SUBSTITUTES FOR GRASS LAWNS 127 



water on an ill-drained spot which drowns out the worms with too much 

 water and perhaps the ground gets too little direct sunshine to promote a 

 vigorous growth of grass which could make good use of the water. Such 

 a piece should be resown after underdraining with tile, or, if that calls for 

 too great expenditure, dig as deeply as can be without disturbing large 

 roots of the trees ; clearing out small roots will not hurt the trees and it is 

 necessary to get some free ground if you are to have any grass at all. Dig 

 in stable manure and use with it lime at the rate of 500 pounds to the acre. 

 This will help to discourage the worms and improve the soil also. Then do 

 not water too frequently, but keep the grass growing without making the 

 soil soggy with standing water. 



Snails or "slugs" are sometimes very abundant in clover lawns as the 

 result of excessive watering, or at least of too frequent surface sprinkling. 

 When the ground is given a thorough soaking, say once a wee'k, and the 

 foliage allowed to become dry, except for dew, during the intervening days 

 one is apt to have a very thrifty growth of clover and no slugs. On the 

 other hand, clover daily sprinkled has seemed to be almost alive with the 

 pests. Clover does not need as much water as frequently some give it. Try 

 thorough soaking occasionally and stop the frequent sprinkling. 



PLANTS FOR GROUND-COVERS. 



Ground-covering plants of prostrate habit are largely available to secure 

 a semblance of lawn-like verdure. They are of course not comparable in 

 effect with a good lawn, and, in the writer's view, are inferior even to a 

 fairly poor lawn, but, to say the least of them, they are better than no lawn 

 at all and are rendering wide service along that line. Their chief service, 

 and in that respect they are entitled to rather higher rating perhaps, is the 

 covering of banks and terraces upon which summer verdure with grasses 

 and clovers can only be maintained at too great cost of work and water. 



One thing must be insisted upon, however, and that is that they be not 

 expected to look well without a modicum of care, and if possible, a bath 

 now and then for the sake of their cleanliness in the dry season. The 

 particular care which they require is the pulling out 'of tall weeds and of 

 wild grains and grasses which shoot up through their prostrate growth. 

 Bare ground neatly raked is far handsomer than a ground-cover which is 

 hardly discernible through plumes of dead grasses and weeds, and through 

 a coating of summer dust, blown papers, dead leaves, etc. Therefore, if one 

 decides to forego a lawn and trust to a ground-cover, let him remember 

 that even this must be grown and maintained in a good-gardening way. 



There are many plants which may be used as ground-covers, and prob- 

 ably the writer has only seen a fraction of their full number. The charac- 

 ters desirable in such a plant are : flat-growth and little disposition to rise 

 in masses and tangles, which require much pruning; even color of foliage, 

 because dying leaves are inconspicuous ; scanty bloom or the absence of it 



