424 APPENDIX. 



occasional use of a heavy roller, after rain, will also greatly tend to 

 remedy all defects of this nature. 



Where a piece of land is long kept in lawn, it must have an occa- 

 sional top-dressing every two or three years, if the soil is rich, or every 

 season, if it is poor. As early as possible in the spring is the best 

 time to apply such a top-dressing, which may be a compost of any 

 decayed vegetable or animal matter heavier and more abounding with 

 marsh mud, etc., just in proportion to the natural lightness of the soil. 

 Indeed almost every season the lawn should be looked over, all weeds 

 taken out, and any poor or impoverished spots plentifully top-dressed, 

 and, if necessary, sprinkled with a little fresh seed. Wood ashes, 

 either fresh or leached, is also one of the most efficient fertilizers of a 

 lawn. 



We can already, especially in the finer places on the Hudson, and 

 about Boston, boast of many finely kept lawns, and we hope every 

 day, as the better class of country residences increases, to see this 

 indispensable feature in tasteful grounds becoming better understood 

 and more universal. 



