Preparation of the Land 41 



not be allowed upon it until the turf has become sufficiently 

 firm to prevent the wheels from cutting in while turning 

 the corners. The first two or three cuttings should be done 

 with the hand-scythe or grass-hook. (Note turf on lawn 

 in Fig. 14, p. 35.) 



CLIPPING THE LAWN 



Frequent clipping of the lawn, especially during the cool 

 weather of spring and early fall, is necessary to make a fine 

 close turf and allowing all of the clippings to fall on the 

 ground to decay is the "perfection of cultivation." The 

 lawn-mower should be run at least once each week, and in 

 case of very warm moist weather it may be necessary to 

 run it twice or more. If the grass becomes so tall and 

 heavy that the clippings do not settle down at once 

 among the growing blades, it should be caught in the 

 basket attached to the mower or be raked up and car- 

 ried away; for if a heavy growth is allowed to lie on the 

 ground the roots of the grasses, are often destroyed dur- 

 ing hot moist weather, and weeds will be prompt to start 

 in their place. Clipping should be frequent enough that it 

 may settle down among the grass plants. The modern 

 improvements in lawn-mowers leave but little to be desired 

 in the line of perfection, but which of the many machines 

 is the best is a question I shall not attempt to settle here. 

 The horse mower is a great-labor-saving machine where 

 large areas are to be cut, though it is not always possible to 

 do as good work as is done by the hand-mowers, and the 

 tracks made by the horse, unless lawnshoes are worn, 

 seriously disfigure a soft or newly made lawn. To enable 

 the mower to run up close to shrubbery and borders to cut 

 the grass so that no hand-clipping need be done, we have 

 practised taking out a circle of turf about one foot from the 

 trunk of trees or the edge of a clump of shrubs and 



