76 NEW ZEALAND GARDENING. 



Lolium tenuifolia perenne, 2olbs. ; 2lbs. White clover ; Slbs. 

 Trifolium minor ; Poa nemoralis and sempervirens, 4lbs. of 

 each. This mixture will suffice for half an acre, and will 

 form a very good lawn, and if kept cut close answers most 

 soils. Special mixtures for laying down lawns may also be 

 had from any seedsman. Some of our native poas and 

 other grasses would answer admirably for lawn purposes. 

 If the ground is of a retentive nature, sowing the seeds 

 should be deferred till August. Commence to cut as soon 

 as the machine will act. Some prefer the scythe for the first 

 time of cutting. Roll previous to mowing; this will save 

 the knives of the mower. Cut at least once a fortnight 

 during the growing season. 



The Grub. Every one who has had anything to do 

 with grass lawns is familiar with this pest. The pest, when 

 in the beetle state, may be heard and seen in the warm 

 Summer evenings humming in myriads over the grass pre- 

 paratory to laying the seeds of future destruction. The best 

 preventive we know of, is the constant use of a heavy 

 roller, and an occasional flooding of water when possible. 

 The rolling should be the most frequent in the evenings, 

 when the beetles first make their appearance. In the 

 Autumn well-rotted manure or crushed bones should be 

 applied if the soil is not naturally rich ; if manure be 

 objected to as unsightly, bone meal, soot, and salt may be 

 substituted, and rolled in during moist weather : ylbs bones, 

 ylbs. soot, and ilb. of common salt will suffice for every 

 square perch (or 5^ yards square), or 2lbs. of superphos- 

 phate to the same area will be found beneficial, if applied in 

 August. 



Plants and Grasses which resist the Grub. 

 Yarrow (Achillea Millefolium). The grub will not touch 

 this plant ; it also resists drought in a remarkable degree. 

 Its fine dark-green foliage, close set to the ground, suggests 

 it as a plant which would prove admirably adapted for lawn 

 purposes. It is however not well suited for tennis lawns, 

 the foliage being too soft and easily bruised. Poa pratenis 

 resists the grub better than any grass we know of, but it gets 

 hard and matty, and is therefore not so desirable. White 

 Dutch clover, in moist deep soils, if well attended to, forms 

 a handsome green sward. It is also unsuited for tennis lawns. 



