272 SOILS AND FERTILIZERS 



cent of phosphoric acid, and 10 per cent of potash. 

 The amount used should range from 200 to 400 pounds 

 per acre until the character and needs of the soil are 

 determined. It will often be found that large amounts 

 can be used economically. 



327. Lawns. In making a lawn, a mixture of six 

 parts of bone ash , two parts of muriate of potash, and 

 one part of nitrate of soda can be applied at the rate of 

 5 to 7 pounds per square rod prior to seeding. A good 

 lawn should have a subsoil that is fairly retentive of 

 moisture, one containing 10 to 15 per cent of clay or 

 a large amount of fine silt. Too much potash and 

 lime encourage exclusive growth of clover and crowd- 

 ing out of grasses. During the season, two or three 

 applications can be made of a commercial fertilizer 

 containing about 3 per cent of nitrogen, 10 per cent 

 of phosphoric acid, and 3 per cent of potash, at the 

 rate of one pound per square rod. When part of the 

 nitrogen is in the form of nitrates and part as ammo- 

 nium salts, better results are secured than when the 

 nitrogen is all in one form. It is also advisable to 

 supply the phosphoric acid in more than one form. 

 An even application of fertilizer to a lawn is quite 

 necessary, otherwise the growth is "patchy." Hard 

 wood ashes evenly spread at the rate of i to 2 pounds 

 per square rod and reenforced with nitrate of soda can 

 be used advantageously as a lawn fertilizer. 



