AUGUST: SECOND WEEK 203 



it will always pay to give in addition to this dressing of fer- 

 tilizer a top-dressing of compost, rich in available nitrogen 

 and in humus that will help to maintain an adequate supply 

 of moisture near the surface. A compost soil such as is used 

 in the greenhouse or for the flower beds, with the addition of 

 two quarts of pulverized sheep manure to the bushel, will do. 



Otherwise, a quickly prepared compost may be made as 

 follows: Half a cubic yard of good garden loam or topsoil; 

 500 pounds of prepared humus; 25 pounds of hydrated lime; 

 15 to 25 pounds of fine ground bone; 15 to 25 pounds of pul- 

 verized sheep manure. These should be thoroughly mixed 

 together and left in a compact pile for about a week; when 

 screened the material will be ready for top-dressing. If the 

 soil where the lawn is to be made is wet or heavy, substitute 

 medium coarse sand for loam in the compost. This amount 

 of compost will top-dress a lawn about forty by forty feet. 



If the soil, after filling in and preparing, is so soft and loose 

 that the foot sinks into it, it should be rolled before being 

 given the final harrowing or raking preparatory to sowing. 



Use Plenty of Good Seed 



Sowing should be done preferably on a quiet day, as it is 

 highly important to get an even distribution of seed. When 

 everything is ready, however, particularly if there is promise 

 of a rain, it is usually better not to wait. Even with the 

 wind blowing, the seed can be put on quite evenly if the 

 lawn is marked off into sections. A quick way of doing this 

 is to take a little ground limestone or land plaster in an old 

 watering can, marking out sections. To make doubly sure, 

 it is best to divide the seed and make two sowings, the 

 second at right angles to the first. After sowing, rake the 

 seed in evenly and gently with an iron rake and give a 

 fairly heavy rolling. See illustration Plate 21. 



The greatest possible care should be exercised in buying 

 grass seed. For a large lawn it will usually pay to make 

 your own mixture. For the average lawn the most satisfac- 

 tory way is to purchase a ready-made mixture, but buy 



