APPENDIX. 421 



II. 



Note on the treatment of Lawns 



As a lawn is the ground-work of a landscape garden, and as the 

 management of a dressed grass surface is still a somewhat ill-under- 

 stood subject with us, some of our readers will, perhaps, be g\ad to 

 receive a very few hints on this subject. 



The unrivalled beauty of the "velvet lawns" of England has passed 

 into a proverb. This is undoubtedly owing, in some measure, to their 

 superior care and keeping, but mainly to the highly favorable climate 

 of that moist and sea-girt land. In a very dry climate it is nearly 

 impossible to preserve that emerald freshness in a grass surface, that 

 belongs only to a country of " weeping skies." During all the present 

 season, on the Hudson, where we write, the constant succession of 

 showers has given us, even in the heat of midsummer, a softness and 

 verdure of lawn that can scarcely be surpassed in any climate or 

 country. 



Our climate, however, is in the middle states one of too much heat 

 and brilliancy of sun, to allow us to keep our lawns in the best condi- 

 tion without considerable care. Beautifully verdant in spring and 

 autumn, they are often liable to suffer from drought in midsummer. 

 On sandy soils, this is especially the case, while on strong loamy soils, 

 a considerable drought will be endured without injury to the good 

 appearance of the grass. It therefore is a suggestion worthy of the 

 attention of the lover of a fine lawn, who is looking about for a 

 country residence, to carefully avoid one where the soil is sandy. The 

 only remedy in such a soil is a tedious and expensive one, that of con- 

 stant and plentiful topdressing with a compost of manure and heavy 

 soil marsh mud swamp muck, or the like. Should it fortunately be 

 the case (which is very rare) that the sub-stratum is loamy, deep 

 ploughing, or trenching, by bringing up and mixing with the light sur- 

 face soil seme of the heavier earth from below, will speedily tend to 

 remedy the evil. 



In almost all cases where the soil is of good strength, a permanent 

 lavai may be secured by preparing the soil deeply before finally laying 

 it down. This may be done readily, at but little outlay, by deep 



