172 TOWN PLANTING 



cannot carry a healthy crop of grass ; so that 

 not only is it necessary at the outset to provide 

 a suitable medium for the grass to root 

 amongst, but also to renew or enrich this at 

 periodical intervals by suitable top dressings. 

 Where it is intended to have a good lawn the 

 ground should be carefully trenched over and 

 a quantity of loam and thoroughly decomposed 

 manure added. After this has been well con- 

 solidated either seed-sowing or turfing should 

 be resorted to, the work being preferably per- 

 formed in early Spring. The turves should 

 be cut of a uniform thickness, about 2 in., and 

 a yard long by a foot wide. When transferred 

 to the prepared ground, which should previously 

 have been levelled and raked over, the turves 

 should be carefully laid side by side and quite 

 close to each other, so that little or no space 

 for the admittance of air is left between the 

 edges. The whole should then be rolled down 

 and a sprinkling of fine sandy soil applied, this 

 having a beneficial effect in filling up any 

 cavities between the turf. Seed sowing may 

 take place in March or April, according to the 



