feathers and trash, is better for the lawn than barnyard 

 manure. By removing the poultry droppings daily and keeping them in a 

 covered box or barrel with a layer of dry dust over them, they make the 

 very best fertilizer for lawns, flower beds and kitchen gardens. It is not 

 alone richer than barnyard manure, its elements are more easily utilized, 

 being, almost as quick in their action as nitrate of soda, and it is free of the 

 nits and larvae of grubs and flies, while barnyard manure is the habitat of 

 all such. 



Sowing Grass Seed With a Sieve. Sow grass seed- with a sieve. The 

 latter can be readily made by taking the bottom out of a small shallow box 

 and tacking a piece of wire window screen in its place. It will always 

 come handy about the garden. After the ground is thickly sown with the 

 grass seed, cover with sandy loam put on with the sieve, then wet down 

 with the sprinkler. Some mellow soil from the chicken yard is good for 

 the covering, as the fowls will have scratched out all seeds and insects. 

 The planted seeds must not be allowed to dry out, and the lawn will need 

 to be sprinkled every evening in dry weather. 



Burning Off Weed Seed. If the plot to be seeded to lawn is over- 

 grown with dry weeds, it is a good plan to burn it over, as this kills many 

 weed seeds and insects, and the residue is excellent fertilizer. In any case, 

 rake up and burn all trash, then wet down and spade the ground, and thus 



