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land. These should be thoroughly mixed before sowing. This is heavy 

 seeding, but experiments demonstrate that a good lawn can only be 

 secured by heavy seeding when sown in the spring; autumn sowing 

 may be thinner, but the thick seeding will be most satisfactory. There 

 is no grass equal to the June grass for fine lawns ; this is also known 

 as green grass and Kentucky blue grass. The red top also forms a 

 good swajd where the soil is good and the summers comparatively cool 

 and moist ; but during dry warm weather it becomes hard and wiry. 

 The timothy grass vegetates quickly and greatly assists the growth of 

 the others. 



The practice of sowing oats, barley, or other grains with the grasses, 

 under the impression that they will protect the young plants from the 

 sun and drought, is altogether wrong, as it practically does much more 

 harm than good. The larger growing plants rob the soil of its moisture, 

 to the destruction of the tender and more feebly rooting grass plants. 

 No such protection is necessary even were it possible to supply it with- 

 out injury. With fair preparation of ground, the seed put in as soon as 

 practicable in the spring, the lawn will be fit to mow in June at latest. 



A very successful improver, especially in the making of lawns, sows 

 down in August and adds about 2 pounds of turnip seed to the acre. 

 The gradual growth of the turnip foliage forms a congenial damp shade 

 for the vegetation and spread of the young grass plants. The larger 

 leaves of the vegetable also protect the grass against injury from the 

 early frosts. Their gradual decay and ultimate removal are effected 

 before the grasses are so far advanced as to be hurt by continuous 

 shade, and a thick sward is secured before winter. A slight covering 

 of strawy manure will be of advantage to autumn-sown lawns, particu- 

 larly so if the soil inclines to be wet, and therefore liable to have the 

 young plants thrown to the surface by the alternate action of freezing 

 and thawing. A heavy roller should be passed over it as early in the 

 spring as the firmness of the soil will admit, in order to tighten the 

 earth around the roots, and press down such plants as have been loos- 

 ened during the winter. 



While it is true that a fine lawn can not be produced without good 

 preparation, it is equally true that a fine lawn can not be maintained 

 without frequent mowing. The recent improvements in lawn-mowers 

 leave but little to be desired so far as mowing facilities are concerned. 

 They also roll the lawn at the same time that it is cut, which is essential 

 to the most perfect keeping. That which was formerly regarded as a 

 formidable operation is now one of the easiest, and the lawn is kept in 

 good order at less cost than any other portion of the pleasure grounds. 

 One of the best points in the lawn-mower is its incapacity for cutting 

 long grass, thus compelling frequent mowing, which is the great secret 

 in keeping a superior lawn. Mow early and often is the rule. Even 

 on newly seeded lawns the mower should be at work as soon as the 

 grass is high enough to cutj indeed, much injury results from procras- 



