LAWN BEAUTIFICATION 271 



not offer opportunities for striking results in the 

 way of improvement that make them appeal to 

 the amateur. And, in any event, blue grass in 

 its best varieties constitutes a lawn grass of 

 really fine quality, and if properly cared for will 

 produce a lawn of a very satisfactory character. 

 Mixtures are seldom better, and not often as 

 good as the pure Kentucky blue-grass lawn. 



As to the matter of soil for the lawn, nothing 

 specific need be said beyond the statement that 

 the same sort of preparation is desirable that 

 would be used in preparing soil for field or 

 garden crops. Some details as to this will be 

 given in the succeeding chapter. 



It is well here to offer a few suggestive hints 

 as to such preparation of the lawn which will 

 insure a proper regulation of the supply of air 

 and water, upon which the condition of the lawn 

 so largely depends. What is true about drain- 

 age and irrigation will have equal application to 

 land that is to be used for raising flowers or 

 vegetables or small fruits. These suggestions 

 are based very largely on my personal experi- 

 ence at Santa Rosa in preparing the ground for 

 the experiment gardens on which plants of 

 several thousand different species, and repre- 

 senting many families from all parts of the globe, 

 are grown. 



