FARM MANAGEMENT 73 



plants suffer severely from heat and drought if they have not had 

 an opportunity to grow and form considerable root before the hot 

 period comes on. 



In order to secure a uniform distribution of the seed, the seed- 

 ing should be done in two directions. The seed should be divided 

 into two lots, one of the lots being scattered in one direction across 

 the land and the other scattered at right angles with the first. This 

 is in order to obliterate as far as possible balks and streaks in scat- 

 tering the seed. (F. B. 248; B. of S. B. 75; O. Ex. Sta. B. 106; B. 

 138, U. of 111.) 



Maintenance of the Lawn. A perfect lawn is one of the rarest 

 possessions of either public or private establishments. A good lawn 

 demands great skill and judgment in its maintenance as well as in 

 its making. All the operations connected with the maintenance of 

 a greensward are directed toward securing a uniform sod or turf over 

 the entire extent of the lawn. In order to secure this the plants 

 which constitute the lawn should be kept in a luxuriant, vegetative 

 condition and never allowed to go to seed. There is no operation 

 connected with plant life which is so trying upon the vitality as the 

 production of seed. In order to keep a close, even surface over the 

 area, it is necessary to use a mower frequently, but in using the 

 mower the clipping should not be done close enough to deprive the 

 plants of sufficient leaf area to carry on their normal functions. 

 Upon newly established lawns the operation of clipping should not 

 be delayed until the grass is too high. As soon as a mower with a 

 blade 2 inches high will cut the ends of the leaves, the mower should 

 be passed over the surface. By repeating this at close intervals dur- 

 ing the growing season a better and more uniform stand of grass 

 will be secured. 



It is a mistake to allow a lawn to go in an unkempt condition 

 during the first months of its existence. It should from the begin- 

 ning be subjected to the same treatment which is to be carried on 

 later in its life. It is not advisable to clip the lawn frequently dur- 

 ing periods of drought, but even during these periods it is not well 

 to allow the plants to produce seed stalks. The general plan of 

 keeping a lawn clipped to a height of 2 inches is a very safe one to 

 follow. The clipping, too, should be sufficiently frequent to prevent 

 the necessity of raking off any considerable quantity of material 

 after each clipping. If the soil is moist, very rich, and the growth 

 luxuriant, it will be necessary to rake off the clippings, but on com- 

 paratively poor soils the clippings will not be detrimental unless 

 they produce an unsightly effect. Before growth has advanced to 

 any considerable extent each spring, the lawn, as soon as it is com- 

 paratively dry, should be gone over with a heavy lawn roller, so as 

 to embed firmly any of the grass roots which may have been loosened 

 by frosts and to reduce the surface to a uniform condition. (B. 

 248; B. of S. B. 75; Ohio E. S. B. 106; U. of 111. B. 138.) 



TREES, SHRUBS AND VINES. 



Trees. Trees are a necessary part of making a perfect lawn. 

 Their careful selection is as important as is the careful selection of 



