LAWN BEAUTIFICATION 265 



But I have more recently found two far 

 better substitutes for this purpose. One is the 

 Mesembryanthemum cequilaterale, which grows 

 on our seacoasts. This produces an enormous 

 amount of very heavy foliage, which is hardly 

 moved even by a strong stream of water. 



The other is the vine commonly called trailing 

 myrtle (Vinca major) . This forms a great mass 

 of long white roots, and long slender vines with 

 abundant evergreen foliage, which resists stream 

 wash by shingling the whole surface so that the 

 water cannot reach the soil. No plant surpasses 

 it for this purpose. 



Another variety of seedling lippia grows only 

 half as fast, but has very fine dark green leaves 

 and lies very close to the ground, making a most 

 beautiful velvety lawn, while the older lippias 

 made a very unsightly lawn, though better than 

 none, for warm dry climates. Unfortunately 

 none are hardy in the cold northern climates. 



A third variety of lippia has pale-green leaves, 

 is a slower and even more compact grower, and 

 makes a lawn that contrasts charmingly in color 

 with a lawn of the other lippias, or ordinary 

 lawns of blue grass. 



A fourth variety has long ropelike runners 

 growing in all direction, but not filling up the 

 spaces, and therefore not being suitable for 



