APRIL: THIRD WEEK 99 



other rubbish that may have accumulated. Then look it 

 over carefully to see how much repairing is needed. If it 

 is in fairly good condition about all the care required will 

 be a thorough raking with an iron rake, loosening the soil 

 as much as possible without tearing up any grass roots; 

 sowing seed in spots that may look thin; applying a top- 

 dressing of bone meal and wood ashes; and giving a thorough 

 rolling with a heavy hand roller, or in a small plot a thorough 

 firming with a hand tamp or the back of a spade. 



The lawn that is beginning to wear out will need more 

 attention. If it is very far gone the easiest and best thing to 

 do is to plow or spade it up, working under a good coating 

 of manure. Make the surface smooth and level and as fine 

 as possible, and sow seed. Use bone meal on the surface. 



A lawn that is bad only in spots may be put into condi- 

 tion by forking it up where the sod is poorest and adding 

 new soil where it may seem necessary. Use on the surface 

 bone meal or pulverized sheep manure mixed with the seed, 

 as it is essential that the tiny grass plants have some rich 

 food to fix upon as soon as they begin to grow. 



Much of your success in making or remaking the lawn 

 will depend upon the quality of grass seed you get. Good 

 seed should weigh twenty pounds or more to the bushel. 

 Buy only from a thoroughly reliable source, as weight alone 

 is not a guarantee that the mixture contains the right grasses 

 in the right proportions for lawn purposes. For shady 

 positions a mixture adapted to such conditions must be 

 obtained, for even good seed of an ordinary lawn mixture 

 will give practically no results in a shady place. 



A quart of good seed will cover about 300 square feet. 

 In remaking old sod use only about half as much. Select 

 a quiet day, preferably just before or just after a rain, and 

 sow as evenly as possible. Going over the ground twice, 

 in opposite directions, using half the seed each way, will 

 do much toward insuring even distribution. Carry the seed 

 in a box or a pail, not a bag, so that you can get at it readily, 

 and sow it in small handfuls, being careful to take out just 

 about the same amount each time. 



